Something about gender norms

My internship must be getting to me: I'm starting to act like I did when I took my first woman's studies class nearly ten years ago, getting irritated by gender norms and assumptions at every turn. I'd gotten rather complacent and able to let stuff slide more and more the past few years, but being fully immersed again in a place that lives and breathes sexuality and gender has riled me up something major. I snapped at a (straight) (male) friend on the phone tonight, shouting, "You're buying into the gender binary!" Which was true, but I probably could have been a little nicer about it. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that not everyone spends their days consumed with GLBT civil rights (or LGBT, if you prefer...oh, the arguments that occur over GLBT v. LGBT v. queer v....if you only knew!!).

So yeah. Gender norms. Any thoughts?

# # #

Oh Monday...

What I love about Mitz is how damn ridiculously preppy he dresses, but that he's really cool as shit underneath all that J.Crew and Banana. For instance, today I sashayed by his cube and said, "What ya listenin' to?"

"Common."

See what I mean? He's amazing. And I'm not just saying that cause he'll go down to the basement with me at work cause I'm too scared to go into the publications room by myself. (In my defense, that is how people end up having their brains eaten by zombies...) Mitz is amazing cause he's not trying too hard. He just is.

# # #

Changes are happening

This blog is undergoing some changes. (You've probably noticed a few already.) I'm experimenting with formatting and tags and content and having contributors(!!), all in anticipation of my future career as a professional blogger. Let me know what you like and what you don't like in the comments. Thanks.

# # #

Bounce wit me

Last night in Baltimore, HT pointed to me and said, "You can always tell ATL kids by the way that they bounce when they dance."

And yeah, I was bouncing. (To house music. At a rave. With glow sticks. I don't want to talk about it too much, but I will say apparently the universe has preserved a little bit of the late 90s rave scene in Baltimore. JNCOS, people! And the rhinestone bebe shirt every girl in my high school and every other high school in America sported when I was a freshman in 1997. And did I mention there were actual glowsticks??)

The DC kids with ATL connections loooove to talk about ATL when I'm around. "Remember that one time in ATL? Did you ever go to that club in ATL? Did you ever drink at that bar in ATL? Remember that party in ATL? Where did you live in ATL? ATL ATL ATL..." Which is kinda sweet and cute, all the ATL love, especially since I rep the A pretty hard up here (although I think I should be slapped, personally, the next time drunk casetheplace shouts and signs "Peace out! A-town down!" for no good reason, cause I do it waaaay too much, I'm not gonna lie...), but hey, look, I'm not in ATL anymore, and I don't plan to return anytime soon, and all that's for some very good reasons, and you're not in ATL these days either, so can we maybe not talk about ATL all the damn time? Thank you, 'preciate it.

But, um, while we're on the subject of ATL, here's some funny, funny, funniness. Especially if you've ever been a MARTA rider ("Isn't the Metro so much better than MARTA?" "SmarTrip's like a BREEZE card." "The buses here don't suck like MARTA buses." "I got hit by a MARTA bus once."). Oh, and in case you don't know what HT meant by bounce, there's some definite bounce in this:

# # #

Fresca Friday

Happy Fresca Friday, y'all! Mitz declared today Fresca Friday because yesterday a bunch of us interns were giving him shit about his drinking Fresca.

"What are you, an old woman?" we all said. "Are you gonna start drinking Tab now too?"

Mitz tried to defend his Fresca drinking as not being old ladyish by reading us a printout of the Wikipedia entry for the drink ("Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote that Fresca was the favorite drink of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had a button installed on the desk in the White House's Oval Office which would summon his military aide to bring the drink. In addition, Fresca was the favorite drink of the expansion teams in the NHL during the 1967 season"...Lyndon B. Johnson, people! And hockey players! They're not old ladies! Oh, and it's been featured in three - three! - episodes of The Simpsons! And The Daily Show!), but then Mitz made the mistake of mentioning that he was going on an evening river cruise on the Potomac next week, and all hell broke loose.

