#buuuut hopefully this weekend i can get out another thing >:]

[steve-brules-rules]

My Colors Live Interview is up >:]

AAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH <3

[measuringlife]

Measuring Me: Buuuut After This Week Things Will Slow Down a Bit

Week of August 4: My Birthday!  And Bad News

Lots of celebrations including friend visiting from all over the place. I get a call while at the African American History Museum while touring with dear friends and their baby who are in from Boston that my Mom is in the hospital with a broken hip. Kept birthday festivities scheduled as planned, including Jazz in the Garden with a wonderful crowd of friends who made me feel so supported and loved.

Week of August 11: Long Island NY - Round 1

I flew up to NY on Sunday night towards the tail end of my Boston's friends trip. It was grueling deciding if I should rush up there or not, but looking back I made the right decision. I couldn't handle all the business I needed to handle until Monday anyway. It was a flurry of hospitals, rehabs, doctors, etc. There was also going into my Mom's house after having not been inside for close to 2 years. My sister and I who had a falling out in the spring, made amends and were off to the races. Banks, respite housing, lawyers, notaries, a lot was handled in a short bit of time. Let's not forget I flew back to DC on Wednesday with a new addition, my mom's 4-year-old Chorkie (Chihuahua/Yorkie), Louie is ours indefinitely. 

Week of August 18: Fall Welcome Events, and Senior Living Tours

When I wasn't running 3 large orientations, onboarding a new grad student, supporting other major Welcome/Back to school events I was researching and email independent senior living communities near-ish me. Mom was surprisingly agreeable to not go back to the house she's lived in for 40 years and move down to be near me. However, finding the right spot was a multistep task. I wound up visiting 3 places this week and 2 more places the next. I also squeezed in a Hanson concert, and ACA meeting, a 90-minute massage as well as a mani/pedi this week. I've learned I need to take care of me before I can take care of anyone else!

Week of August 25: Grad classes, Vet visits, Musicals, Wedding calls, More Senior Living Tours, and back up to NY

This week was the first work of classes where I work, which was also the first week of classes for me as a brand new grad student! I had 2 classes, one Wed and one Thurs from 5:30pm-8pm. I actually had to race out of my first class which thankfully let out a little early to uber to the Kennedy Center to see am 8pm performance of Dear Evan Hansen - it was amazing! I also visited the last 2 senior living options for mom that week and had 2 Lisbon-based wedding planner calls. One planner was great, but her price tag was steep. One planner was rude and made me feel dumb. I had a wedding planning meltdown, but had a good chat with my dear friend SC who helped me re-group. I've been building (and will continue to build) a nice pot of wedding/honeymoon money. However, when I think about all the side hustles and sacrifices I've made for a lot of this money I don't want to blow it on "a party" that usually has more bells and whistles than we are interested in. So I'm hoping to plan a celebration vacation with loved ones and I'm working with a travel agent friend of mine. I spent Labor Day weekend back in NY, this time I drove - I left as the sun rose on Saturday morning and had a full weekend of bank nonsense, errands, got Mom settled in her "respite" stay at an assisted living community, went over senior living options with Mom, and going through my childhood bedroom - including my sister and I wearing our prom dresses. We took Freddie off all his meds because he health has not been improving and it seems the meds were only making him feel sicker - the change has actually seemed to help outwardly, but still super stressful. Also, poor Louie got neutered this week and was in a cone of shame for 2 weeks!

Week of September 1: NY, Grad School, Hiking, and Pump Official

I was in NY until Tuesday and then drove back down, I had another week of two grad classes, but after sitting through my second nutrition class I was sure that it was too much science and more work than I could handle. I ended up dropping that class before the add/drop period ended and felt relieved. I did another visit to Mom's top two senior living choices to view the exact rooms that were open. I also made time for fitness. I got a permanent gig teaching Body Pump on Fridays at 6pm, I had been long term subbing the class since April, but the instructor decided to give it up and I got to take it over! The half-semester Urban Hiking class I teach started this week, which has once again proven to be a delightful highlight in my life! I also squeezed in another concert too!

