30 for 30 Photos: Day 30! AND Comment Love Day!

Happy Sunday!

First of all, I have to finish the 30 Day Photo Challenge! I can't believe it's already been 30 days. I need a new challenge and am accepting ideas so please share. Today's challenge is to post a picture of someone I miss. Gosh it's tough to pick one picture. Andrew and I just went to Mass and were surrounded by adorable babies, so of course it made me think of my niece, Lady Lizzie. So yes, you all know I miss her living all the way on the other side of the country. But yeah, I'll post a picture of her (again). haha so the back story while unnecessary is super cute for the picture: Elizabeth was born my mom's birthday. My mom's name is Patricia. Lizzie's middle name is Patricia (awww). So, for Halloween this year, my sister dressed up Elizabeth in a pea pod outfit, calling her Elizabeth "Pea." Cute, right?!?!

Okay, so that's all, folks! I did 30 days worth of pictures and I must say, it was a lot of fun to have an excuse to post every day. I want to keep this up!

The second reason to post today is to join in the fun. Sundays on For The Love of Blogs is "Comment Love Day" where bloggers visit sites of other bloggers and leave a bit of love in their comments. Fun! Today I visited four entertaining and funny blogs: Moda Chic Boutique, Misadventures of Being a Southern Lady, One Mixed Bag, and Diary of a Snuggle Slut. Clearly I check out blogs with intriguing titles. Stop over and say hi to those lovely ladies!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 29

Happy weekend!

I purposely skipped the post for Day 28 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge. Posting a picture of something that frightens me? I am a scardy cat and have many fears, soooo yeah I'm not doing that. I don't want nightmares haha!

Moving on, I'll just go to Day 29! Today's challenge is to post a picture that can always make me smile. Now THAT is much more fun!

Quick question: would you be annoyed if I posted another picture of Andrew and I or of my niece for this post? Both just make me smile all the time! Soooo...both? Okay. I can handle posting both. :)

Week 10; 30 for 30 Day 27

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!
I am Irish so I celebrate this day with plenty of pride (and Guinness), but I think everyone is Irish on March 17. Don't forget to wear your green and to squeeze in some fun today! Erin go Bragh!

Day 27 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture with a family member. My grandpa who passed away in 2004 was always such a blast on St. Patrick's Day (and every day, really). Grandpa Gus loved to sing songs and tell stories (as most Irish men do) and I miss sitting around his house listening to his tales. He lived to be 90 so there were many! I really need to scan a picture I have of just the two of us from when I was in high school, but it's just in my memory for now. I am just one of 40+ grandchildren, so it's rare to have a picture with just him! I totally regret not taking more with him.

Grandpa Gus loved the Peanuts and wore many ties sporting Snoopy and the gang. So for today's picture, I'll post one of Snoopy and Woodstock. Every time I see a card or anything relating to the Peanuts I think of him.

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Weekly Update:
Weight loss:
.9 pounds!

Total weight loss:
14.6!!

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight:
25.2

Overall mood this week:
Well, Spring Break is over and reality is starting to set in. My finals are due the first week of May so I know time is going to fly. So overall I'm stressed and I think I will stay stressed until I have some certainty about what's going to happen. Will I get a job I like - will I just get a job? Where will we live? What am I going to get rid of from DC? How can I say goodbye to my friends? How will I pay for everything? Those are just a few of the many thoughts running through my head.

However, Weight Watchers has been a healthy distraction. I am happy that my skinny jeans are too big - I have to put them in the dryer before I wear them and they stretch to be too big in minutes! My leather belts that I like to wear around my waist are also too big - Andrew is going to punch in more holes in the belts for me this weekend! Woo hoo!

Worked out:
I only worked out twice because my back really hurt, but it's feeling better this week and I'm working out more just with a lower intensity (and more stretching!)

