The. Best. Ever.

So as faithful readers will already know, I've been on a wellness kick for the past few months and have lost some weight. This is something I've worked for and am very proud of. Ten pounds, folks, and I'm short so it counts.

Here is the story of yesterday's doctor's appointment:

I walk into the waiting room area at noontime. My appointment is for 12pm. I sit. I wait. It's now 1pm and I ask how long it will be. "Just like...fifteen more minutes," replies the severe looking girl behind the desk. Ok.

Now it's 1:45. I've been gone from work for a very long time and they've moved me to another room. I wait. Finally she comes in. She makes the severe looking girl at the desk seem positively cotton faced. She reviews my chart quietly and then walks over to me, grabs at my stomach and says, "you need to get rid of this. You don't want to look pregnant. I'm sure your boyfriend probably loves you anyway but, really..."

No...see you'd like me to be finished, but I'm not. She follows this up with, "I know you've done some work, but not enough. Do me a favor. Go for a walk."

Yes! I love it. It couldn't be better. Do any of you kind readers remember the "FemHealth" sketch that I wrote for a previous Improv Asylum show? Well, this was more pointed than that. And it is a true story.

It's too zany to get really upset about. I mean, I've lost 10lbs in three months, which is very good and healthy. This woman is out of her mean little mind. And I have a great story.

To your health!
Erin

Emmy!

Well, if you took anything away from the Emmy awards last night it was probably this, "Don't vote."

That was my experience anyway. I love these shows. I love Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell and John Stewart and Stephan Colbert and Steve Martin. Why are so many funny men named Steve? Interesting.

My favorite parts were as follows:

1. Mad Men wins! This show is phenomenal. It's depressing and intricate and totally engrossing. I've probably written about it before on here, but it bears repeating that the universe they've created is kind of magical, never obvious, and always sexy. Yeah Mad Men!

2. Mary Tyler Moore's arms.

3. Tina Fey. Thank you, Tina, for doing everything in the world that I want to do.

You make it easier to identify my own goals. You are a pioneer. Your dress is pretty, and you are a genius.

4. "Was that Josh Groban thing....what was that Josh Groban thing?"

EMMY!
Erin

Lucky

I love Nada Surf so much. I almost forget about them a lot of the time, and then I remember and I remember hard. I don't know if it's indie rock, technically, or something else. But they make powerful, contemplative, gorgeous music that speaks to something absolutely elemental inside me. Why is Nada Surf never on the radio?

Last night (after a big bad delay) I finally bought their latest CD "Lucky". The image on the cover is exactly where I always want to be...



...and the music on the CD makes me feel like I'm there. I like these songs a whole lot, especially "Beautiful Beat" (good call RP), but I know I'll grow to love them a lot as I listen further.

"The Weight is a Gift" and "Let Go" are amazing.

Starter tracks for you to download:
"Do it Again" - The Weight is a Gift
"Paper Boats" - Let Go
"Blonde on Blonde" - Let Go

Anglophilia

My birthday is coming up in October. I know it's too early to think too much about it, but I'm a birthday person. Even if it's not a big old special deal, I like them. I've had one or two complete emotional disaster birthdays, but usually when I'm not forced to go to someone else's surprise party and deal with the fact that no one there knows that it's my birthday too(I love you Steve Moreau, don't get me wrong), it's a regular hoot.

This year, I want this. Absolutely I am this dorky. I'm head over heels in love with Masterpiece Theater, and all of the Jane Austen adaptations make me so happy.



I used to be much more of a dark, brooding, Gothic, Bronte girl-- but no more. I mean, I still love Jane Eyre more than any other book, but I don't think I have the constitution to experience so much vicarious angst anymore. I'm too old or something. Maybe I'll come back around to the heavy, sad, JeffBuckleyisthonlythingIlistento place inside myself. But now..oh now I really like reading Emma and watching Sense and Sensibility for the twenty seventh time.

Are you bored yet? Excellent. So, that's my birthday wish. Lots of pretty dresses and curled hair, and tea, and sitting rooms, and riding boots. I am fully self aware, and I know how gross I sound, so you don't need to give me a heads up on that.

Tonight, we have yet another sketchshop at IA at 10pm. I might do something musical of marginal quality -- don't miss it!!

Your affectionate friend,
Erin

Action Autumn

So, I have been not-a-teacher for over a year now. I am glad of this in a 95% way. I was attracted to the profession in the first place, after all. I like school. I love new notebooks and syllabi and all that other crap that reasonable people hate.



(Like Anne Shirley)

September this year is reminding me of the good times instead of the bad. Last year whenever I saw a "Kohl's Back To School Sale!" commercial it put me in fight or flight mode (also known as RHSPTSS, Revere High School Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.)This year, however, I don't so much mind the commercials and the sales. I actually feel a bit of nostalgia for teaching. This little sadness was aided very much by a show that we recently did at Concord Academy for incoming freshman. This school is ridiculous. They serve what Jeremy described as "the most delicious roasted chicken I've ever had" in the cafeteria. Also, the performing arts space nicer than the professional theater for which I work. All for high school kids. Crazytown.

But just seeing those freshman and knowing what unbelievable possibility and opportunity they have in front of them...it gave me very mixed emotions. But the dinner was great.

Things are nuts. My lovely friend Renee is getting married on Saturday. Only for her, I tell you, would I wear a purple dress and ride a chair lift in heels. That's love, folks. Renee is the best, and she deserves the best, so here's hoping for sunny weather.

I'm up to my eyeballs in everything at the moment, but coke zero still tastes good, the air outside is invigorating, and hopefully the fluorescent light that keeps going intermittently on and off over my desk will be fixed soon.

Action Autumn!
Erin

Shh

Last night I was so exhausted that I started to fall asleep shortly after 7pm. I had to force my eyes to stay open until about 8:45 at which time I fell into a coma-like sleep. There were no drugs involved in this, I'm just tired. I mean, I'm so tired. Still. I came in to work very early this morning to chip away at the mountain of work that has been building up around me and that felt great. I was bursting with energy from 7am-11 or so and then...crash city.



Maybe forcing myself to go to the gym more often will improve my energy levels. Maybe once things get cleared up in work I won't feel the need to curl up into a nap-ball so often, who knows.

Does anyone have any tips on how to not be completely exhausted all the time?

I don't care what you think, I miss the Olympics,
Erin

Musing on Fashion

I was just thinking about this this morning:



Man, she was cool. I went through a phase where all I wanted to do was dress in long, patterned flowy skirts and blazers. But I was in elementary school so things didn't really work out for me. There was a brief, ill-fated affair with vests, but that was it. Oh, Elaine.