Good Fun

Tina Fey is great. she should run for VP

Grace's World Project

Pantsuits and the Presidency

Woman in Charge, Women Who Charge

NYTimes Article on Awful Co-Workers

It's Not the Job I Despise, It's You

NY Times: Feel Like a Fraud? At Times, Maybe You Should

In many ways, this article desribes me.

Snow?!

It's 34 degrees and we have a snow day! Attached are images of my rear patio and from the front door. Note the snow piled against the exterior doors. I might as well be in Nebraska! The dogs refuse to go out, but I'm finally getting some things done around the house. If the forecast is accurate, tomorrow will be a snow day as well. Surprisingly, Aqaba, which is only a 3 hour drive away is a balmy 70 degrees.

Doppelganger

The most amazing thing happened to me in recent weeks. I met my namesake -- okay, semi namesake since we share a first name and our last name begins with the same letter -- and everyday we discover more and more similarities. Not only do we have similar interests, but our lives parallel each other. Given the old adage "opposites attract," I always thought I'd be bored to death if I met someone exactly like me. Instead, I'm fascinated by my new friend and just how fabulous we both are!

This is last night's list of all that we discovered we have in common. I'm sure it will be even longer as we get to know each other better.

We're both libras.
We love shopping.
We share our lives with 4-legged furry friends.
We enjoy writing.
We studied ballet.
We never, ever drink milk.
We've never eaten PB&J and see no reason to do so.
Ketchup belongs on the side.
We're night owls.
We speak French & Arabic.
We have siblings who work at Fox.
We play tennis.
While the other N is a more experienced horsewoman, we both like riding.
We were the same age when we bought our homes.
We love stationery.
We enjoy the art of conversation.
There's no such thing as too many kitchen tools/accessories.
We like living abroad, especially in the Middle East.
The Washington, DC area is home.
Same nickname.
Marth Stewart and Julia Child rule.
We have engraved ipod nanos.
Individually, we spent our 2007 birthdays at the Dead Sea spa.
Waffles!
We're carnivores.
We love Mexican food.
We're FEMINISTS!
We have the same beverage glasses.
Mmm, cheese.
HR/EEO work.
Chinese food is best eaten with chopsticks.
Same complexion.
We both played in orchestras during our youths.
We love musicals.
Riesling!
We're going through some strange stuff with old friends.
We like word games.
We're inquisitive and we like to take apart and fix things.
We love packages and really nice shopping bags.
We have a "special" vocabulary when driving.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, french fries.

Rites & Revelations

Today is my birthday and I decided to continue a tradition I started on my 3oth: I took the day off from work and went to a spa for some pampering. I had a million-and-one things to do at the office, but I realized that except for buying shoes, I often put myself last (subject for another blog) and I needed to do this, especially since it's a "milestone" birthday. So off I went to the Marriott Jordan Valley Resort & Spa for scrubbing, sloughing, massaging, and a myriad of other indulgences.

I enjoyed this year's spa treatment much more than last year's. A girlfriend and I went to Spa Time in Kuwait where she treated me to the chocolate indulgence treatment. The theory -- rubbed and scrubbed with cocoa seeds and oils -- was much better than the reality. As a chocoholic, I thought I would love being totally enveloped in various cocoa essences. Instead, I was hungry the entire time. The room and I smelled like brownies and at one point I was tempted to start nibbling on my arm. And it was murder being coated in cocoa oils, made immobile from the weight of Turkish towels, and tempted by the scents of my own skin and strategically-placed candles. After the experience, my friend and I immediately went out to eat.

Anyway, it was nice to take some time off, although I did stay in touch with my office by blackberry. But I learned something new about myself. I've always favored hard science over holistic treatments and as much as I enjoyed my little indulgence, I probably would have been more comfortable in a more clinical setting. I liked the apres-spa experience of sitting in a plush robe, sipping tea, and looking at the Dead Sea, but the candles, dimmed lights, and new age music during the treatments almost drove me crazy. I think I'm too high-strung to truly relax.