Yummy finds:
I have a new found love for marshmallows. Seriously I can eat and eat and eat those mini mallows without even thinking about it. Dangerous, yes, but delicious, fat free, and low points? Certainly! Really I don't eat that many at a time, it just feels like I do. Do you mindlessly eat? I absolutely do, especially if I'm watching TV. Well, munching on marshmallows has curbed some of that and satisfied my sweet tooth (like I said earlier this week, I can't eat chocolate!). Don't worry, I'm still eating healthy, but eating healthy can be exhausting, so if I eat a handful of marshmallows at night then I trick my body into thinking I just ate a huge dessert. Win-win!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 26

Day 26 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something that means a lot to me. As with most of these posts I can't choose one picture. C'mon. haha

As I job hunt and get ready to leave DC I am constantly reflecting on the friends I have made here. I have been blessed growing up with having a solid group of girlfriends; in both high school and my sorority in college, I surrounded myself with caring and wonderful friends who I miss dearly. When I moved to DC I was afraid I wouldn't have a strong group like that again - can lightening strike the same place thrice? It certainly did! Seven of us found each other, and while four left the city sporadically, we remain a close group. Here is a picture of us jumping on the Capitol steps...this is one of my all-time favorite pictures. Back story: it was a gift for the first to leave DC of the group, who is in the second picture (we met her later on that same night and she had no idea what we had previously been up to!).

So yeah, friends mean a lot to me.

Here's some of my gang from grad school:

Here's a picture of a few of my girls from Theta Nu at Molly's wedding this summer:

Here's a picture with a few of the gals from my 5-year high school reunion:


And, obviously Andrew/family mean the world to me. I have posted tons of pictures of us, so here's another picture of my niece because I just miss this little lass and feel like it!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 25

Day 25 in the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of my day. Oops I didn't take any pictures today. However, I did have brunch with my good friend Lindsey who's in town on her Spring Break, which was a lovely start to my day. We ate at Le Pain Quotidien, one of the cozy spots on the Hill I have come to adore. I love how we haven't seen each other in two years and yet it was like no time had passed. We gabbed and gabbed and enjoyed our lovely coffee and omelets. Lindsey took the picture from today on her camera so I'll post a picture of us from when I went to visit her in Austin two years ago. And the answer to your question is yes. Yes I got an awkward sunburn earlier that day. I thought it matched my dress, don't you? ;)


The rest of my day consisted of class, boxing, cooking with Andrew, and homework. Andrew's mom got us an immersion blender over the weekend (woohoo!!!!) so we made Gina's Baked Potato Soup tonight - yum! Then we made Gina's Rice Krispy Treats again...we gave up chocolate for Lent so these treats are quite common around here. Do you have any low-fat non-chocolate recipes to share??? I do love Better 'N Peanut Butter so I really want to find a low-fat peanut butter recipe. Help!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 24

Good afternoon, readers! Day 24 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something I wish I could change. As I sit on campus reading/blogging/eating/watching CNN, I can't help but think about those suffering in Japan. I can't imagine and wish I could do more than just donate a small amount and pray. Have any of you found other ways to help? I first saw this image the other day on the wonderful blog post by Christine on Bijou and Boheme and she also posted some links to organizations accepting donations.

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30 for 30 Photos: Day 23

Happy sunny Sunday! Day 23 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of my favorite book. This is so tough! I will break this into categories, so I apologize for the length of the post, but please enjoy my trip down memory lane.

First, my favorite book as a kid was The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear. I was also a big Berenstein Bears fan. Yes, I like bears. Anyway, this story is about a mouse trying to keep his enormous strawberry from the bear. Adorable, fun pictures, and bears: what more could you ask for as a little tot? :)

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My favorite book as a tween was, hands down, Piano Lessons Can Be Murder in the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. Did any of you read any of the Goosebump books? I scoured every Scholastic Book Fair for the latest and greatest, and this one was by far my favorite.

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In high school I never had time to read for fun, and it was rare that I enjoyed anything I had to read for school. I did (and still do) fancy history, though, and any novels we had to read for English that involved history, particularly about the effects of war on both soldiers and families, interested me. I loved the absurdity and wit in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. I know the satiric anti-war sentiment can be controversial, but I appreciate the art of the book, especially from Vonnegut's perspective as a previous POW. I read some of the reviews as I searched for an image on Amazon and the Life review coined it perfectly: “Splendid art . . . a funny book at which you are not permitted to laugh, a sad book without tears.”

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Like high school I rarely read for pleasure in college. I always read over breaks, though, and I found my favorite author during this time in Adriana Trigiani. She writes sophisticated "chick lit," always in the voice of a strong Italian-American woman. Trigiani's descriptive writing style not only transforms your surroundings and envelops you into the setting, her writing is also conversational. In all of Trigiani's books I feel like I'm in the room chatting with her protagonist. In Lucia, Lucia, Trigiani writes about a seamstress in Greenwich Village. It's an incredible story, like all of her literary achievements. As I said in previous posts, I'm currently reading Brava Valentine by Trigiani - so good!

