4

Recap: Job searching is a wholly depressing experience, and someone is outside my window, whistling in the dark. The end.

TV: Brent was robbed. ROBBED. I expected the final three of Project Runway: Australia to be Petrova, Lui and Brent/Juli. Leigh’s outfit was neither appropriate for the brief nor pretty in any context, whereas Brent produced something wearable. He may, however, have gotten docked for his total lack of creativity – not that Leigh’s was particularly inspired, either. But Leigh is a bigger personality, and that may be why the producers tapped him to stay.

But now it’s very obvious that Petrova, Lui and Juli will be the ones going to Melbourne Fashion Week.

Also, any residents of Australia: I want Petrova’s outfit for Basque. It’s selling in Myer department stores. When, exactly, I’m not sure, as the episode was just yesterday, though obviously filmed some time before that. Find it, I will pay.

Training: As scheduled. Weights yesterday, run today, though strange thready muscles in my legs continue to pull. I know I need new running shoes, but those will have to wait until I get a job.

Yesterday was a 100% Thrive diet day. Today was halfway there, with an antioxidant smoothie, vegetable stirfry (aka leftovers before roadtrip stirfry: onions, sweet potato, peas, yellow tomatoes, with some rosemary and thyme), and a quick chocolate fix which was incredibly large and which I will halve next time I need one.

I Wish Your Products Fell From the Sky

Recap: Yesterday was an early morning doctor’s appointment (early morning: 11AM), followed by evening bowling at Lucky Strike. The doctor’s was a long string of minor annoyances. I was a new patient, so I showed up at 10:30, half an hour early, to do paperwork. Finished at 10:45. Saw 11, my appointment time, come and go. At 11:30 I flagged the receptionist down, and she went on the hunt for me. A somewhat flustered nurse came out shortly thereafter.

I remain somewhat skeptical about the office’s general competence, though. I answered a series of questions on my paperwork. The nurse proceeded to ask me those same questions. She left, a doctor (male, despite my specifically requesting a female – this is the OBGYN, I’m sorry, but I’m going to be sexist) came in, asked me the same questions, left. Finally the nurse returned and gave me the single shot I had made the appointment for in the first place. I left at 12pm.

Evening bowling was in honor of my cousin’s friend’s birthday. It wasn’t a disaster, but it was kind of boring. I forget sometimes that my cousin and I are completely different people. So her circle of friends isn’t my usual posse. They’re married, they have children, it freaks me the hell out.

Also, my allergies freaked the fuck out when, post-bowling, we went to some sort of tiki bar/lounge that allowed smoking. And also, apparently, allowed girls in bright pink tube tops, dark tans, and tan lines from their bikini halters. I’m sorry sweetie, you can dress like California, you can go to a tiki bar, but you’re still in DC.

Today I went to Dupont to meet up with Emily, fellow JHU alum. We ate at Sticky Fingers in Columbia Heights, and success all around: lentil salad with sun-dried tomatoes and scallions, lemon coconut cookie, breakfast sandwich (with tofu “egg” and faux-sausage) and S’mores cupcake between the two of us. Pricey but delicious, and great atmosphere. We both noticed a lot of distinctly non-vegan patrons. There is a look to vegans, and these people did not have that look. Some of them were bro’s. We wondered if the bro outside our bar-table window knew he wasn’t really eating a tuna sandwich. We hoped he did not.

When I got home, I was greeted by a notice on my bank account that my $100 security deposit, for my sublet this summer, had been cashed. I emailed the girl I sublet from, pointing out I’d fulfilled all my obligations, had our agreement in writing, and told her where to send my $100. I also politely mentioned I had CC’d an attorney (my dad’s, who he said would find this entertaining) on the email.

But fuck, I should have canceled that check when I moved out.

Training: Hour of weights yesterday, walking several miles in flats resulting in sore ankles today. I’ve dropped from my occasional 2-3 hour regimes, possibly because I’m accomplishing other things in the day, like socializing, and looking for a job. Still, my diet has vastly improved. Part of the reason I used to be able to do 2-3 hour days was because I ate a lot of sugar somewhere in there. With less sugar consumption, I don’t feel that burst of vaguely sickening energy that I need to burn off. It’s balanced out in the end.

Yesterday’s food was banana chocolate pancakes, a pea/chickpea/tomato bowl, and some fries (at Lucky Strike). Today was a blueberry energy bar (homemade), the aforementioned Sticky Fingers, and the last of the pea/chickpea/tomato mix.

3

Training: Banana chocolate pancakes, zucchini pasta, avocado salad, dark chocolate. 99% Thrive Diet food today. There was a funny muscle pull about halfway through running today (it was as if a long, impossibly thin wire was running up the front inside of my leg, and pinching every time I extended it) so training was sub-par.

TV: PETROVA IS BACK, BITCHES. It was my great sadness to see her go on episode 5 of Project Runway Australia, particularly as her outfit was fantastic – just more ’50s’ than ’60s’ for the judges. I’m glad she’s returned, will get more press, and hopefully have her work more internationally available. Another reason to become fabulously rich: So I can call these people up and custom order.

Where Exactly Is Your Face?

Recap: Sunday was dinner at Cafe Asia with my cousin and a few of her friends. The fried tofu proved once more that frying makes everything better (and sweet soy sauce doubly so) while the sushi (that I was able to order) was somewhat underwhelming for the price. Had I been able to eat anything named ‘ninja roll’ or ‘dragon roll’ it might have felt more worthwhile, but mine just had a stick of asparagus instead.

Monday was hanging out with a friend from LA, and her friends, who all weirdly enough went to school with or near me in Arizona. Yet somehow we all had to relocate to DC, and I had to meet their friend in LA, before we could encounter each other. These people, who dispersed to various colleges, also knew people I DID go to high school with who went to those same colleges. The world works in mysterious ways. We had a vegan dinner party, dairy-free vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk was a hit, I discovered the DC metro, like the Tokyo metro, does indeed close, and got a ride home around 3am.

Training: Going as scheduled. About 80% of my daily food is now Thrive Diet food. The calcium boost smoothie (involving kale) has been the only miss so far. Chocolate blueberry energy bars, banana/clove smoothie, chocolate/blueberry smoothie, recovery pudding, sesame pizza, zucchini pasta and sundried tomato sauce have all been good.

Sugar tolerance is officially dead, and sugar craving is on the way out. Not as hungry between meals, and not sore anymore, though still stiff. 10lb hand weights aren’t hard anymore, if also not easy. I was poking my arm and thought I felt a bone, but it was, in fact, a muscle. Progress.

Lastly: Josh Holloway in a perfume ad. Damn son.

1

I’ve been in DC for 1 1/2 weeks. My room is 9′x8′ and may, in fact, be smaller than the space I had in Kajigaya. It’s hard to tell, since a full bed was put in here, and it would definitely feel more spacious if I had gotten my way and had a futon. But it’s my cousin’s house, the rent is currently free, and if I only have enough room to use the bedroom for sleeping then it’s a small price to pay.

Living in Los Angeles was an unmitigated disaster. The tale is so epic and Odyssey-like with its many trials and multiple-headed beasts and/or bitches it really deserves its own post, so I’ll get to it when I get to it.

Right now I would really just like a paying job. I don’t think I have enough money to support myself until the American Gladiators tryouts in February.