four days...

Four days, stretching in front of me...

Love long weekends.

stupid townhouse.

Stupid neighbor with the loudass music.

THIS IS NOT COLLEGE.

what would you watch in your underwear?

No, I'm not talking about at home on the couch.

Some Dutch fans at the World Cup were forced to take off their pants before entering their country's match against the Ivory Coast this weekend. The authorities thought almost a thousand Dutch fans wearing the bright orange lederhosen made by the brewery Grossbrauerei (I think they called it Bavaria on NPR) was too much like a beer advertisement. Anheuser-Busch, of course, has pouring rights at the World Cup. So the FIFA authorities confiscated their pants. But the Dutch fans entered anyway.

In the US, they wouldn't have been allowed to enter, I don't think. Or the authorities would have made them put on paper pants.

Makes me wonder... what event would you not hesistate to enter in your underoos? Despite the potential for being on INTERnational television? And seeing hotties of the opposite sex? AND YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER, no less. For Joe, of course, it's a Titans game. I can't think of an event. I also can't complete the sentence "I'm a huge fan of ______."

So... of what are you an underwear-only fan? Is it a sports team? Baseball over football? Indy car racing over hockey? A singer? A band? A political rally?

(This also serves as my post about the World Cup, btw)

dad's day.

My dad and I get along really well. I think this is because I'm very similar to my mom, and, well, he likes my mom. 33 years of like.

My dad is the first person I call for advice about most things. The sink is clogged? Call Dad. Job offer? Call Dad. Crapass landlord calls to say we have to move out? Call Dad. Most of the time it's "Call Dad and cry."

My dad retired at the end of last month, and at his retirement ceremonies his favorite thing to say was "Paula followed me around for 30 years... now it's my turn."

My dad is a great son. He flies out to Iowa to pick up his mother and fly back to Virginia with her so she can spend time with us. He arranged it so there's always something on my grandpa's grave-- a flag for Memorial Day, a wreath for Christmas, flowers in the spring. He never told us he did that, Grandma happened to mention it when we were out to visit a couple years ago.

My dad is a patient brother. He will spend hours on the phone with his sister and help her with her husband, who's been incapacitated by too many years of drinking.

My dad is out of town today, so that's why I'm not spending Father's Day with him.

voting.

Did any other Virginian vote in the Democratic primary yesterday? You could've, you know, since it doesn't matter on which side of the line you fall.

I voted. I love to vote. If I'm still in VA in '08, I'll vote in the Republican primary for President. BECAUSE I CAN. Since The Big Move, I've switched precincts, back to where I was first registered, where my parents' still vote-- my elementary school. It's only the second time I've actually voted there the only other time was some local business. I remember my mom saying "Go vote, Daddy* will tell you who to vote for." In '00 I absenteed it from G-burg. If only I'd accidentally mailed it to Florida...

Voting is great!

*She's always called him Daddy to my sisters and me. Not "your dad" or "Jim." It could get confusing sometimes, because she would sometimes refer to my dad (Daddy) and her dad (Daddy) in the same conversation. Sheesh

some things you may not know about me.

Some gross and some random.

• I took piano and recorder lessons in elementary school (continued on with the piano into middle and high schools).
  
• I let my cat drink out of my cereal bowl every morning. While I'm still eating it.
  
• The panda is not my favorite animal
  
• I probably wouldn't call pink my favorite color.
  
• I don't know even half of the names of my new co-workers. And I'm doing better than when I started at You Know Where.
  
• Sometimes in the morning I get tired of NPR and turn on commercial radio.
  
• I have an irrational hatred of Connie Chung. HOW CAN YOU TAKE HER SERIOUSLY WHEN SHE'S MARRIED TO MAURY POVICH??
  
• Peas are my favorite vegetable, but I think it sounds better when I say something like "asparagus."
  
• I am scared of bugs and spiders, but yell at my roommate when she's too scared to kill them.
  
• I hate the way raw meat feels, but tell my roommate to get over her squeamishness.
  
• I'm 5'10" and scared of heights.
  
• I love elephants.
  
• I also love designer purses.
  
• And shoes. But I hate my feet.
  
• Love a pedicure, hate the liberal guilt I have every time I get one.
  
• I bite my nails. I've "gotten over" this habit many times, but when my nails are long I sometimes look at them and think I would love to just chew them off.
  
• I am also scared of things that scurry: hamsters, mice, gerbils, etc. Gah. Their little legs run so fast!!
  
• Love reality television-- I think for the same reason I like to read blogs-- I'm interested in people. WRITE ABOUT YOURSELVES MORE.
  

Oh, this is just the beginning...

me and joe

Joe doesn't like any of the other pictures of us, so here's one where we both look bad.
Cute, huh?

NHAW & NAAM*

Today marks the second day of National Headache Awareness Week. I am a Headache Sufferers. In fact, I would have a headache right now if it weren't for a very nice pill I took this afternoon, a combination of aspirin, caffeine and butalbital. Generic Fiorinal = Happy Erika. Also beer. Beer helps. You name the headache, I get 'em: small, big, migraine, cluster, stress, eye strain, caused by too much drinking, caused by not enough sleep, with (and without) nausea. But I know most of you know about that.

Coincidentally, it's also National Accordion Awareness Month. Damn, a whole month? I do not suffer from accordion. I suffer from polka.


*I totally bit this post off a story I heard on NPR. I am me, after all.

gratuitous panda pics

matrimonial tour

Gosh, Erika, you may be saying, you have been to two weddings in the past month or so, and I've yet to see a commentary! What's that about?

Well, folks, I ain't had no internets at the hizzy. Now I do. Yay. Also TiVo. Double yay.

First Wedding of '06

Anyway, Alden's wedding was at the end of April. Alden was one of my best friends in high school. He married Latrice in Southern Maryland. Here you see Alden and Latrice sharing their first dance as husband and wife.This is the only evidence I have that I was actually at Alden's wedding. Note the carefully styled bangs, aka shorty bangs aka Veronica Mars bangs (so named because I went to my stylist and said "Do you watch Veronica Mars?"). Also: Taneka and Mike Taneka and Alden. Truth be told, in high school I thought Taneka and Alden would get married. They were best friends and always seemed so right for each other. What did I know in high school? Not much, as it turns out.

The biggest things that stick out in my head were the soloist at the ceremony who was noted as a "Actress and Soloist in Sister Act II," the single whiskey sour I was able get from the bar, and the steamed broccoli. I heart broccoli.

Second Wedding of '06

*Note*
Had I been able to attend the Aw-zee's wedding, that could have been the First Second Wedding of '06. Or the First Second Marital Ceremony of '06. Also, Brad wouldn't have been Joe's date. And I would've had the lamb because you could encrust rosemary on cardboard and I'd say SIGN ME UP! But I digress.

Cousin Derek and Jen. Derek is my dad's sister's youngest son. You may recall my disdain of their registry. Let me rescind all previous criticism, as it turns out they registered for the $3000 bed at Pottery Barn because registrants get something like 1/3 off the purchase price of stuff they don't get off their registries. If you know me, you know I love a deal.

Anyway, their wedding was beautiful, on the beach behind a house in Capistrano Beach, CA. It was a great location-- and they had perfect weather. Example. Also here. And Cuz.

Things that stuck out: ooohh, the crabcakes were bad, the sand ceremony was nice, Philip (groom's brother who's deployed) was missed, Grandma (who's 92) was missed, the bride was bossy about photos, and it was a really fun wedding.