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In college I was also inspired by Jane Green's book Jemima J. to lose weight. This is a fun book, blatantly criticizing stereotypes and artfully documenting the trials of being overweight, the difficulty of losing weight, the transition to having a new body and new perception of you by others, and finally, acceptance of yourself as you are. I have read other Green books but this in my opinion is one of the books with the most depth to it with the guise of fitting into "chick lit."

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In grad school I have read an insane amount of every form of literature. It's really difficult to pin down one favorite from the past two years, but I think the quickest, most entertaining read was What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis. Sure Jarvis has his share of name-dropping, but what he lacks in tact he gains in empowering consumers by confirming the importance of their opinions and experiences. By outlining Google's open business model, I have learned a different aspect of marketing techniques. His opinions and entrepreneurial vignettes support my belief that the Internet creates collaborative communities and harnesses power in more ways that we can imagine - and yet we have fun using our imaginations to lasso all possible ideas.

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Finally, I managed to read two of the three books in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series over Christmas break. While difficult to read at times, Stieg Larsson sure knew how to write suspense novels. These are longer than the Twilight series and maybe even Harry Potter (HUGE fan of both of these, too!), but I quickly finished both and certainly plan to read the third book post-graduation!

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Have a lovely day and see you tomorrow!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 22

Happy Saturday! Day 22 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something I wish I was better at doing. Don't ask me, someone who has little self confidence, to limit myself on this challenge. The challenge is certainly to pick only one thing.

One of the most uncomfortable things for me to do is to mingle. I HATE small talk. Unfortunately I network all of the time...and networking involves small talk. It depends on my mood, but I'm typically awkward in a mingling setting. Sometimes I just need a glass of wine or some caffeine to perk me up and let the conversation flow, but until that time, it's just awkward turtle everywhere. Do you have any mingling tips to share?

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30 for 30 Photos: Day 21

Day 21 for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something I wish I could forget. My 6th grade school picture burns in my memory so there's no need to have a digital copy of it. Thank goodness. I had short hair, braces, was chubby, and was all over awkward (not much has changed haha). It was just bad. Oh I also wore glasses but took them off when I could - I'm nearsighted so I always wore them to see the chalkboard and TV, but would rather be blind at all other times than wear those uuuugly things. *shudder*

You know it's funny, I don't have pictures of anything I wish I could forget. I usually delete pictures if I want to forget something. I could post a picture of me from around the holidays because I was fat, but I don't want to delete those pictures - they serve as motivation. So yeah, no picture today - sorry!

Week 9; 30 for 30 Day 20

Day 20 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of somewhere I'd love to travel. Sheesh, just one?!?! How can a gal choose? Hmmm how about a little trip to Spain with Andrew? Andrew studied in Salamanca and said he would take me here:

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His description: "This is the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca. I walked through it every day on my way to class. This picture was taken late at night, but during the day and through about midnight there are tables set up at all the resturants so you can drink and relax outside."
Sounds lovely to me! I'm in!

Weekly Update:
Weight loss:
1.5 pounds!

Total weight loss:
13.7!!

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight:
26.1

Overall mood this week:
It's been a nice Spring Break so far! And yes, I've done some school work, networking, and even spoke to my professors over phone and email. Nerd alert!

Other than hurting my back and now being pretty immobile yesterday and today, I've been in a solidly happy mood all week! Now that I've lost weight, though, instead of being excited I will admit I feel like the road is still long. Can I really lose another 26 pounds? It's been really hard to just get here, so can I keep going and not go crazy? People are starting to notice, so that's made me happy - seriously, one boxing instructor asked if I lost weight!

Worked out:
3? 4? The days are running together haha

I did run outside on Monday for the first time since October and I ran 4 miles! I forgot how much easier it is to run further outside. And when I ran mid-morning around The Mall, I felt like I had the entire park to myself. It was incredible to be alone watching the sun gleam across the monuments. What I did not forget, however, is how tough it is to run up Capitol Hill! That incline is a killer!

Yummy finds:
So many this week!

First of all, Kate Spade launched the new website - check it out!

Second, in reference to my weekly post from last week I have accomplished almost all of my Spring Break goals. I am really enjoying a book by my favorite author, I treated myself to lunch, and went to a movie today since it was raining. I am also going to the art gallery tomorrow!

