Election Season

I know this is going to sound a little strange, but we are in the middle of one of my favorite seasons - ELECTION SEASON!  I've always had a love of all things politics.*  Growing up, politics were frequently discussed at the dinner table - my dad representing one party, my mom the other.  


Although this isn't a "normal" way to grow up, I'm glad I grew up in this sort of environment. My parents taught me from a young age the importance of being invested and involved in the political process.  Since my parents didn't necessarily agree with each other most of the time I got to hear both sides of almost every argument on just about every issue.  


What started as family dinner conversation grew into a passion.  I don't think that The West Wing helped anything on that front.  I was OBSESSED with that show in 7th grade and used to chat about the story lines with my history teacher (as a side note, how great is the cast of The West Wing???  I mean seriously, look at that cast!  Rob Lowe! Allison Janney!  Martin Sheen!!).  In college I majored in Political Science, specifically I graduated from the American Government department.  

photo cred

Right now I am VERY excited to be in South Carolina.  Last night was the New Hampshire primary which means they are onto South Carolina!  Virginia is never an exceptionally important state in the primary process because it's usually one of the Super Tuesday states or the primary is so late that the candidate has already been decided.  But not now.  And what happens in South Carolina is going to matter.  And I'm going to be here to witness it.  I would just about die if I had the opportunity to meet one of the candidates.  


Even though I can't participate in the primary (I'm a registered voter in Virginia), I am so excited to have the opportunity to get to witness the process.  The ads are all over TV and I'm sure (and sooner rather than later) the candidates will start showing up in charming Charleston.  I love the democratic process.  And even more I love when people get excited about engaging in that process.  Here's to the next two weeks - can't wait to see what they have in store.


*As I love politics, I do have rather defined political views.  I enjoy talking about politics, but I try not to use this blog as a means of putting my political ideas out into the blogosphere.  This post is simply intended as a way of me sharing a passion with my readers without engaging in the political nitty-gritty.

New Year's

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I know I'm a day late, but I think we can all agree that being on time just isn't my style.  I rang in the New Year with some of my dearest friends.  Honestly, I was excited for 2012 to begin because 2011 was not the best year of my life.  Nothing really bad happened, but it was a difficult and trying year.  Needless to say I'm pretty excited to have a fresh start.  


Last year I only made three resolutions: to be optimistic, to finish a half marathon, and to take time for myself everyday.  How did I do?  Well, I finished the half back in February, but I don't think that I did very well on my other resolutions.  I struggled with some personal things and let a lot of things get to me in ways that I shouldn't have.  I also let school/work/other obligations eat into any time that I had earmarked for myself.  


So what's on tap for 2012?  Looking ahead - two more semesters of law school will be under my belt, hopefully a decent summer job, a few trips to visit friends over the summer, and I'm going to be a bridesmaid (I know, again) in October.


Now for resolutions.  There are only a few things that I want to accomplish this year.  First, and most importantly, I believe that I need more balance in my life.  This kind of transcends everything.  I need to make more of a point to enjoy myself during school (as in taking a break from the books on Friday nights and having some actual fun).  I need to make more time for friends.  I need to get rid of known stressors (like all of the clutter that is currently occupying way too much space in my bedroom).  I'd even like to become more balanced in my approach to working out (that's right - no more running only!  I'd like to incorporate free weights, swimming, and maybe even pilates into my life this year).  


Other than that, I'm going to stand up for myself a little bit more this year.  There had been several times over this past year where I let people do things that hurt me, times where I should have put my foot down and stood up for myself.  I could pick these moments out as they were happening, but let them slide anyways.  This year, I'm going to say something and not give people the opportunity and permission to do so.  


That's really it for this year.  I hope that 2012 is filled with love and joy; good times and memories; friends and laughter.  Happy New Year to you all, dear readers.

My Christmas Wish

Merry Christmas!  I won't be long but I wanted to wish my readers a very happy holiday!  Since I'm having a hard time coming up with the right words, I'm going to borrow the always eloquent Kermit the Frog's Christmas Wish (you can check it out here).  I know it's Kermit, but I promise that it's beautiful, and worth a read.