"You ARE an old woman! Look, he's even wearing a cardigan!"

Today, Mitz busted into the office with a stack of Dixie cups and a can of Fresca. "Who's ready to break down some beverage stereotypes??" he asked.

He then distributed the cups, and poured us each an inch of Fresca. I hadn't had Fresca in years, and I have to say, it tastes just as bizarre now as it did in the Nineties. (Sorry, Mitz, but I won't be joining you in old lady soft drink land on the regular.)

A lot of other things happened today, most notably my wiping out at 9:10 this morning on K Street. It was quite spectacular, with the coffee flying out of my hand and the sprawled out landing that slightly twisted my left ankle and tore open my right knee. It really knocked the wind out of me, and it took me a moment till I could let LG help me up. Everyone was all concerned about me being hurt, and all I could manage to get out was, "My coffee..." in a rather woeful voice. My skinned knee would heal with time, but the coffee seeping into the uneven cracks of the sidewalk was gone forever.

And here's a great thing one of my friends said today:

"Do squirrels eat worms? Like, in times of scarcity, do they eat worms? I saw one eating a worm today and I was like, Wow, it must be tough for them if they've moved on to worms..."

# # #

Things my friends say

I'm trying to do a better job of writing down the hilarious shit my hilariously awesome friends say. Here are a few from this week:

"The only 'g' word I love is 'gummy bear' - or 'Ginger spice.' I LOVE her!"

"I had to turn the light on when we were doing it because I forgot what he looked like. (pause) Isn't that bad?"

"I know I'm a gay man, but culturally, I'm a lesbian."

# # #

I wrote the shit out of that midterm

My professor said my midterm was the best in the class (*pats self on back*). I have a whole lot more to say, but it's 1:30 in the morning and I have another long day ahead of me tomorrow and - and - and...it'll just have to wait.

# # #

Spring Break Oh Eight...sigh...

It's been spring break this week, probably my last one for a long while (and maybe ever). It hasn't been much of a vacation, to be honest. I worked Monday, and then flew out super early Tuesday morning for Georgia. As soon as I landed, I headed straight to the grandparents' house for a quick overnight visit. By Wednesday evening I was back in ATL. Then yesterday I flew out super early from ATL for DC.

It was a tough trip. Seeing CV was the bestest; seeing swathes of the city in shambles was not. The fam was difficult, and I spent great stretches of Thursday night wishing I was back in DC because, when you have a non-boyfriend, and a non-relationship, it can come as something of a surprise to find yourself having a very real break up fight with very real tears.

I brought back some things that I had had stored in my grandparents' basement (things like my pink go go boots and my tequila set), so I left ATL with lots of baggage, and if that's not the greatest visual metaphor ever I don't know what is.

When Ashe hugged me tonight in a great big bear hug and said, "Don't ever go to Atlanta again!" I told her, "Don't worry, I don't want to."

Tomorrow I sign the lease that proves I'll be staying in DC for a while. I couldn't be more relieved.

# # #

QUESTION: Why do they have two hooks in our ceiling if we are not supposed to have things hanging from our ceiling?



ANSWER: ???

# # #

All about the Shaw

Apartment hunting in a new city with a new friend is one of the most exciting, exhilarating, heady experiences. You should try it sometime.

Also, I'm starting to come up with aliases for everyone, in anticipation of my becoming a professional blogger. Also in anticipation of becoming a professional blogger, LG and I made some silly web cam videos tonight. Which reminded me that I have a web cam in my computer that I currently never use. I need to remedy that.

More after my midterm tomorrow.

# # #

This weekend's theme was "I plan to be a professional blogger" with the sub-theme "Yes, I carry a headlamp nearly everywhere I go."



The headline kind of says it all. What started out as something of a joke ("I want to be Perez Hilton. I want to be a professional blogger. I want to sit around in coffee shops and bars with free wifi and type things and post pictures." ) is starting to take shape in my mind as something I might maybe could make a reality. Maybe.