Here's a pic of my delicious lunch last week.
The Starfish Cafe is in my neighborhood and I have always wanted to try it. I am so glad I did! It is a quaint row house nestled in the neighborhood with a delicious menu, exposed brick interior, colorful decor, and warm welcomes upon entering. I might not go again because while I enjoyed my salad, I wanted to try everything else on the menu - none of which is Weight Watchers (or wallet!) friendly. Those hush puppies were not warm, which worked in my favor so I wouldn't be tempted to slather on the butter and stuff my face!

Another exciting neighborhood happening was the soft opening of Pound, a beautiful coffee shop along Pennsylvania Avenue. It has a gorgeous interior, outdoor patio, comfy chairs, and delicious drinks. I can't wait to try the food when they open next week! I already made friends with the owners and went both Monday and Tuesday. The coffee is strong and tasty and the Nutella skim latte is a dream in a cup. Below is a picture of the latte, and the barista tried to make the foam decoration look like a crab. Points for trying!

This weekend Andrew and I tried Gina's Baked Potato soup and it is SO delicious! I enjoyed leftovers for lunches this week! We also made old faithfuls, Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas and Arroz Con Pollo. So yes, we ate very well this week!

On Sunday I helped my sorority sister Shawna shop for her wedding shoes (thank you Nordstrom!) and we went to Godiva to obtain our monthly free truffle and of course try extra truffles. I ate the carrot cake (right) and saved the cheesecake (left) for dessert with Andrew, who ate the dark chocolate (center). Sooooo good!

That's all for the weekly update! See you tomorrow for Day 21 of the Photo Challenge. Quick question, though...what should I do when the 30 days are over? How do you get people to read your blogs and follow you? I'd love advice!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 19

Happy Hump Day!

First of all, congrats to Christina from Hungry Meets Healthy! Her blog won "Best Of" in the Charleston City Paper! I'm so excited for her!

Today for the 30 Day Photo Challenge I'm supposed to post a picture and a letter. Well, how about a picture of letters? I found this fun site called Image Speller that puts any word in a fun picture! I had fun writing small notes to Andrew last night, but settled on taking a screen shot of my name for fun. Do any of you have fun artsy sites that are free? I'm feeling creative without an outlet!







{Love Letter photo via}

30 for 30 Photos: Day 18

Today's assignment for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of my biggest insecurity. What I am constantly worried about is muffin-ing over jeans and/or having back fat. I have lost weight and yes I look almost decent, but I still worry about it!













{Photos via & via}

30 for 30 Photos: Day 17

Hello everyone! Day 17 in the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something that has made a huge impact in your life lately. That's easy: Gina, from Gina's Skinny Recipes! I know it is silly to choose a food blogger I've never met for this category, but Gina has played an integral role in Andrew and my success with Weight Watchers. Her recipes include our favorite foods! She's even working on a pizza recipe! Every Thursday I post pictures and/or links to her scrumptious recipes, so I hope you search around her site and find some tasty treats too!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 16

Good morning, readers! Today I'm slated to post in the 30 Day Photo Challenge a picture of someone who inspires me. I think you all know how much I love my family by now. Sometimes I think I do the things I do because of my family influences; whether due to inspiration or Catholic guilt, I find myself inspired by my family and in particular my grandparents. I envision them looking down on me from Heaven, willing me to make the right decisions and praying for me to live a happy and full life. Sure that might seem weird, but since my grandma on my mom's side passed when I was in Kindergarten it is a way to keep her memory alive. One of my favorite things to do over the holidays is wash my grandma's old dishes and China with my mom because she will often tell me stories of her youth, her family, and all of the quietly inspirational things they accomplished in their lives. My grandma raised 10 children and I am so proud to be in my family. My grandpa lived through the Great Depression and kept the family business going, and my uncle now runs it. My grandpa on my dad's side fought in WWII and appreciated the simple pleasures in life, and my grandma (the only one still with us) is a source of inspiration because she too values simplicity, honesty, and family. I guess I could have chosen a celebrity or famous figure as someone who inspires me, but I think I'll leave it with my grandparents. They raised my wonderful parents, so they deserve all of my love and respect. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures on my computer, sorry!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 15

So I didn't post yesterday because I couldn't come up with anything concrete for the 30 Day Photo Challenge. The assignment, if you will, is to post a picture of something I want to do before I die. Many people probably dream of doing something daring, like skydiving or bungee jumping. Not this gal. There are many things I want to do before I die, like get married, have kids, grandkids, pets, house, cars, blah, blah, blah, but there are two things I have been craving lately that I want to do ASAP.

