Author Archives: Julia

Who will save the egg?

Posted in work by

Humpty Dumpty is running a Cover Art Contest right now. We ask kids to draw a picture of themselves as a superhero and send it in. One will be chosen to be on the cover of a future issue.

I get pretty hysterical and awesome entries. Some kids get really creative, while others just draw the Eggman himself wearing a cape. Today a big stack of entries arrived on my desk. I have two favorites.

The first is a picture of a man wearing a half red, half blue outfit of some sort (mostly a square outfit, as drawn by this 6-year-old) with long arms, stretched out to the sides. He is saying “Up up and away!” Underneath, in carefully messy child’s handwriting, is this statement “Super Obama wraps arms around world.”

The second is done in pencil. It’s a picture of a boy’s face and says “my little brother.” This kid considers his little brother a superhero! I wish I’d thought of my little brother that way when I was 6. No, I guess we were fairly close at that age. The uncontrollable annoyance didn’t start until middle school.

Merry Chrismakah

Posted in books, holidays by

“Well, are you coming?” asks the conductor.
“Where?”
“Why to the North Pole of course! This is the Polar Express!”

Every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember my dad read The Polar Express to me and my brother before we went to bed. Then we’d put out cookies for Santa and a carrot for his reindeer, and we’d crawl into bed. I have the entire book memorized and I adore it. I love all of the illustrations, though my favorite has to be the one where all of the children are drinking hot chocolate in the train car. The colors are so rich and warm that I feel like, even though they all jumped onto a strange train with a strange man, they are perfectly safe. One year when we woke up on Christmas morning, I found a worn bell that looked suspiciously like a sleigh bell on Santa’s cookie plate. My parents said they had no idea where it came from, but their best guess was that Santa had left it for me. I treasured it.

These days my parents continue The Polar Express tradition at the store. They have the book, a portable DVD player with the movie, and a little basket of bells sitting on a table near the door. With each bell they have written this message, “Our wish is that this bell will always ring for those who listen. That the sweet sound reminds us of the true miracles of the holiday season, be they of this world or not” along with this quote from the end of book,


At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. 
Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all those who truly believe.

I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore, but I have that sleigh bell that was left on our cookie plate years ago. It’s hanging on the doorknob of my apartment door. More than Santa though, I still believe in that magic and the miracles of this time of year. Maybe that’s why I can still hear my bell ring.

Tonight I’m having dinner with my family and Adam’s family. Then I’m going to go home and read my own copy of The Polar Express that Bette gave me two Christmases ago (which was one of the best gifts I have ever received). I don’t expect Santa or any make-believe magic like that; only the same safe feeling that I have when I look at that one picture in the book, and the magic of stopping to listen and hearing the bell ring. I hope you guys (the few of you who may read this!) have a happy holiday too!

the W word

Posted in relationships, weddings by

I got two Christmas cards in the mail yesterday, one from my aunt and uncle and one my grandparents. I opened them before I had even taken off my coat because getting real in-the-mail mail these days is exciting. (that’s not a hint, I’m just as guilty of sending 100 times more emails than snail mail.) The card from my grandparents started out innocently enough with my grandmother’s note, followed by my grandfather’s note, which took a sudden turn when he wrote this sentence, “maybe in the new year you will be planning a wedding.” That was followed by this sentence, which escaped loudly from my mouth, “What the fuck? That is not OK! Why?!”

It seems as if the whole world (besides my close friends, and for that I thank you) is planning my wedding. Oh, and the two most important people in said imaginary festivities, and the w-word has not even crossed their lips. Not once. I know it’s in fashion these days to get engaged after a year or less of being in a relationship, but I’m not a fan of being fashionable. I’m more a fan of doing things at my own speed and knowing that if they’re meant to happen, they will.

I’ve never been the wedding obsessed sort of girl. I know people who have had their weddings planned out since they were little girls, dress, colors, place, table settings, the whole deal. Oh I played my fair share of “wedding” and my friends and I even forced my brother to participate in a pink tutu, even though he was the obvious and logical choice for the groom. My cousins had the most beautiful wedding dress that had been their grandmother’s in their dress up box. It had long sleeves and a long row of tiny buttons up the back. I loved that dress.