I don't know if you believe in Christmas

Or if you have presents underneath a Christmas tree,

But if you believe in love, that will be more than enough

For you to come and celebrate with me.

For I have held the precious gift that love brings,

Even though I never saw a Christmas star

I know there is a light, I have felt it burn inside

And I have seen it shining from afar.

Christmas is the time to come together

A time to put all differences aside

I reach out my hand to the family of man

To share the joy I feel at Christmas time.

For the truth that binds us all together

I would like to say a simple prayer

That at this special time, you will have true peace of mind

And joy to last throughout the coming year.

And if you believe in love

That will be more than enough

For peace to last throughout the coming year.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, filled with joy, love, and happiness.  I'm so thankful for you all.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

FINALLY

I am FINALLY done with my finals, which, if I passed all of them means that I am officially half-way done with law school!!!!  The past few months of my life have been exceptionally miserable so hopefully I passed everything and don't need to take anything over the summer or stay an extra semester or repeat this past semester or anything...I suppose only time will tell.  The worst part about exams (besides the fact that they bring out the craziest in me) is that I don't actually get my final grades until AT LEAST the beginning of January, but not finding out until late January is not entirely unheard of.


Anyways, despite all of these things, I have an ENTIRE MONTH to myself right now.  I have a few small-ish school things to do over my break, but aside from those things, I'm entirely free, which makes me entirely happy.  


How do I plan to spend this glorious month.  Well if the past few days are any indication, there will be a lot of sleeping and lounging in my pajamas.  Yesterday I got a massage and finally started my Christmas shopping (yeah you read that right...December 12 and just starting now).  


There is also the current state of my nightstand.  Which I think will keep me pretty occupied for the next month:

Hope you've all had a Happy First Half of December and that you are MUCH further along in your Christmas shopping than me!!!

Home Stretch

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My last final is at 1 this afternoon, so in something like 8 hours from the moment that I'm typing this, I will be free.  For a month.  My supreme and utter exhaustion and stressed-out-ness prevents me from really explaining how excited I am (and how beyond ready I am for it to be 4 pm).  I'm so excited I don't even know what I'm going to do first!  But I think Happy Hour is going to be going down after the test!

Indian Summer

The title of this post is a word New Yorkers use when there is an unusually warm spell in the middle of fall.  But I think South Carolinians just call it November.


People who have spent time with me over the past few weeks may have heard my running commentary on the weather recently in Charleston.  For lack of a better word, its been hot.  I don't really do hot very well, especially when December is three days away.


It's been too hot for me to wear jeans and I'm tired of all of my summer clothes (I mean I've only been wearing them since May).  It's been too hot for me to sleep, and I'm tired of being tired.  And hot.  And sweaty.  And grumpy/irritable due to lack of sleep and wardrobe and copious amounts of sweat.  


The bright side?  It is supposed to drastically cool off tonight.  Instead of highs near 80 today, the rest of the 10 day forecast has highs in the upper 50's to low 60's.  So here's to grinning and bearing it for 24 more hours, but I'm sure ready to cool off.

Rivalry Weekend

Wishing I was here:

Or more specifically here:

With these people:

Or even this person:

who I know HATES UVA football, but is too nice to admit it! :)

But instead I'm sitting here:

ok, this is my old apartment

FML.


Ok, pity party over.  In two years I'll be there.  Until then....LET'S GO HOOS!!!

The Muppets

I thought I'd take a page out of my pal Hannah's book and write about a movie I'm DYING to see.  (Hannah, by the way, is one of my fabulous law school friends who manages not only to be my study buddy but is also able to keep up with her winningly witty blog which you can find here.)