Week of September 8: Fitness, Mercedes Bastards, Injury, and Friend Dates

I kicked off the week with an all-day AFAA (Athletics and Fitness Association of American) continuing ed workshop that I had already postponed once due to my crazy schedule. It was really great though, I'm glad I went. I signed papers on a place for Mom which didn't come without its own Mom drama - but at least it was relatively mild. I squeezed in a couple of friends dates: manicures with AL, walk with LH, and a dinner date LB. I was still chugging through my one grad class, but having some concerns about if this program was the right direction for me, it's much more Public Health-oriented than the Fitness and Wellness aspect of health I'm truly interested in. I had a bunch of petsitting clients and have had them during all the previous crazy weeks. I already separately about the ordeal with my Mom's leased car, but Mercedes are crooks! I had toyed with officially taking over the lease, but there is like a $1500 transfer fee that "they can't waive." There's no way they are getting a penny more than we have to pay. I made a bunch of calls to NY based insurance folks I know as well as talked to my mom's insurance agency and my insurance agency to make sure when I start driving her car everything is squared away. Also, this week my colleague aka one other coworker because I manage an office of two had a personal injury that had her out of the office for about a week. As I well know, life happens, but it started to feel like when it rains it pours....

Week of Sept 15: Drag Brunch, Euro Trips, a Resignation, and Back to NY for an Explosive Visit

I kicked off this week with a highly anticipated Sunday Funday with some fabulous work friends. I got all dolled up and headed to a drag brunch in DC which led to gay bar-hopping on a beautiful afternoon. Despite making my way home at 6pm, I still felt like trash most of Monday, but thankfully I was off. I did have my first celebration vacation in Portugal call with my friend DR who is a travel agent. It was a really exciting call and the fact that I know DR already makes things a lot easier. We have a plan for me to make the most of my scouting trip in November which is a relief. I was having a particularly busy week and was just pushing through until we get Mom moved, when my coworker (aka person 2 of our 2 person department) drop a bomb on me, she got a new job and is resigning effective 10/10 which is 3 weeks notice. I can say I'm surprised she's a great employee, had a tough job, and has been with me for almost 2.5 years. I was more shocked by her not giving me any sort of heads up. I went to a tailspin back in Jan 2017 when the other half of my office left and I was alone. Thankfully I am not 5 months into my job like I was then, this time of year is honestly "the best" time to be short-staffed and I am looking to do a re-org that hopefully would make things even better in the future. However, it means a lot more work on me all the way around. I head back to NY via train this time! I actually had my Urban Hiking class start and end at Union Station which made for a great hike and for me to easily make a 4:15pm train. Saturday night was just pizza and wine with my sister. Sunday we headed to Long Island to see my Mom. We needed a durable power of attorney signed - the one we did when my Mom was first in the hospital didn't cover as much as we need and my sister and I need the power to act on my Mother's behalf independently since I'll be handling VA business and my sister is handling NY business. My sister has a friend who is a notary and the friend was also going to on LI visiting family and agreed to come to Mom's assisted living place to have us all sign paperwork. Well, my Mom out of the blue demanded cigarettes and wine before agreeing to sign the papers. This was extremely hurtful. Most of you know my Mother is an alcoholic. Did she fall down down the stairs and break her hip because she was drunk, it's possible. Has her drinking made my life a nightmare especially the last few years? Yes. Having her hospitalized and in the care of others meant she wasn't drinking, she was actually taking her meds, and she had company and therefore didn't need to call me all the G-D time. Well, apparently my Mom's sister bought her cigarettes the week the before (WHY?!?!). My Mom was having bullshit anxiety over an eye doctor appointment because for the 15th time she's convinced she's going blind (she's not, she's fine). She NEEDED the wine and cigarettes and threw a tantrum right in the lobby, right in front of my sister's notary friend (who at least knows some of my Mom's craziness), it was horrifying and embarrassing. My sister started crying and here I am trying to keep it together. I tried to explain to Mom that her drinking was hurtful to us, especially since we've both dropped everything to tend to her situation. I explained that it feels like she is choosing wine over us and she didn't deny it. I needed these papers signed so I conceded and said after we did house stuff that day I'd take her to buy cigarettes, but I don't want to be anywhere near her when or soon after she's been drinking. After some more bank business and errands, I dropped her at a liquor store (walker and all) to get herself her precious wine. I told her I needed to cool off and needed a break from her for a few days, I would call her when I was ready. 