The second I realized Adam was awesome though, I did not start to plan our future. I have no timeline, except for the one which involves moving back to North Carolina. I’ve thought about the future, but only in an abstract sort of maybe someday sort of way. Honestly the thought of being the center of attention in a white dress, which I would obviously get dirty immediately, makes me feel like puking. Walking down the aisle with my dad is hysterical. Being sentimental in front of lots of people is unthinkable. And the planning? Holy yikes. The only fun part in my mind is the party. Ask me to elope and come home and have a “HAHA we got married and you didn’t know” party and I’ll be yours forever.

So don’t mention the W-word around me unless I bring it up because I’m sick of people making assumptions about a relationship that they are not in. Plus, you’ll probably give me a heart attack:)

My thankfuls

Posted in family, friends by

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you had a lovely day filled with food, family and friends. We spent the afternoon at the Coffin house and the evening at the Goodman house. I have not eaten that much in quite some time.

I have a lot going for me right now. Just thought a list could be appropriate.

I am thankful for…
…my family and that we are all healthy this year.
…our store and that it’s still making it through tougher times.
…Adam, who never ceases to amaze me in how wonderful he is.
…my girlfriends, without whom I would be so lost.
…my wigglebutt Mira and her unconditional and irrational love for me.
…my job. To have one right now and to enjoy it on most days.
…my kitchen. As tiny as it is, I’ve cooked a lot of food in there this year.
…downtown, which is a lot more fun than I could have imagined.
…the new friends I have made this past year and how easily they have accepted me into their circle.

I’m a lucky girl:)

the prettiest Pretty Pretty Princesses at Thanksgiving!

All things holiday

Posted in food, holidays by

Thanksgiving is officially two weeks away. This means I can officially start getting excited about the holidays.

I plan to:
~decorate my apartment in a classy but excessive manner
~bake pie pie pie
~have a cookie extravaganza in which all of my friends will get cookies
~receive the 12 days of cookies newsletter from Food Network again this year
~have a holiday tea party at work
~wear my candy cane knee highs
~make a holidays playlist on itunes and listen to it at work
~dress my dog up like an elf

My friends and I plan to (and these were discussed last night at the Rosebuds and Megafaun show):
~have a secret santa
~have a holiday party….erm many holiday parties
~festive martinis and cider and eggnog

Oh, Megafaun? They are excellent. Check ’em out. Here, let me just help you out. They’re from Raleigh/Durham!

We believed and it happened!

Posted in politics by

I will NEVER foget this night, this historical and wonderful night . President-Elect Obama, that’s what it says on CNN. I will tell my children that I voted for a change, a difference, a moment. I will tell them that I sat at one of our favorite bars downtown and watched anxiously as votes came in. We watched as Republican Indiana could not be called. We watched state after state’s results come in. And we watched in joy as Barack Obama was announced the 44th president of the United States of America. We gasped and then clinked our glasses together in a victorious cheers. Outside of my apartment people are shooting off fireworks and yelling and celebrating. As Stalker Carol has said to me many times tonight, this is epic. EPIC!!!

Take out the guns and dance

Posted in coffee, North Carolina, politics by

Indiana is a battleground state. A swing state. We might not vote Republican this year. I feel that I’ve participated in a historic moment today. Now the anxious waiting.

North Carolina was absolutely wonderful. I was in a blissfully happy state for a good amount of our vacation. I was with one of my best friends, celebrated one year with my wonderful boyfriend (one year? How in the hell did one year go by so fast?), was surrounded by mountains, saw my summertime momma, and was generally home. I know even more now that I have to move back there some day. It’s just a matter of knowing I belong there.

Algunas fotos

on the Blue Ridge Parkway

I heart mountains

view from Bette’s house in Tryon!
waterfalls in Dupont

together again:)

Triple Falls in Dupont

Excessive, but I do not care. Consider yourselves lucky because I took quite a few more.

