does karma take payment in the form of contributions to worthy causes .. for credits that could be redeemed later, say, during a federal tax law exam?

i couldn't help but think, as i stood in my socks and well-loved, long-sleeved western t-shirt on the cold cement of my english basement doorstep, trying not to let in the few mosquitoes who've refused to let the cold air collapse their minuscule lungs, that i'm a sucker. but in a good way.

i listened to the well-scripted lines from the chapped lips of this girl years my junior about the importance of supporting pro-environment candidates, and the success her organization has had when they've had the resources to back pro-environmental candidates opposing nasty, blood oil (my phrase, not hers) republicans in the past few congressional campaigns ... and i was a little jealous. i was jealous that this girl from tennessee had the guts to go door-to-door on a cold november night almost a year before the next election and listen to people say no. (or in my case, yes.) i was jealous that this city hadn't yet worn her down, that she obviously still had hope that grassroots action can make a difference. i was jealous that she can fall asleep at night with that list of names and a grand total to support worthy candidates and curl up with the knowledge that she's doing something. it was equal parts admiration for her and belief in her cause that convinced me to give in. it was also the fact that my giant bleeding liberal heart can only hear "grassroots" and "environmental responsibility" so many times without responding with money, and that girl must have hit the magic number.

so, b, if you're reading - i hope you don't mind that i just gave some money to the tree hugger from tennessee. her organization has a website, so i'm pretty sure it's legit.

we all know what time it is

it's the week of thanksgiving. the week i pretend to study. the week my stomach gets a little tighter, thinking of the 14 precious days between now and that first exam. the week i stop preparing for the classes i actually have and start actually trying to learn something about the law.

it's also the week that itunes puts the holiday music front and center again. the week i guffaw at the holiday displays in the stores: i love thanksgiving! why can't we just enjoy this holiday first?! gawd why do we have to jump over the holiday about eating and family and jump right into the one about presents?! jesus christ.

and the week that i bust out the christmas music.

that's right, i said it. the christmas music. i could blame it on the years spent as a freelance musician, when i'd be starting rehearsals for the obligatory holiday pops concerts right about now, complaining about having to play leroy anderson's sleighride again this year. or rather, complaining about rehearsing it - really? we're spending 40 minutes on a piece we could all play in our sleep? swell. ... but i love the wood claps in the percussion and the trumpet neighing just as much as the next gal. and though i could blame jumping into christmas music on that, i'm going to fess up. i just love christmas music. i love it. i'm not putting up the tree, or hanging lights, or doing any of that business before thanksgiving, promise. but when it comes to the feeling i get when it's finally time to put on the charlie brown christmas special soundtrack, or spend all day with ella and frank lightly singing those songs they were probably sick of singing - i can't help it. i'm a sucker for it. it's like it releases some peppermint-laced endorphines in my brain.

and so if you'll excuse me, i have some tax law to learn, and some leroy anderson to enjoy.

ambassador cabbie #697 is a dick

oh ambassador cabbie #697, today was really not the day to cut in front of me at the dc car inspection center. now, most of my friends - and i'm sure all of my acquaintences who would not consider me a friend - would be quick to tell you that there probably is no good day on which to attempt to cut in front of me in any line, let alone the wrapped-around-the-block line at the dc car inspection center. but today of all days was sooo not the day. any day that has included using public transportation to get from NW dc to fairfax, virginia only to stand outside the metro station at vienna for well over an hour calling the dealership where my poor little car is being held hostage waiting for the shuttle that is supposed to arrive every twenty minutes ... you see, that's a bad morning. paying $560 to rescue said car from the dealership for repairs that in the previous half a dozen visits (whilst my car was still protected by my old friend mr. warranty) the dealership couldn't fucking fix and now magically figured out 6,000 miles after my friend mr. warranty and i parted ways ... that's really a bad morning. and then showing up at the dc car inspection center to find the line a block longer than that time i went on a saturday morning like a fool? well, pal. it's a recipe for disaster.

so then when you, mr. ambassador cabbie #697, decided to cut in front of me as i turned from delaware onto eye street after waiting a half hour for that small joy, all bets were off. maybe you thought i'd stop with the honking. maybe you thought i'd just throw my arms around a little. maybe you didn't mind my yelling out the window. and maybe you didn't think i'd be such a bitch when i got out of my car and stormed to the driver's side of your cab. but you see, i'd had a super shitty morning, and i've been screwed by more than one dc cabbie in my days here ... whatever you did that made karma whisper in your ear cut in front of this girl... she won't mind ... well, i can only imagine it was something awful that led you to me this morning, and earned you the brunt of all my shitty-morning-related frustration and dislike-of-dc-cabbies wrath. you must have totally deserved it.

this theory is buttressed by the fact that one of the sassiest old ladies in dc, bless her heart, happened to be crossing the street while this unfolded. i had just started dialing the number for ambassador cabs (as i so politely promised you i would) and was headed back to my car, muttering under my breath, when she unleashed it on you too. and though my caustic wit and threatening to call your bosses may not have fazed you, clearly this 70-year-old's threat to march straight to the inspection center and tell them herself what you'd just done and demand they write you a ticket - somehow that did the trick.

oh and by the way, i am happy now. thanks for asking.

an open thank you note to karma

good day, karma.

as you probably know, after doing what i deemed to be the right (ok, and satisfying, sure) thing and totally busting the damn fool i work with, i was really torn between commupins-related glee and pragmatic realization that i may have just made the next six months even longer and more miserable ... this dread was compounded when, as i left ej on the bus and walked the block to the new digs, i realized that i only moved one week ago. has it really only been a week? dude, karma, i gotta tell you. this has been a long ass week. as you may recall, i spent one day this week - a day that seemed like three - driving my engine-light-constantly-on foreign car to multiple mechanics and the dc inspection center. oh yeah, and the headlights being crooked? seriously, karma. mad props for making sure that the dc inspection dudes didn't notice that i used huge wads of duct tape to adjust their aim. that was awesome. but even still? longest. week. ever. and so, the commupins-related glee was falling away in the cold november rain...

but thanks so much, karma, for that nondescript package waiting under the steps of my landlords' 5000 square foot urban mansion. sure, the note attached was from my future and not-borderline-sociopathic coworkers, but i know it was really from you. i mean, sure they really do miss me and i'm sure really can't wait for me to start (dude, someone has got to get on that minnesota contract research question that needs to be answered ten ways from tuesday!) and i'm sure they do really hope that the new place is treating me well. also i'm sure they hope that you, karma, are treating me well too.

and you are.

because a short while later as i stirred the delicious pot of chili that i have been looking forward to all day and probably bored the shit out of my coworker today talking about every 30 minutes (damn do i love chili and DAMN is it the perfect day for chili), you called. you totally CALLED me, karma! and that was sweet. ok, sure, you called in the form of my old landlady with the good news that the old place rented and somehow the person who rented it wants to move a week from tomorrow, which is the day after our lease ends, but that if i clean that dump out tomorrow and turn in my keys i can TOTALLY get a refund for six days worth of rent - which is fucking sweet. karma, thanks for showing some random dude my dirty ass empty apartment, and whispering into his nomadic ear that this place, though in serious need of some vacuuming and no small amount of ajax, is just the place to call home. that was super nice of you!

to sum, karma, you obviously care deeply for me. i appreciate this affection, this affection that is so clearly evidenced by this awesome outpouring of karmic goodwill in less than 90 minutes on this cold fall evening. thanks a ton!

take care, karma. you're tops!

best,
s

p.s. karma, don't you think living in adams morgan is the effing bomb? because i totally do.