Happy New Year!
I’ve got a great feeling about 2004. There is little doubt in my mind that this is going to be one memorable year. Just call it female intuition.
How did you bring in the new year?
Tired of the quiet and low-key house parties of years past, I motivated my friends to get dressed up and party at a gala event. Such a fantastic time…. good food, lots of bars, manageable lines, fun music… there was something for everyone.
People behave differently when they’re dressed up. Less debaucherous, more sophisticated. Well… up until 2:00 a.m., when the dance floor shook with men in tuxes and women in gowns boogying it up to Britney’s “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
Then, on January 1st, a woman from work offered me tickets to Saturday evening’s performance of Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center. Free! I’d been trying to buy tickets to that ballet for months!
The costumes were exquisite, the sets were whimsical, and Tchaikovsky was brilliant – as always.
Like I said, I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a year. At least it’s off to a great start.
Did you watch the big apple drop on Dick Clark’s Time Square special? Or did you host a soiree for close friends? Or perhaps you decided to go all-out and attend a mega party like me?

Home Sweet Home

Since you’ve never seen my place in DC, I took some photos. This is what my apartment looks like.

I need to start taking more photos with my camera phone so you can have a better idea of what my life looks like down here.

It’s snow-snow-snoing down here.

Have a great weekend Jess!

Loose lips
My best friend recommended I read Claire Berlinski’s first stab at a novel, Loose Lips. It was okay – not great, but not bad … a quick read.
She raved about it, in part, because I’m a huge fan of the spy/espionage genre.
Alias is one of my favorite television shows. I’m embarrassed to admit that I make a concerted effort to be home in time to watch it – thank god it’s on a Sunday and not at 9:00 p.m. on Friday.
I’m the proud owner of the entire James Bond 007 Collection (even the crap “unofficial” versions), as well as numerous spy movies like The Avengers, Mission Impossible, The Saint, The Spy Game, Bourne Identity, Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, among other classics.
I get into a mood and will devour books by Dan Brown, John le Carre, Catherine Coulter, Clive Cussler, Jack Higgins, Iris Johansen, and Daniel Silva. It’s my guilty pleasure.
And, here in DC, I laugh – when I’m out with friends, sitting in a bar, and overhear some schmuck dressed in a cheap JC Penny suit say that he works for the “Department of State”…. all the while knowing that the naive interns sitting at his table are now under the impression that he’s CIA. Life just isn’t that glamorous. I wish – but it just ain’t so.
Why do people impersonating agents always say they work for the State Dept.? Why not Transportation? Or Labour? At least Berlinski got creative and placed her agents at the Department of Agriculture.
And why do we get a thrill, a charge, when we think there are agents among us? In reality it’s a messy business. What exactly is it that captivates us?

Wackos who populate the planet

The Raelians claim to discover the secret to eternal youth.

Raelians? you might ask.

You know, the wackos that announced to the world they had cloned a few human babies, only to refuse independent physicians to examine the pregnant women or the “cloned humans.”

I guess on the bright side, CNN has stopped reporting on this controversial cult’s discoveries. For a full report, go visit This is London.

Here’s a question for you – would you want eternal youth?

The unconscious

1. Leapfrog::plastic children’s pool
   

2. Co-workers::camraderie and support
   

3. Mustang::1967 Shelby GT 500
   

4. Wafer::Vanilla Wafers
   

5. Nicotine::Marlboro Ultra Lights in a box
   

6. Fast food::McDonald’s happy meal toys
   

7. Suffocate:: gagging on a plastic bag
   

8. Myth::Avalon
   

9. Lane::Underwood – my first home
   

10. Unexpected::a surprise party
    

How do these associations pop to mind? How do words and phrases have power to trigger a snapshot, a snippet of memory, a distinct flavor or aroma?

What’s better than….

Pictures of You by The Cure?