1. Get a damn stamp in my passport. I bought this sucker last summer before the prices went up and do not have the funds to go anywhere. Where would I go? First, Western Europe. I want to go to Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. I wouldn't mind going to where my family is from, either: Ireland, Poland, and Germany. I'd also like to go to Portugal and England. Yes this would be an expensive trip, but they can split into multiple trips, and a girl can dream, right? A cruise through the Mediterranean would be a nice as well. After Western Europe I'd like to go to Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, Madagascar, and New Zealand. So yeah! I'd like to go to all of these countries before I die. Dreams are fun, aren't they?!?! :)
2. As I network and do informational interviews I have spoken to people who say they love their jobs. I want this before I die. Sure it sounds like a lame request, but seriously? I think it is difficult and is therefore so incredibly important. I want to wake up and be excited to go to work and make a difference. I really really REALLY hope I am lucky enough to have this happen before I keel over.

So here is a picture of the word dream I found, because so far that's all these are!

Week 8; 30 for 30 Day 14

First of all, the picture for today's 30 Day Photo Challenge is a no-brainer. I'm supposed to post a picture of the person I could never imagine my life without. My life would be incomplete without my friends and family, of course. But if I MUST choose only one person it's Andrew. He makes me happy, makes me laugh, makes me want to be a better person, and loves me for who I am. I don't know what I would do without him :) Here we are goofing around on the Bocce Ball court last spring:
Second, here is the weekly Weight Watcher update!

Weight loss:
I gained .9 pounds this week.

Total weight loss:
12.2

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight:
27.6

Overall mood this week:
Of course I am disappointed that I gained weight this week. We did not cook much, and while I did control my portions I think I was super hungry all of the time because of how much I worked out. Plus, it could be a muscle-gain week: I am so sore from my workouts but feel and look more toned. So yes, I'm upset, but it's not the end of the world because this weekend when I went out I looked amazing in my outfits and overall I feel healthier.

It was a stressful week because I had a lot to do for school, but now that I'm on Spring Break I'm feeling pretty good! I plan to read a book, treat myself to lunch, go to a movie at the E Street Cinema to see an Oscar film (any suggestions? I've only seen The Social Network), and possibly go see an art exhibit at a gallery that I have never visited but have always been curious to check. I may just do something touristy, too. Rest assured that I have school work to do and plenty of networking/job hunting on my radar, but I fully intend on making the most of my last Spring Break!

Worked out:
Five times! Granted, two of them were quick and easy, 30-minute sweat fests, but I was CRAZY busy and hey, it's better than nothing!

Yummy finds:
We had a deliciously healthy meal with Whitney on Tuesday, but I forgot to take a picture! Fail. However, we made 2-point Rice Krispy Treats courtesy of Gina's infinite Weight Watchers wisdom. I am so happy with the treats and will make them often! They taste like childhood!

Another find this week arrived in the mail. I spotted this cute ring and had to have it! It was only $9 on Adri Apparel's Etsy store! Sorry it's blurry haha
Have a good day, everyone! The weekend is near!

30 for 30 Photos: Day 13

Today's picture for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of my favorite band or artist. My favorite artist is easy: it's my friend Mo. Mo can make anything. I am always amazed with her creativity. In high school Mo would come to school with something she baked, something she created, and many things on the brain to make the following day. In college she made a legit comic book/graphic novel for her senior project. It was so impressive - and she even made t-shirts for it, which I still wear all of the time! I don't know how she does it all! Today she's rocking out in LA working on production teams for films. She recently worked on The Green Hornet (go see it! It's soooo funny!) and I literally freaked out when I saw her name in the credits! Mo also has her own Etsy store and is on IMDb. I can't wait to see her recent work in Cowboys & Aliens coming out soon! I am so very proud of her!

Here's a picture of a few of Mo's impressive creations:

30 for 30 Photos: Day 12

Today's post for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something I love. That's easy. I LOVE this video of my niece, Elizabeth. Enjoy and have a nice evening! :)

30 for 30 Photos: Day 11

Today's post for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is to post a picture of something I hate. I think that "hate" is a strong word, but sometimes I use it when I feel passionately against something. Some days I HATE tourists who stand on the left side of the Metro escalators. Other days I hate my feet because they are always cold. Still other days I swear against my stomach because all I want to do is stuff my face. Anyway, the point is, I don't actually hate these things; rather, they annoy me on a consistent basis. But what would DC be without our fanny packed, Old Navy flag t-shirted history buffs? What would I do without my feet - and when I would I paint my teeny tiny toenails? And for goodness sake, I can't live without my stomach!

