The IDEAL Day

310 days into my jobless experience, and I have finally developed and executed, on my own, the perfect day. Not an average day or a miserable, useless day... but a glorious, simple, focused, exciting, ideal day. What is ideal, you ask?

One where I:

• Accomplish significant things
• Take advantage of the day
• Get money (income, yeah!)
• Finish my To-Do list
• Eat good food
• Spend a significant time outside
  
• Learn something new
  
• Do something generous
  
• Have an afternoon siesta
• Do yoga

Whether it takes 10 months to get into the groove of working "freelance," at home, on my own schedule with my own plans... or I've just been pre-occupied/retarded/lazy... I do not know.

All I can say is: There does come a time when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, the clouds part and the path ahead is clear, brain waves dance, buddhas sing, mountains move and snowballs finally start rolling.

It's because I like to plan. Planning is good. Planning is fun. I plan for weeks, months, years, even, depending on the circumstance, but long enough to say "I'm going to do this" and try it on, see if it fits. For instance, I began planning to move to D.C. a year an a half before I got here. I've been planning to apply to grad school since last April. I've been planning to plant flowers all week.

Today, plans - BIG plans - were executed. Step one. I then had coffee and read three newspapers, outside, in the amazing morning air. Step two. Momma got paid! Step three. I did EVERY errand on my list, including mailing my dad a father's day card... I've never mailed a card to anyone in my family, they're reserved for the special occasions when I'm in town... but things are changing! Step four. I ate a lobster roll - that magical food! - a red velvet cupcake, and sushi, all in one day. Step five. I was out the door by 10 (after working since 7) and spent most of the day running errands and eating, outside, on my bike, in a skirt (with shorts underneath, for safety). Steps two and six. I then learned how to control the mosquito empire that invaded my entry way (lemon juice), buried a dead bird, and kicked ass in yoga. Steps seven, eight and ten. Okay... I missed out on the siesta - Step nine - because siesta time went to a last minute trip to Kinkos (Step one) - but I was so close, and the day was so good, let's just say it happened.

All this, and "getting a job" wasn't even on the list. No word back still, but today, I did do what I said I would do, all my chips in, and now I know it's meant to be or not, and I'm ready for it.

Perfect, no?

Georgetown Cupcake Siesta

After a chocolate break at the Cocoa Gallery with two very lovely Jobless Girls (one just ending a job, the other beginning tomorrow), I made the effort to return to Georgetown to do two things I had no time to finish yesterday: Get a deal at a two-for-one dress sale (today was the last day!) and see what was going on with this cupcake place I saw while walking down west M St. See, on my way to Leopold’s Kafe yesterday afternoon for a cappuccino (nice, nothing exciting, but I think I’ll try the Austrian coffee next time), I saw a crazy line out the door of a little shop on Potomac Street across from Dean and Deluca. By the time I returned after the coffee, a sign on the door said they were closed and sold out. Of cupcakes. Georgetown Cupcakes.

I’m not a person who really ‘gets’ cupcakes—I’m more a crème brule and gelato fan where deserts are concerned—but nothing sparks curiosity in me like a line outside a small and stylish boutique. By the time I reached the front door this afternoon (after getting two fab dresses!), the chocolate cupcakes were gone and a few in the line turned away. But thanks to my previous chocolate fill, I was prepared to enjoy one each of the few Red Velvet and Lemon Blossom cupcakes remaining.

Here’s what was going through my mind… What is it about cupcakes? I think back to my childhood cupcake—you know, the kind bought in the supermarket with that so-wrong inch-thick confectioners sugar icing and yucky rainbow sprinkles—and I wince. I now live next to Cake Love and go often, but ...wait in line for cupcakes? Chocolate I'll wait in line for—Chocolate gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. That I get. Why cupcakes? What's in it for me besides sugar and calories? Is it that we enjoy the chance to lavish ourselves, and a beautiful cake dressed with citrus glaze and gourmet sprinkles—and individually sized, just for us—speaks to a deep, psychological craving? Are we dying to live out the child and Marie Antoinette buried deep down within us all? Does “happiness in the palm of your hand” really a cupcake make?

The girls at Georgetown Cupcake think so, as well as everyone who keeps wiping the place out. At 5p.m, the dears were scurrying to bake another batch of chocolate cakes, which they promised would be ready an hour later, though a sign on the door showed they’d already closed once that afternoon to restock. Since the shop first opened it’s doors on Valentines Day, the cupcake output has grown daily but not quite as fast as the number of fans.

So I tried the cupcakes. Okay, I get it.

Some D.C. News to Beat Snow Coma

Hey out there. Good morning (or afternoon for the rest of you.) Nothing like a little snow to make you want to curl up under a big, warm blanket, read and eat toast all day, huh? I can do that. But you, YOU, have to be alert and productive, which is very hard when you suffer from SNOW COMA.

So to help you fight the unflattering 'dumb head' effects of Snow Coma, I'll summarize a few highlights of what's happening out there that you can drop into conversations and appear to be 'with it' throughout the numbing day.

Anything to help, short of a hot toddie.

TAXI FARES
Mayor Fenti made a big dent in proposed taxi cab fares, dropping the staring price to $3 dollars, with an additional 25 cents for each 1/6 mile, and a complete drop-kick to rush hour surcharges and additional passengers. Citizens are thrilled, drivers are P.O.'d. President of the Taxicab Industry Group calls for weekly strikes for one full day from 7am to 7pm beginning February 4th. Read more here.

FOODIE IN/OUT LIST
See what the Washingtonian says are the new 'Ins' and 'Outs' on the foodie front, especially if you're on your way out for Restaraunt Week and want to get the thumbs-up from the sommelier (key "in" word.) Some in/out parings to pique your interest: Hungarian wines oust Australian wines, chic cheese plates to cheese carts, lobster mushrooms to poached lobster, and take a half bottle over a wine flight any day... see the full list here.

THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
I am soOO bad about keeping up with politics, I don't know how anyone can keep up, but there's nothing worse that not even knowing who's having primaries today and who said something clever yesterday, and who's winning. Until I found Citizen Jane Politics. The website began when founder Patricia Murphy learned that only 20 percent of women followed online campaign news but accounted for 55 percent of the voting population. Bad girl! Now you can keep pace with nifty daily highlights and coverage of the race that we women want to know.
A highlight:

"Barack Obama learned the lesson in New Hampshire that any Jane in the country could have told him, “As women go, so goes the state.” The Clinton and Obama camps are now signaling that the battle for the Democratic nomination will come down to who woos the women best. Let the race begin! [AP]"

HILLARY FORCE ONE

So, Hillary Clinton picked up the flight attendant intercom and welcomed everyone to "Hill Force One." She warned that if polls dropped suddenly, they would be diverted to New Hampshire. If they looked to the right, they would find tax cuts for the wealthy and a war with no end; to the left, a sturdy middle class and a good international reputation... or something like that. Watch it yourself, it's sure to entertain.



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, FLICKR-ING AT LAST
Last but not least, the Library of Congress started their own Flickr site with rare and fantastic photos from their archive now available to the general public. They also hope people will can help catalog the images by leaving comments and tags. Visit the site here.