Week of September 22: Grad School Drop Out, Wedding Planning, & Car Sales

As I drove back to DC on Monday knowing that I didn't get a chance to do my reading for grad school or work on a paper, I felt stressed (plus the stress of driving my Mom's brand new Mercedes 300 miles to DC as essentially it's maiden voyage). I have so much stress on between Mom stuff, being an office of one, wedding stuff and just general life I was at my max. The class was something I could do something about. I emailed the professor asking for an extension (I automatically have more compassion for my students now), but also let him know I was investigated dropping the class. Since add/drop and the refund period was over I was worried that since this class was being paid for my employer's tuition benefit that there might be some major financial implication. I reached out to the department chair and the HR benefits lady. The way the benefits work and the fact I hadn't used them before means I'm not on the hook for the $5000+ tuition or any of the taxes related. There is only a $27 gap that I will pay taxes on, OKAY. So I dropped the class and ultimately withdrew from the grad certificate program. I feel major relief, not only over this semester, but over the next 2 years that I had penciled in grad school for. I quickly realized that the AFAA professional development workshop is more in line with what I want than anything overly academic - I mean I already have a masters. I think eventually may get an AFAA nutrition certificate which is far less intensive and way more applicable than the route I was going to take. Now with my Wednesdays free again, I was able to make my triumphant return to my Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) meeting and I was so happy to be there with my people. I also tried to carve out more time this week for wedding stuff. Talked through my new vacation celebration idea with some friends who will be on the invite list, talked more with my travel agent D, and with my friend DM who is traveling with me for the scouting trip. I'm feeling more focused and ready to make decisions. I also sold my 2007 Camry to a coworker who happened to be in the market for a reliable used car, just as I was learning that I would be driving my mom's car and therefore wanted to sell mine. We hit a couple of snags, like the fact that my car's aftermarket tints that came on the car when I bought them were too dark to pass MD inspection. Or that I needed to sign the back of the title over to my friend, the buyer. She learned AFTER spending 3 hours at the DMV, oops! I cleaned the car out and removed my stickers from the window and bumper - that 26.2 sticker did not want to budge!

What will the next 2 weeks hold is yet to be fully seen, but here's the summary I'm expecting

Week of September 29: Senior living lease signing, 1000 last-minute Mom things, ACA, Running a 2,000 person Family/Alumni Weekend, Teaching my last Urban Hiking class of the semester and driving to NY with my fiance T and Freddie (we don't Louie thinking he is going back). 

Week of October 6: Pack up the stuff that's going to VA with my Mom in a U-Haul van T is driving, I'm driving my Mom down (AKA the woman who hasn't left NY state in at least 10 years), move her into her new place, have two last days in the office having transition meeting with my colleague before she leaves on 10/10, I also have birthday celebration plans for T and my friend SL whose birthdays are this week. Also, it's my Mom's birthday so I imagine we'll be taking her out. 

[otakugeddon]