My coffee addiction has been taken to new levels. I ran out of coffee at my apartment last week so while I waited for more T-discs for my Tassimo to be delivered (pain in the ass, maybe a little, but worth it), I stopped at Mo Joe’s for coffee on my way to work. This Monday, after a week of ordering the same coffee with soy milk in my travel mug made by Stalker Carol, the baristas knew my order. I was on my way to being a regular. I loved the regulars who came in every morning at The Morning Times. Of course, just as I reached that coveted status, my coffee arrived. So no more morning stops to Mo Joe’s. We also just bought a fancy single cup coffee maker for the office so coffee consumption at work will be incredibly easy. I forsee at least two cups in my afternoons now.

Back to holding my breath that I will have something to celebrate about tonight at Lockerbie Pub instead of reason to drown my sorrows in beer.

She got it so good

Posted in apartments, relationships by

Update on my noisy neighbor.

The weather has cooled off considerably. My windows are now closed, as are my neighbor’s. I crawled into bed on Sunday night after a long day of driving and, floating into the night came the familiar sounds of the girl next door having a giant good time. THROUGH CLOSED WINDOWS! OK, enough is enough. I composed a letter and stuck it to her door this morning. Honestly, I’m a little nervous about the results or possible consequences but I complain a lot and figured that it’s time to take some action.

Dear #19,

All throughout the spring and summer months I’ve had my windows open, as have you, so of course we hear things in each other’s apartments like the tv and people talking and me yelling at my dog. I have also heard, and most of the time been awoken in the middle of the night, you having sex. I’ve been regularly woken up a few times a week by your passionate screams.

As the weather has cooled off I have closed my windows and figured that I would no longer hear your nocturnal activities. Turns out I was wrong and you are louder than anyone could imagine. Last night as I lay in bed reading with my window closed, I heard, yep, you guessed it, you having sex. OK so it probably won’t wake me up anymore but I am really tired of being a third party to what you do with your boyfriend. Honestly, I have no problem with what you do with your boyfriend, it’s your business and I’m glad that it’s obviously so great. I just really don’t like hearing two people have sex. I’m really just hoping you guys could try to keep it down a little bit. I understand that sometimes it’s hard but I’d really appreciate it. Unfortunately we have thin walls and apparently thin windows too! Thanks so much!

#17, Julia

We shall see.

Might post some NC Vacation Pics later on.

I’m goin home

Posted in North Carolina, vacation by

Also getting incredibly excited about our North Carolina trip in 12 days!!! I cannot wait to share my other home with Adam, be back in the mountains, and of course see Bette. It’s been a year since I’ve seen her and over a year since I’ve been in the mountains, both of which are much too long to be away from things that are important in your life.
Adam bought hiking shoes and if he’s going to ride a horse he’d better get to go fast. Ha, I love him.

Things I will be for sure packing:
Zebra Cakes
bitch please t-shirt
riding equipment (boots, pants, helmet)
all the letters Bette ever wrote me as we were growing up

Now I just have to make a baller “North Carolina Roadtrip” playlist.

Late night ballad of a neighbor girl

Posted in apartments, relationships by

Have I told you about my neighbor? I don’t know much about her other than her name and that she has this one skirt that I really like. Oh and what time she and her boyfriend (whose name I also know…) have sex, and how great it is.

This is what’s been happening for the past, well since the spring probably. Two or three times a week I climb into bed and disappear into dreamland. Anywhere between the hours of 3 and 6 AM I am awoken, from a dead sleep mind you, by the joyful noises of my neighbor and her boyfriend having sex. This sex must be pretty good, and every time, for the elation I hear floating out of her open bedroom window and into mine.

I’m not gonna lie, I really dislike being awakened in the middle of the night, and especially by sex noises. I’ve been pretty goodvnatured about the whole thing. Her escapades make for pretty funny stories. The other night though I woke up to, not only the orgasm screams, of which there were more than usual this time, but the sound of bare skin hitting bare skin in the heat of the moment. SICK. Pushed over the edge. So now I’m trying to decide what to do, because honestly, I’ve had enough. My initial thought was to write her a note and stick it on her door. Just politely saying “I have no problems with what you do in your spare time and in the privacy of your own home, but please keep it down!!” A few of my friends told me to fight fire with fire and have my own loud mid-night sex. I think next time it happens I just might yell out my window “KEEP IT DOWN YOU FUCKING FREAKS!!” I mean I can’t be responsible for what comes out of my mouth in a state of just having been rudely awoken.