A N N A J O H N ' S D I A R Y

Like Elaine, Screaming "STELLA!!!"

CILICE

Perspective via arroz, frijoles negros, crema y queso (para llevar)

On my way back from Chipotle, I passed this woman who was just leaving the gym which I am also a member of, though I'm sure she uses it as more than a guaranteed place to pee in two major cities with no "you-must-buy-something-to-use-the-facility"-hassles; she had vertical lines on her abs and an amazingly fit figure. "I remember when I worked out 6 days a week and I looked half as good as that," I muttered to myself.

I almost walked in to a homeless person when I saw her duck in to FUDDRUCKER's for what I can only assume was her post-workout snack. I remember shrugging and then thinking, damn, what a lucky woman.

My GChat status was outdated, so I changed it to

"Yummy yummy yummy I have Chipotle in my tummy",

in part because one of my closest friends lives in the only remaining pocket of Amreeka with NO Chipotle and he regularly craves it-- yeah, I'm kind like that. A few hours later:

kt: how do you eat chipotle and all these good foods and remain so damn stick thin? please tell me the secret.

...and my view changed thanks to this friend whom I rarely see, who is quite a stunner herself.  Suddenly, perspective rested like two reassuring hands on my shoulders, reminding me that we are all constantly looking at someone else, wishing we could eat at Fuddrucker's and still have a six-pack.  Thanks, kt.  :)

May 22

It's what's for dinner., originally uploaded by suitablegirl.

After that one hellacious week when I didn't get to go to lunch for five days straight, I've been paranoid enough to keep food around constantly.  Of course this means that now I actually do have time for lunch, because that's just how my life works.  A Charlie Foxtrot-magnet-- that's me!

At about 8pm tonight, I was massively relieved that I had squirreled away plenty o' crap (and by squirreled away, I mean left it in the Whole Foods bags from whence they came), because I had a last minute memo which I couldn't leave without finishing.  This obviously meant that I was going to probably miss dinner-- and after a day which was mostly fueled by a large coffee, random handfuls of trail mix and then a double-shot iced drink, I could just SEE how this would all end badly.  So thanggawd I was the prepared, na?

Anyway, twelve hours later, I was done but my meeting is first thing tomorrow morning and this means I have to get in to work almost two hours before I normally do (I'm a 10am - 7pm kinda girl), so I'm still stressed...the client dropped this request on us at the very last minute and there was no template to follow nor was there any advice to seek out-- I just kinda pulled it out of my sundress-clad kundi.  Here's hoping it doesn't stink.

Thank you, I won't be here all week.  :)  Tip your bartenders, yo.

Illy is here!

Illy is here!, originally uploaded by suitablegirl.

Beyond being a ridiculously awesome Saturday because the meetup was so spectacular, today was extra blessed and wonderful; I discovered that Illy now has a cafe in DC.  Illy is my favorite espresso, ever, it's the entire reason why I think Greco's cappuccinos are so sublime. 

Illy's space is small but so brightly appealing...all clean lines and elegant design.  I wish they'd expand all over the place.  They don't need to be as ubiquitous as Starsucks, but if there was one near my work...ah, I'd be a blissed out girl, yindeed.  One of my friends was massively amused that something like this could make me sooo happy; they apparently don't know that I've been passionately addicted to coffee since I was 18 months old (according to dear departed Deddy).  Good coffee is totally something to get gleeful over, yes, yes it is.  :)

Pre-Subcontinental Drift Hair :)

P1020756, originally uploaded by suitablegirl.

...what perfect timing, considering that tomorrow is our SM Meetup, too.  Ah, it's so nice to have bangs again and to be able to put my hair up without having to take tylenol a few hours later; the weather is getting warmer, it was time to have a follicular intervention.  And why not, if the results are so satisfying.  I feel a two pounds lighter and ten times more stylish.  Yayyyy good haircuts.  :)

COOKIECOOKIECOOKIE STARTS WITH C

For Azhagan, who totally asked for it.  (And Cookie Monster owns Doordarshan, as if you didn't know):

Haagen-Dazs is good, FREE is even better.

::

Free Haagen-Dazs TODAY!, originally uploaded by suitablegirl.

::

Considering the fact that I actually go in to evil-Starbucks for Cinnamon Dolce drinks, I'm all about trying the Cinnamon Dulce de Leche. :D

I lurve me some Haagen-Dazs (Seven years to search for the perfect strawberries!  I sweat such a.r. attention to detail!),  so I'm off to Gallery Place/Chinablock...I'll report back with my corny cone-y review later.

::

This mandatory test of the Flickr Broadcasting System is complete. :)

I Don't Mind at ALL.

Anna,

I hope you don't mind, but I wrote to Kathy Sierra to let her know what was going on with you.

Here is her response to me.

Take care,

R

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: kathy.sierra
Date: May 11, 2007 11:30 PM
Subject: Re: The Case Of Anna John

Hi,

Wow -- I really appreciate that you wrote to me with this. The part of all this that continues to confuse me the most is *why* people do this, and especially to people who aren't writing hateful or (in my case) even controversial/heated topics.

It really is sad.

I had no idea my story -- from the one blog post I made about it -- would spread so far and wide, but I'm pretty certain it's because so many others have experienced so much (usually anonymous) hate out there, and just wanted a chance to talk about it.

If there's any good to come of what's happening to me and Anna and others who share this experience, it's that people ARE talking about it. And simply thinking about it instead of just automatically ignoring it -- as the level of hostility and hateful comments continues to rise -- is a good thing.

Again, thanks for writing to me. I don't have a great deal of hope that things will improve, but a few weeks ago I had *none*... so there's an improvement : )

I hope things improve for Anna!

-- Kathy

.......................................................................

On May 10, 2007, at 7:24 AM:

Ms. Sierra,

I am a programmer and a blogger, and I was disgusted and saddened when I heard about what happened to you regarding the threats.

Now my friend Anna is going through a very similar experience, though not quite to the level you had to endure.  Anna helped found Sepia Mutiny (a blog and news aggregator for American-born Indians and Pakistanis) and she blogged at HERstory but she's taken it offline.  So have many of her friends, as they've come under attack from someone who set up a blog for the sole goal of attacking her.  The posts have been misogynistic, hateful, and have revealed personal information about her.

When the blog first surfaced I drew a comparison to you and I was mocked on the hate-blog.  Now Anna has shut down her blogs, as you did for a time, and is cancelling meetups, and again I'm reminded of you.

I'm really despondent over the whole affair.  I wish I had some magic wand I could wave that would let me fix the issue, both for you and for her.  And I don't have any real reason to share it with you.  I just wanted to be able to talk to someone else about it.

Anyway, thank you for your time, and thanks for listening.

Take care,

R

Wait, WHAT is in my purse again?

WIMP final., originally uploaded by suitablegirl.

...my infamous Fotolog is back from the dead.  I know, right?  Can you believe this was once the most popular outpost of me far-flung empire?  :)