O-O

SO so much going on in Otaku-land. First up: I'm now 100% current with the Shokugeki no Soma manga. So....partially a win, partially devastating, lol (Someone suggest something for me to read, STAT. I mean, I have a To Read list but I'm blowing through stuff fast enough I need to add more to it, Post-haste!). Second, I'm almost finished with the first 3 event routes in the current Samurai Love Ballad Party event. I usually do each route twice since they're generous with time, but we'll see. I should have already been redoing Nobunaga by this point but I slacked a little. Buuuut I'll be done with Kojuro by tonight & redoing Nobunaga (he may be a Son of a Bitch but he's MY Son of a Bitch, damnit!). I'm finally getting the last few things I wanted to do in Hakuoki 3D done so I can send it back to GameFly. Probably renting Code: Realize, but not 100% sure. There's quite a few PS Vita games I REALLY wanna' play (since visual novels & JRPGS are crack to me & the 3DS doesn't get near enoigh of those). And speaking of the Vita! I finally got my hands on Persona 4 Golden for Vita. Yes, this is my first Persona game. Don't judge me. XD I literally hadn't even heard of Persona until Q was coming out (no fucking idea how since I adore Shin Megami), sooo I'm trying to play catch up. Planning on buying the others from the PS Store soon, with 3 being the next one I'm buying (so I'll have played 3 & 4 and understand the characters in Q), but am super stoked to finally get to play 4. I've heard amaaazing things about it. I'm also REALLY looking forward to Persona 5. And finally! I've been hoarding Lapis in Brave Exvius for awhile, waiting for a really good banner to do an 11 pull on. I'd had over 50 tickets that I've used on other banners, which got me some decent units but not necessarily stuff I needed direly. However, I desperately needed a really solid, front running mage. So, when I saw Trance Terra (who is incredibly highly rated as a mage), I was stoked. However, I almost never pull native 4 stars, let alone native 5 stars. Well, lo and behold, I took a chance and it paid off. Big time. Not only did I get my 1st Native 5 star, I got Exdeath (another exceptional mage), several more of "normal" Terra to work on her trust mastery and levels (she's pretty awesome in her own right), and all around, I was incredibly pleased with the pull. Still grinding away at the KHUx Union event, Unison League Miku-chan event, & Valkyrie Chronicle Fate Stay/Night event. There is, of course, always other mobile events going on and I'm sure there's something else I can't think of at the moment, lol. Things seem to be working out my way quite a bit lately and it's awesome. It's not Otaku-involved but some examples being getting to play in the pre-release for the new Magic The Gathering Expansion with my brother this weekend, my best friend paying for me to see one of my favorite bands of all time (since I was 13) in concert with Taiki-kun, GIR (little brother), & Zaran (adopted brother / best friend from HS since I was 15), AND for me & Taiki to get to do the VIP meet & greet so I can spend time with the band. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever. So all around? Things are doing good and it's nice. Hopefully, we'll get to watch Doctor Who before MTG tonight, and this weekend we'll get caught up on Dragon Ball Super, too (We're one or two episodes behind). Also really hoping we can start Attack on Titan Season 2. Kind of dying to. XD I even did the registration thing on Funimation's site to be assigned to a regiment --- I got the Scout Regiment without even trying which made me far more excited than it should. But our current mission is to watch AoT S2 and I AM FAILING. O_O (This is where I mention that my purse is Attack on Titan, Scout Regiment style and fucking awesome).

[junker-town]

Masters 2017 predictions and picks: Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy favored again at Augusta

Here are some picks and predictions for a tradition unlike any other.

The music is playing. Jim Nantz’s ties are laid out for the week. The grounds are immaculately manicured and the stage is set.

It’s time for the Masters, a tradition unlike any other and one that can be especially difficult to handicap. There are champions who come out of nowhere and others who are already the legends of the game. Predicting what will happen in a golf tournament is always difficult, even with a smaller field like at the Masters. But that doesn’t mean we don’t give it our best shot to discuss and dissect what we think will happen this week at Augusta National.

Who is your darkhorse or sleeper pick?

Emily: Soren Kjeldsen — He beat Rory McIlroy in match play after chalking up four missed cuts earlier in the year and at 150/1 it doesn’t get much dark harsher than that. Oh, and he finished T7 at Augusta in 2016.

Trevor: How about a guy like Tyrrell Hatton? He could be this year’s Danny Willett and not just because they are both British. His starts on the PGA Tour this year have gone T4, 10, T4, T17. Not bad. With so much hype around the big names, this could be another year where an under the radar guy slips on a green jacket.