I also have come to the sad realization I have a midterm on Thursday, and I haven't studied for it. Sigh.

# # #

Oh goodness



Did I really write a post last night where I said I'm "going to go find myself?" Yikes. Can we pretend like that didn't happen? Thanks.



About to take off for New York. I'm sure I'll have tales to tell once I return. Holla.

# # #

Addendum to the previous





Also, am seriously contemplating taking off in mid-May to go find myself. I gotta be around here somewhere.

# # #

Note to self



Simon & Ashe's suggestion to write a modern-day interpretation of the life of Alexander Hamilton is not half-bad. Also, I may or may not be half-tipsy, which could explain my warmness to the idea...

# # #

It was a good day



"The powerful person in any conversation is the best listener."

- Harry Knox



It was a good day today. Class was good, work was good. I attended an intern brown bag with the inspiring (and I don't say inspiring lightly...the man is inspiring) Harry Knox. Not only does he run HRC's Religion & Faith program, he's from south Georgia, and lives part of the time in Atlanta still. I haven't felt any homesickness since my first week or so here, but hearing him speak in his calm, South Georgia drawl...well, let's just say when he mentioned coming out to his Gran after she cornered him in his house in Decatur ("That's where you're from!" whispered my two bestest intern friends), I had to wipe my eyes more than a little bit. The man is an amazing, insightful speaker, and if you ever have the chance to hear him speak you absolutely should.



Speaking of religion and faith, I have plans for Easter this year. Last year I did absolutely nothing to mark the holiday, and the year before that was spent uncomfortably in Macon, Georgia with the ex and his family. This year I plan to attend Easter service at the National Cathedral, which will no doubt be majestically amazing. And a group of us are organizing a proper Easter dinner for the afternoon, with a ham and everything (I'm gonna make the mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole). And we're gonna have an Easter egg hunt. So now I've got to find an Easter dress and hat...



I've been doing a lot of thinking about my spirituality lately. More on that later.

# # #

Order of operations



I've created an order of operations for 2008. It looks like this:



1) Find an awesome job.

2) Rent a hott apartment (preferably with a fun and chill roommate).

3) Begin dating a quality boyfriend.



I think that pretty much sums up where I am in my life right now.



I've also decided that I'm going to turn 22 again this year. 25 sounds too old, too much on the downward slope to 30. (30 is like a big deal for me - you have to start acting like an adult and stuff when you get to be 30.) So 22 it is.



And CV is in Alaska for the Iditarod, which makes me so jealous every time I think about it I can't see straight.



But! I am headed to NYC to see Marilyn next weekend, which is completely exciting.

# # #

Age inappropriate



For those of you who have been following my story for some time now, it should come as no surprise that I have spent the past seven weeks feeling completely age inappropriate. It's a common theme for me; I seem to refuse to do anything according to the socially acceptable time line (see: college, marriage). This semester in Washington has been a time warp of sorts, and considering how horrible an experience my first time going away to college was, it was ripe with all sorts of potential to be completely awful. But who says you can't go back and that there are no second chances?? Going Away to College: The Do-over has proven once again that sometimes the sequel is way better than the original.



Here are a few reasons why The Do-over is clearly superior to the original:


1) I not only get along with my roommate, I consider her a true friend. This is very, very, very different from my freshman year roommates...the least said about all that the better (and I realize I was not exactly a very good roommate myself in those days, so blame falls on all sides for that).



2) I'm not dating a douchebag.


3) I'm not severely depressed. This is key to everything, I think. My attitude and approach to life is so much healthier and productive at this point in my life.


4) I'm not a teenager. Amen.




I am, however, having a rather age appropriate quarterlife crisis of sorts, trying to sort out my career options and where I want to live and what I want to do. But I'm getting good advice from many smart, successful people, and I know everything will work out exactly how it should, so I'm mostly keeping myself calm. Mostly.




And it's March already. I feel like being ill made me sleep away the end of February, and so March snuck up on me when I least expected it.

# # #