heart on my sleeve, i guess.

it's been a crazy week. after my stint in the emergency room, i had a pretty pathetic memorial day resting up and packing for a dreaded trip to the airport with crutches. my knee was killing then. luckily, after stabilizing for a couple of days, i was able to hobble along while at my event sans crutches to keep everything running smoothly so not to piss the USSS off. crazy, i tell you. i'm home now, thankful for the thunderstorm so i can sit at home and catch up on my netflix and rest my knee without feeling guilty. there's a possibility that i walked up and down bourbon street one too many times last night.

one night this week, i went out with a few people for dinner. two people who joined me, i've known for just over a year and the other, i've known for five or so. the person i've known longer had commented on my injury as the waiter ran into it resulting in a a little yelp.

him: "you are right, YOU are THAT person."
me: "yup."
other two: "huh"
him: "she's that one person, who always has something happen to her"
me: "i'm just waiting to catch malaria"
other one: "well, actually, things probably happen to everyone, leah just happens to tell people her stories"
him and me: "yeah i guess"

but i still contend that there is a high probability that if something is going to go wrong, i'm somehow involved in it. luckily, it's nothing terrible. just unfortunate or funny enough to make a story out of it.

for instance:


this is winter 2004. and yes, my tires (not just hubcaps) were stolen from my car by some neighborhood thieves. when i was in new jersey. oh, and it was 4pm on a sunday when we discovered it. yes, i had work the next day and was planning to leave. and, of course, mine was the only car that got hit.



my name is leah, things happen to me.

Young @ Heart

I really want to watch this documentary.

Reason # 347 on why not to jump off a bridge

Did you know that your ligaments are strong enough to pull off pieces of bone when stretched enough?

Yeah. Looks like my ACL tore off a piece of something or rather during those bounces. Hence, pain.

Awesome.

At least I get vicodin out of this.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

chauffer needed. apply within.

Reasons why I need - er, would prefer having - a boyfriend, right now:

5) it would be fun.
4) he could have changed that lightbulb that i replaced yesterday - which by the way, i can certainly do and DID, but it would have been ten times easier if there were no ladders involved. hey, i'm short!
3) he would travel with me to new orleans this week (related to possible outcome of #1).
2) sundays. coffee. reading the paper.
1) as his boyfriendly duty, he would drive me to the emergency room... today.

it would probably be bad to drive myself to the hospital when i can hardly stand on my right leg, huh?

i want one JUST LIKE THIS.

one word: TURKMENISTAN (did i even spell that right?!)


as opposed to:


my favorite: "the Iraq everywhere like such as"

nawlins, baby.

this trip to new orleans was pretty much strictly business for 24 hours; i'll be in back in dc tomorrow. but after dinner, we did have a chance to walk down bourbon street. it's back and as nutso as i remember from two years ago. this is probably the most PG of pictures i could have taken on this street...

tequila!

...long story.

prescription, schmiption

leah: you know what is driving me crazy? besides the fact that i want to drink now?

my anti-malaria pills (i still have to take them just in case) say not to get excessive sun exposure

and i fell asleep at the park. in the sun. yesterday.

i'm all kinds of itchy today. i feel like a kid with chicken pox.

Neil: damn, that would be crazy if you got malaria

leah: exactly why i haven't stopped taking the pills yet

Neil: that would only happen to you

leah: i know.


i, in my infinite knowledge, chose my anti-malarial pills based on side effect, not on length of time.

A = hallucinations and nightmares (4 weeks of pills)
hallucinations could be fun, but a little scary.

B = canker/cold sores (2 weeks of pills or something like that)
umm, no. there is no saying yes to herpes simplex 1.

C = clearing up acne, upset stomach (6+ weeks of pills)
clear face, no malaria? sweet!

so needless to say, even though i've been back for 3 weeks, i'm taking these pills for 6 more days (and that's only because i forgot to take some last week). the only problem is that there is a restriction to the exposure of sun* on the label. this is a problem for the girl who likes to be outside on gorgeous days. and read a book. and possibly fall asleep. at the park. to african drumming.

yesterday's sunday fun day, was spent at my 2nd favorite place in the city, with a mat, a book, and a julia's empanada; waiting for the african drums to start while listening to the rush of the fountain going downhill. it was all good, so good, in fact, that i fell asleep outside. that is, until the holy roller with the bullhorn showed up, and woke me up with bible verses.

in case you didn't know, holy roller + bull horn = ineffective way of converting people, especially when these people are trying to relax in the park on a lazy sunday afternoon and just listen to some percussion (yes, including cow bell). and seriously, bible verses are not meant to be yelled out on a bull horn in that tone. get it right.

needless to say, i sat at work, scratching away. typing a word, then scratching away. i need mittens. or to stop taking malarial pills. but since things tend to happen to me, i think i won't give up on these pills just yet.



*this totally explains why i was sooooooo red in africa and why i thought i was allergic to the sheets and itchy for four days straight. stupid me. i am filipino after all.

Too tired to write coherently

It's weekend bullet time (hey, it counts as an update).

• instead of drinking my life away on friday night, i chose to spend sometimes outdoors with a book at my favorite spot in the city. ended up people watching, meeting the guards, being totally weirded out by a guy in a wilco shirt who stood 1 foot away from me but wouldn't say a word, and being surprised with a choral concert. there is never a quiet day in dc.
  
• as i was walking the breadth of the mall yesterday, doing my second 'job' as dc tourguide (i love this), i was planning on getting some sun to keep my african tan going. the only discernible, additional tan i got was on my feet, in the shape of flip flop. awesome.
  
• even awesomer is the fact that even though i was not a purchaser of the $200 tickets to attend a fundraising gala to help support DC artists and their work, is that i was allowed to get dolled up in a dress that i haven't yet worn since it's purchase 2 years ago, attend the gala after some minimal volunteering, see a performance, see some art, eat some yummies, drink (thanks to campari), dance the night away to the resident Saint-Ex DJs in a venue not 1/10 as crowded as Gate 54, and even received a swag bag. thanks CuDC.
  
• though after looking through the swag bag this morning, the only thing i got remotely excited about was vodka, chocolate, and a magnet - because i need one for my fridge.
• by the way, what's with the hordes of guys who showed up at a creative cocktail event in polo shorts, pleated khakis and seer sucker pants? with the art, the artists and the graffiti covered walls, i felt like i was in a weird remake of pretty in pink (80's music included).today, i'm itching to play outside again. so returns sunday fun day. yay for warm weather!