Brendan: Adam Hadwin is the guy here. He’s got a ton of game, been brilliant over the past month, and is a rookie with a legit chance at contending. He’s in the top 10 on Tour in strokes gained-putting and that’s always a club that will suit you well at Augusta.

Kyle: It’s Hadwin. I ranked him probably unreasonably high in my 94-1 countdown at 21, and he’s inside the FedEx Cup top 5 in points with some big names for a reason. One point of concern? The relatively small Canadian isn’t a big hitter, and that might not be the best archetype for a player looking to have success on a blustery, wet Thursday and Friday at Augusta.

Which big name, or names, are you worried about flaming out and missing the weekend?

Emily: He may not be a BIG NAME, but Danny Willett did win the Masters last year so that has to count for something. Not enough though, as only three golfers have repeated as Masters champs and Willett — who has failed to break into the top 35 on the PGA Tour since his stunning 2016 victory — will not join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods in the record books, nor make it to the weekend in 2017.

Also, Bubba Watson. He has two Masters wins but other than that his play at Augusta has been rather pedestrian and he seems to have lost his fast ball (and should lose those hideous pink Volviks) along with the 20 pounds.

The hardest of passes on Bubba this week.

Brendan: We thought Bubba would be the favorite here for years, with his booming drives faded between the pines via that left handers advantage we hear so much about these days. But he is playing a neon pink putt-putt ball that springs off the putter and has him 199th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting. He’s been a non-factor all year and seems checked out from the game right now. This is a course where he could just show up and contend without any form, but it doesn’t look good for the two-time green jacket winner right now.

Kyle: The hardest of passes on Bubba this week. Did you realize it’s been over a year (last year’s WGC at Doral) since he’s been in contention? Sure, sure, he’s played well here. But right now, it doesn’t seem that Bubba’s playing well anywhere. He’s probably a prime candidate for the Knox pairing on Saturday morning — or worse. A few others I’d stay away from: Jimmy Walker, Willett, and Adam Scott. Playing well leading into a major is important, friends.

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Defending champion Danny Willett might have a hard time repeating in 2017.

Will Tiger ever play another the Masters?

Emily: It’s difficult to say never, but It’s almost impossible to imagine him ever being “tournament ready” for Augusta, or, really, anywhere after the way things have transpired. With his most recent and exceedingly short-lived “comeback” comprised of coming in 15th out of 18 at the Hero World Challenge, a missed cut at Torrey, and that dreadful one-day outing in Dubai, we’re extremely close — if not already there — to proclaiming Tiger done, even if Mark Steinberg won’t do the honors.

Brendan: Of course. It may just be for two days but I think he will tee it up in another Masters.

Kyle: He will, I think no question. Mike Weir’s corpse is still scuffing it around this place! Bernie Langer played in the second to last pairing last year at 58. Yes, Cat will be back. He might should 85-86, but he’ll be back.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

It’s hard to imagine Tiger Woods at least not getting on the course at Augusta one more time.

Which rookie will have the best showing?

Emily: Jon Rahm is everybody’s favorite and for good reason, but another somewhat anonymous Brit, Tommy Fleetwood, could be this year’s surprise first-timer.

Trevor: So many good names to choose from here. Hadwin shot 59 at the CareerBuilder Challenge and added a win at the Valspar. We learned at the Ryder Cup last year that Thomas Pieters is a bad ass. But I think Rahm finishes as the high rookie. He’s finished top 10 in each of his last four events including almost stealing one from DJ at the Match Play.

Kyle: Hadwin, Rahm, the Toms — plural (Fleetwood, Pieters). There’s plenty of options here. If you’d like to keep an eye on a real deep cut, watch out for Curtis Luck. Aussie amateur seems destined to be next, though he struggled mightily at Arnie’s tournament.

What will be the winning score?

Emily: 9-under - the same winning score Jack Nicklaus posted when he won his final major in 1986 (see: this year’s winner below).

Kyle: I’ll say 8-under. Winds on Thursday and Friday won’t be fun in Amen Corner, but things should open up enough nicely on the weekend to get things closer to double digits.