I grew up in a Muppet household.  I don't remember a time in my life when there wasn't Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy.  From The Muppet Movie to The Great Muppet Caper and from Muppet Babies to Kermit's stint as a special reporter on Sesame Street, I have developed over the course of my life time a deep-seated and very important admiration for the Muppets.  Christmas was celebrated with this (it never quite feels like Christmas until I hear all the Muppets sing the ba dum dum dums during the 12 Days of Christmas):

The BEST Christmas album EVER

Anyhoo, I have been looking forward to this day since LAST Christmas when I first heard about the Muppets' new movie.  Once I heard that Jason Segel (of How I Met Your Mother fame) had not only written the movie, but was also set to star in it, I was more than sold, I was ready to buy my tickets then and there.

This morning Jason Segel appeared on Live! with Kelly (now without Regis, sad).  He started talking about why he loves the Muppets, and it was EXACTLY why I love the Muppets.  I wish I could find a clip somewhere, but it only aired this morning and quite honestly, my google skills are not quite up to par.  To paraphrase, Jason Segel talks about how the Muppets represent the best part of ourselves, how we're always better together than apart, and how they somehow symbolize the innocence of childhood, just teetering on the brink of chaos.  It was fantastic, if you can find the clip (and love the Muppets) then I strongly recommend checking it out.  It was wonderful.  Almost as wonderful as Miss Piggy.

P.S.  In case you have yet to see it, here's the trailer for the latest Muppet wonderfulness, coming out in TWO DAYS!!!

ANY MOVIES YOU'RE DYING TO SEE OVER THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?

ARE YOU UNABASHEDLY IN LOVE WITH THE MUPPETS?  WHICH ONE?

Odds and Ends

A few things:

1.  So I pretty much failed at following my pre-planned food attempt.  It was a great idea and totally something I could do, but this point in the semester is not the time to be trying new things.  It's something I'll try again next semester.
2. I finally decided on my Thanksgiving plans.  Those of you who know me, know that I was really struggling with this one this year.  But for a variety of reasons I decided that it would be better/more practical to stay in Charleston again this year.  I'll have dinner at my aunt's house and I'll run the Charleston Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble.  One big deciding factor, I'll be home in about 3 weeks for a month and I was just home a couple of weeks ago.  
3. I know that Christmas is right around the corner.  Not because Christmas carols have invaded the airwaves or that Thanksgiving is in 2 days, but because this commercial is again on TV, like it has been since I was little:

Build Your Own

My new-ish favorite trend in food right now is something I call "build your own."  I've always been a little like Sally from When Harry Met Sally.  I'll go someplace and ask for the dressing on the side, hold the tomatoes, can I add some avocado on that, hold the cheese, extra cheese, you get the picture.  This usually winds up with the server getting exceptionally annoyed with me and messing up my order.


So I guess it's not surprise that I've fallen in love with these restaurants where I get to craft my food for myself without any judgment.  


My obsession started innocently enough when I discovered the build your own burrito concept.  My personal fave is Moe's.  I knew it was meant to be when I discovered Moe Monday's - $5 for any burrito of your choosing AND a drink.  That's something that even this poor law student can afford!


I became more obsessed when the self-serve frozen yogurt craze swept the nation.  I love fro yo so it wasn't much of a stretch - especially when I can top it with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups AND chocolate chip cookie dough bites.  When I'm in Virginia, the ONLY place I get my fro yo from is The Skinny Dip.  So awesomely good.  When I'm in Charleston, my fro yo establishment of choice is Yogurt Mountain.  (Personally I prefer the Dip, but Yogurt Mountain is pretty close.)


I recently discovered the trifecta of build your own restaurants.  It's a brand new place in Charleston called Verde.  I LOVE the concept - build your own salad.  For $6.95 you get lettuce (a lot of lettuce), four toppings, and a piece of bread.  You can add chicken, turkey, or shrimp for a few extra dollars.  I'm more than a little obsessed with this place.  It's been open for about three weeks and I've been about 7 times.  It's bad for my wallet, but it's so good.  I love that I can go there and get something that I don't feel guilty about eating a few hours later.  If you're ever in Charleston, I highly recommend checking it out.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT OR FAVORITE FOOD TREND?