While I do not necessarily hate anything, I have a relatively recent hatred for one of God's creatures. This cute specimen was a recent hostage in my house and arrived in my apartment in grand fashion. Ladies and gents, I hate squirrels. Not really. Just one squirrel. Allow me to elaborate.

One Thursday, the same week of the bout with a failed heart-shaped pizza attempt, I was happily plugging away on my computer in my tiny studio apartment. I heard some rustling in the vicinity, but I waved it off as sounds from the hound upstairs. My ears failed me, friends, for it was not my neighbor's dog. Instead, I was face-to-fur with a squirrel. In my apartment. I'm going to go ahead an allow this to sink in...

...

First allow me to describe my apartment layout. It's a small place, mind you, and there is a utility closet with the water heater and an open end for the refrigerator. Therefore, there is a small opening above the fridge into my kitchen, exposing just a smidge of the closet. Ever the fire hazard conscious gal, I of course stacked any and all boxes into said closet because I have too much junk in my remaining closets (oops.). As I sat upon my couch I could see a portion of the kitchen, so when I heard the rustling I did not move, but when I heard something drop on my kitchen floor I snapped my head in that direction. Low and behold the squirrel was in plain view. It looked rather alarmed, something resembling this expression:
So in a split second I jumped up and continued to scream. As I screamed the squirrel proceeded to run around my place, over my shoes, my couch, typing "qrrrsssssssskkklll" on my computer, and everywhere except my bed (thank.goodness.). I obviously ran opposite the squirrel and called Andrew, at work, screaming about the squirrel in my apartment. His office could hear me through the phone. His advice: "Don't touch the squirrel." Obviously haha

I managed to shut the bathroom door and open the front door, while holding my phone and screaming at the squirrel like it was a person. Finally, it ran out the front door and forever out of my life. It took me a while to calm down, and in my panic mode I called my property management firm and left a lengthy voicemail about the incident. It was probably one of the most frantic, ridiculous voicemails I have ever left in my life (which is saying something, considering my phase of calling while intoxicated in my earlier 20s). I was not mad in the voicemail, but I can say that my voice was shrill and full of absolute terror. I mean really, what if it would have been something other than a squirrel?!?! What if something else gets in?!?! How on earth DID it get in?!?!?! What if I was not home at the time and came home to it?!?!?! I can assure you that all of these questions and more were on the voicemail. Then I left a message on the property management's online request forms. I wanted to ensure that they got my plea for help.

Once I breathed at a steady pace I went upstairs to apologize for my screaming. Somehow they didn't hear me. However, two days before they thought they heard something in their walls, and had the property management people come over to patch a hole in their attic. Yep. The squirrel was a hostage and came down through the walls to my utility closet, out the small hole and into my kitchen.

The next day as I made coffee I saw a squirrel out of the corner of my eye peering in through the window. I don't know if it was the same one, but I was spooked.

Oh and when the property management people came over to patch the hole in my closet they removed all of the boxes and asked how I was doing. I said, "Oh! You heard my voicemail, I take it?" Their response: "We ALL heard the voicemail." hahaha

Also, later that day two different people came over to repair my shower handles and when I came in they said, "Hey Mary! How are you doing after the squirrel?" I said, "I'm good thanks! I take it you heard the voicemail?" "Oh yes," they said in unison, "it was the talk of the office this morning." Well, at least they all know my name and I no longer have a hole for vermin to access my apartment!

Oh. So yeah. I kind of hate that squirrel. Hence the picture of a squirrel. I will return to happy thoughts in my next post.

30 for 30 Photos: Day 10

I love today's 30 Day Photo Challenge post. Today is the day where I post "a picture of the person I do the most ****** up things with." While Kim lives in Atlanta now, she and I TORE UP DC for the two years she lived here. I miss this lady and can't wait for her wedding in June! From playing kickball to New Years Eve events to the Run A Muck race, Kim and I are soul mates and partners in crime for life! Here is a picture of us getting ready to ring in 2009...after I set a pizza on fire.