Brendan: It will be soft for the first couple days, buuuut it also looks like it will be quite blustery. So I don’t think anyone is going to post some super low number in the first couple rounds. I don’t think it will be as rough as last year, but it doesn’t look like one of those Masters that becomes a birdie-fest. I think 10-under gets it done.

Expectations and finishing predictions

Dustin Johnson

Emily: Really difficult to pick against D.J., who’s on fire, but Augusta has not been a place where favorites often come out on top. He’ll bomb the crap out of the course, though, and contend all week.

Brendan: Even if he doesn’t play his best, he’s still likely to finish in the top 10, right? DJ is on that kind of heater right now and overwhelming the best fields this game has to offer. He’s the favorite for a reason. I’m not picking him to win but he will be there in the top five, which will make Sunday all the more thrilling.

Jordan Spieth

Brendan: He’s never finished worst than second in his first three Masters starts, which is outrageous when you don’t attach pictures to it. Of course, there are pictures and we’ve dissected everything that happened at Amen Corner ad nauseum for a year. He’s played well in the first quarter this year and there’s no reason to think he’s not the man to beat at every Masters given the way he’s plotted this course in his first three years. He’ll be back in the top 10 but not in that final Sunday pairing for the first time in his Masters career.

Rory McIlroy

Emily: He’s put too much pressure on himself to complete the career grand slam so it will be another disappointing non-win — though a fourth straight top-10 finish — for Rory.

Jason Day

Emily: His mother’s illness weighs heavily on him, making it a monumental task to focus as much as one must to score well at Augusta. He’ll likely finish outside the top 10.

Trevor: I think it will be another tough week for Day. The last few weeks must have been a strain mentally and physically.

Phil Mickelson

Trevor: His press conference will be great and he’ll do enough crazy stuff to make everyone thinks he has a chance before fading.

Brendan: Phil is such a joy to watch, follow, and listen to at Augusta. He has said it’s his favorite place in the world and it’s not an exaggeration to say he’ll contend here well into his 50s. After missing the cut last year, I think he’s back playing the weekend again but he said he feels like his season is really just getting started after two offseason surgeries. I don’t think Phil contends again this year.

Rickie Fowler

Emily: Wouldn’t that be the ultimate, “How do you like that, Johnny Miller?” if Rickie were to scuffle into a green jacket? Alas, not gonna happen, but Fowler has been playing well (one win and three additional top 10s since the MC at Torrey) so we could be looking at a top 10 for Rickie this week.

Brendan: Looooove Rickie this week. He’s back in form and hopefully has banished that opening round 80 last year from his memory. Rickie is going to place inside the top five and play in the final Sunday pairing. But it’s just another close call.

Sergio Garcia

Emily: One of the best players never to win a major, and that streak continues this week for Garcia, who is likely to have something of a lackluster tournament.

Kyle: VAAAAAAAAAAAAAMOS. Garcia’s playing extremely well and seems in line for a top-15 finish here, but I’ll save my cheerleading act for the next three majors — where he’s got a far better track record.

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Phil Mickelson loves Augusta National and may finally win.

Who will win the green jacket? And by how many shots?

Trevor: It’s hard not to pick DJ considering how well he’s played this year. He played really well last year too. It’s also really hard to pick against Rory. It might be a little soft which will benefit him greatly. HOWEVER, I just can’t pick against a guy that has finished first and second twice in three career starts. Going with Jordan Spieth in a tight one.

Emily: Gotta go with Phil. He's 46, the same age as Jack when Nicklaus won his final Masters, so he has that (and a special love for Augusta where he has performed so beautifully over the years) going for him.

Brendan: It’s time. The course will be softened up. There’s less mania and pressure compared to prior years. He’s in form and seems and seems more comfortable here with the spotlight also on a few others. We’ll get the sixth man ever to complete the career grand slam on Sunday.

Sunday. http://pic.twitter.com/6jGWCGGd5D

— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) April 3, 2017