I'm still hip, I'm still with it!

Our hipster neighbors up the street are moving out.
I have to admit, I'm kind of envious of their Pabst Blue Ribbon-drinking, skinny-jeans wearing ways. So young, so thin, so...hip. You just know they never spend their nights curled up on the couch watching COPS in an unironic manner. Was I ever that cool?
Probably not.
Well, at least I can amuse myself with Look At This Fucking Hipster.

Black Barbie!

I'm a wannabe Barbie collector but I can't afford the ridiculously expensive dolls like new Louboutin Barbie for $150.00. I just can't justify that. But I have been trying to collect some of the African-American dolls that I can afford. I have the Alvin Ailey American Theater anniversary doll

And now, I have the authentic reproduction of Black Barbie:

Note the stylin' Afro (she comes with a pick!) and the gorgeous red outfit. She also comes with a sleek white outfit and reproductions of the insert that showed all the other fashions you could buy.

I love the fact that she's 'Black' Barbie. Not Christie (even though most of the Black/African-American versions were named 'Christie'). She's still Barbie but she's Black. Just as stylish, just as sleek. But she has brown skin and an Afro. Other than that, there isn't really a whole lot of difference between her and the White Barbies but, she was groundbreaking Up until then, fashion dolls came in one variety: White. Sure the hair might be different and maybe they were younger (Skipper) or had freckles (Midge) but they were still White. The Julia doll were based on the Dihann Carroll television show, was a first. Gorgeous and well-made, a reproduction was released last summer. But, this wasn't a "Barbie". She didn't have the dream house or the car or the sparkling bathing suits. But Black Barbie could have all of that and was no relegated to being Barbie's Black friend.

Now, it's not such a big deal. There are almost always African-American versions of the 'play', non-collectable dolls as well as multi-ethnic friends. But nothing beats the first time I saw my Black Barbie when I was all of 5 or 6. Too bad she suffered the fate of most of my dolls: a bad hair cut, nakedness, and eventually getting lost in a move.

Making Money

I'm always amazed when people make money off of their blogs. Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough or something. Then again, I don't really have a specific focus. I don't review nail polish ala Lacquerized or show gross, disgusting food like This is Why You're Fat. I just talk about me. Very narcissistic, thinking that anyone would care what I think and, even more so, would go to sites and buy things talked about in these posts. But, hey, if I make a whole dollar, that's one whole dollar that I didn't have before.

Wow

What happened?

Seriously, wasn't I supposed to be posting here about all kinds of fun stuff? Well, looks like that went right out the window and down the street. Maybe I need to schedule this on my phone or something

Long Time, No Post

It's been a minute since I've been here. I kind of miss those carefree days in undergrad when I spent hours sitting in the computer lab working on my first webpage. Then, later, I would post on Livejournal several times a day. Now, if I'm online, I'm reading various slash fanfic and checking out the Princess Boards, Gawker, etc...

Anyway, we survived Snowpocaplypse though there are still piles of manky, grungy snow around. Things are back to normal which means I'm back in the gym. I never did make it to the bariatric program my doctor recommended because I could never get my schedule to work out right. Anyway, I've already paid for my trainer and I don't want to lose those visits. But I do think I need to try something new because the strictness of the diet just makes me crazy. It's not like I want to go crazy with a bag of chips or block of cheese but, what can I say, I have a certain weakness for naan and soba noodles. Not to mention edamame. Delicious edemame.

So now I'm achy from working out yesterday and I had a relatively healthy lunch with fruit for snacks. I also ate a couple of those Special K Fruit Crisps. Those things are so deliciously fake and chemically. I don't even know how they classify as food. But they hit the spot. Or at least gave me something to do with my mouth. I really need to invest in some gum.

I know I'm not going to be slipping into a bikini come summer but maybe I'll at least manage to drop another pants size.

Snowpocalypse 2010!

I've spent the majority of the week at home, snowed in. The Baltimore/DC area has been slammed with record snowfall and has basically shut down. Buses stopped running, stores closed, schools and government closed.

Saturday was bad and we did our usual store run on Friday. Snow panic had set in and people were stocking up on white stuff (milk, toilet paper, bread). I didn't really think it was going to be that bad but we have about 18" of snow. The street was blocked, the car was a snow-covered lump.

No work on Monday or Tuesday since we couldn't dig out. Then more snow on Tuesday into Wednesday. Another 12" on top of what was already there. Phase 3 of the snow emergency plan went into effect and all cars other than snow plows/emergency vehicles were ordered off the road. The city was silent. It was amazing. Just the falling snow and the wind. No cars, no one walking, not even anyone out with their dog.

We're just now starting to really dig out. I'm being optimistic about this since we live on a tiny side street that hasn't seen a plow yet. Any digging out has been done by individuals and the construction workers across the street. Our shovel suffered a grievous injury so we've been making due. The husband and I walked over to Safeway, which didn't open until noon because the staff couldn't get in. The shelves were looking bare, particularly with meat and bread.

And our wall has sprung a leak due to a leaky pipe so now we have a big gaping hole in the wall.

But we have survived Snowpocalypse 2010. Hopefully things will be getting back to normal now.

7 Day Diet Day 5

Skipped a couple of days. Not on the diet but on posting here like I should have been. Of course the diet basically left me with no energy to do anything more than lay around and daydream about what I wasn't eating.

Actually, this diet sucks. Cabbage sucks. Bananas suck. No coffee sucks. This diet makes everything suck because the cabbage soup diet sucks the life out of everything including me.

The folks I work out with are all raving about this diet. I don't know how they're doing it. I nearly passed out trying to work out on a mostly empty stomach. Not a good idea. But I couldn't suck down any of the food.

My co-workers are actually taking pity on me and offering me food. Which is why me and the diet are having a falling out. My falling out came in the form of a chicken breast and some forbidden fries on Monday and a turkey, bean sprout, and rye sandwich on Tuesday. Today hasn't been so bad since it's steak and tomatoes.

I did chuck the soup though. Actually I gave it to my mom who actually likes it. Blech. I'll be glad when Saturday rolls around.