Hi.

Long time no post.

the story of my life

Elli aka Cookie monster

This holiday season I have come face to face with my addiction.  My addiction to cookies.  Our cookie journey begins with a trip to target, Monday after Thanksgiving.  I was deciding what to do, and I made tentative plans with Ashley, at my apartment at 8 o clock.  She had recently returned home from travelling around the country, she went on a trip to Dallas, TX, and another trip earlier to Denver, CO.  I was anxious to catch up with her.  I left work that day hungry, I had not eaten much at lunch, because I stopped by Sterling, and I was busy visiting, and Aunt Casey was there.  I left work with some time to spare and I stopped at the Target in Springfield.  I usually speed walk through Target because there is a lot to see, and not enough time.  I stopped in the grocery aisle and picked up refrigerated cookie dough, of the pumpkin variety.  I had no choice but to buy them because it was on sale.  When Ashley visited I had warm cookies to offer her.  She had gotten back from the movies that day, she saw the movie Thor.  She updated me on her love-life drama and I updated her on mine.  I sent her home that night with a bag of cookies, the pumpkin ones from target as well as some leftovers from my pre-thanksgiving cookie project- acorn cookies (mini vanilla wafers, with honey to glue a hershey kiss and a butterscotch mini morsel to either side).

The next part of the cookie-themed story takes us to the Knowwho Christmas party on Friday, December 20th.  I anticipated much cookie consumption, based on memories of last year's Knowwho Christmas party (last year, Charles even gave me a frosted shortbread cookie from starbucks.  Charles and I have had long conversations about cookies, and it was natural that he brought a special one for me on Christmas.  Come to think of it, the journey really begins on Halloween when I received a frosted shortbread cookie in the shape of a pumpkin from Panera).  This year, as anticipated, cookie consumption occurred on that Friday of the secret santa gift exchange.  This time, Kelsey was the main provider, she informed me that she bought pumpkin cheesecake cookies from target.  I gave her my verbal approval, but did not expect the delight that would come from these bites of heaven.  They are sold in a box by target's "market pantry" brand.  Kelsey left a ziploc baggie of several of these special pumpkin cookies on my desk, with a note that said "text me".  I scarfed them down upon arrival at my desk after the gift exchanging.

Let's fast forward to the next day, at Ashley and Daryl's Christmas party.  there I consumed an m&m cookie (or two or three) with a Hershey kiss implanted inside of it, while Ashley taught me how to play minesweeper.  The next morning, I am in my apartment, and Jenny happens to be there.  She hands me a plastic container filled with cookies, homemade by her boss.  How I ended up with them is undeserved, but their arguments compelled me (Kelsey can't eat nuts, Jenny can't eat gluten), and I graciously accepted the treats.  I continued to sneak cookies throughout that day and the next morning, in between work and packing, before our departure to Williamsburg for the Christmas eve holiday.

Now Christmas eve brought on another beast- Kyleigh and her new-found baking hobby.  she has embraced the domestic goddess role lately, and decided to share her delightful homemade nestle toll house chocolate chip cookies with our family on Christmas eve, which we consumed with beer that Luci brought while we watched "It's a wonderful life".  Kyleigh's baked treats would appear in our lives again when she passed onto us a basket of warm peanut m&m's cookies after we dropped off Luci at their apartment after we got back from our weekend in NYC.

The cookie consumption did not end after NYC.  On New Years Eve my mom bought the ingredients to make pretzel chocolate bites (pretzel with a hershey kiss with an m&m, slightly melted in the oven).  I did not bake them, but I found a plate of them the next day when I came back with Adam for New Years brunch.  On our drive home from Williamsburg on New Years Day, Kelsey shared with me another packaged product from target- more limited edition holiday cookies by Market Pantry.  they were in adorable star shapes and covered in fudge and sprinkles.  Irresistible.  I went with Sherell to target when we got back and further took advantage of the after-holiday sales.  I got my own box of white fudge covered cookies.

This cookie story shows that if you dream it, it will come.  If you daydream of cookies and sweets, then they will find you.  Whatever you dream, don't be discouraged if you don't see your dreams come to fruition right away.  It might take a Christmas miracle, but dammit, have faith.

Two Years in Nova

It was after Thanksgiving in 2011 that I drove from Williamsburg to Sterling with Adri, Ricky, and Dominic.  Adri played angry birds on the ipad, and I sat in the back, next to my sleeping baby nephew, uncertain of what the future may hold.  We stopped at the Virginia welcome center rest stop half way, there, and we stood outside in the cold cold weather, Adri giving me a pep talk about how many opportunities await in nova.  They are hiring everywhere, she said.

I always loved visiting Adri and Ricky, when we're together we play hard, until exhaustion, poker, movies, netflix, shopping, wine, beer, feasts, games.  Visiting Sterling was like a vacation.  It seemed logical to want to move to the area, facilitating more frequent hang out sessions.

Here I am, two years later, I have many memories to cherish, and much anticipation for the adventures that will await.

Williamsburg Trip

The week was eventful.  It was a vacation, and I got to do many of the things I missed since moving to Nova, like taking Rudy on walks, working out at the dojo, hanging out with my mom, teasing my brothers, and being around my old friends.  The week went by extremely fast, and now I am here back in Alexandria, trying not to miss Williamsburg, friends, and family.  I arrived at that blissful exhaustion, after trying to do as many things as possible while I was there.  They say when you are travelling act like a local and when you are home act like a tourist.  that was not difficult since I used to be a local there and I found it hard to decide what things I wanted to re-visit.  It was fun working out at the dojo, and cleaning out old boxes of stuff which were being held in storage in the basement.  I cannot wait to see what my parent's house looks like the next time I visit.  there are still things I wished I did but that will have to be saved for my next visit.  I am in the process of revitalizing my energy levels for when I return to a full work schedule.  I have to decide how long I want to stay in Nova.  The jobs I have could be really good.  I am very optimistic, and having that hopeful feeling.

A tale of two cities

I love Alexandria, I also love the city of Baltimore. Who could blame me? They are both incredibly charming places with offerings of their own unique sort. In Baltimore I can walk around Alex's neighborhood, we can go to the Shnapp Shop and pick up a bottle of Champagne. In Alexandria there is the widest variety of everything imaginable, people of every ethnicity, a store for every interest. I need to narrow my scope for me to grow personally, and professionally. It's possible that the broadness of my search is hindering my progress. My job search has not been intense because I am still recovering from failing out of my teaching program. I feel that psychologically I have progressed a lot in the past 3 years since graduating college, but I have not established myself or attained many new skills. I have a wealth of stories and knowledge about a lot of cities. I can tell you a lot about a lot of places. That would be useful if I were paid to be a travel writer. But right now, this wannabe travel writer has stumbled into a stale mate.

 Here is a poem by Tracy K. Smith.

The Good Life

When some people talk about money
They speak as if it were a mysterious lover
Who went out to buy milk and never
Came back, and it makes me nostalgic
For the years I lived on coffee and bread,
Hungry all the time, walking to work on payday
Like a woman journeying for water
From a village without a well, then living
One or two nights like everyone else
On roast chicken and red wine.


this poem is a accurate description of my lifestyle right now. I must admit though, I love coffee and bread. Happy Monday!

Summer