find me at my new home

Well my friends, it didn't take me long after my last post to find a new home for Diary of a Mad Asian Woman. The new blog will be the same as the old, but infused with my cooking and eating posts of yumlove and a lot more photography now that I have my new digital SLR.

I hope you'll come with me to the new location. Please update your links to http://heylovedc.tumblr.com.

identity crisis, part 2

Not too long ago, I posted about how I was struggling to figure out who I was online. Did I want to make myself a "public" figure or just continue being semi-anonymous (not completely anon but not giving away many identifying details about myself).

Now I'm at another crossroads. I do still love to blog and I always have something I want to say, but I find that I haven't been doing it as often mostly because I feel like I don't have anything major to contribute. I still love to cook and take pictures for yumlove, but the lack of posts hardly justifies a separate blog. Also, the name Diary of a Mad Asian Woman no longer applies to me. I didn't name my blog that because I thought I was mad and angry all the time, more like mad as in crazy and nuts (in a fun way!).

So I'm going to "rebrand" myself, I suppose. I want to create an entirely new blog that combines my love of food, photography, ranting, and my random, random thoughts. I think I'll use my twitter name and call it Hey, Love. Just a combination of everything and I hope you'll continue to follow me :)

should I take the mystery bike?

At least three or four months ago, this bike appeared in the back of my building. It just leaned against it, not really belonging to anyone. I don't know where it came from or why it was there. Everyone in my building has a large enough balcony that can hold a bike, unless they felt they didn't want the bike to take up space... but would risk the bike getting stolen.

Well every day the bike was still there. Sometimes it would move, as the landscaping guys needed to cut the grass around it, but overall it stayed put.

One day the condo association sent a letter to everyone in my building (there are 12 units) asking for it to be removed. If it wasn't taken away by a certain date, then the association would take it away.

It didn't budge.

I noticed after a week that one unit still had the letter hanging on the door. I was convinced it was them. When the letter went away, the bike was still there.

That was at least two months ago.

Every single day I toy with the idea of taking that bike. Obviously no one in my building owns it nor cares for it. The condo association sure didn't follow up with taking it away, so it's up for grabs right?

I've thought about giving it to my friend R. We often talk about how we should go bike riding... except she doesn't have a bike. Free bike! Or just keep it so when J comes over he has a bike to ride. Either way, it's being put to good use versus someone throwing it in the trash.

I think whenever J visits this weekend, if it's still there, we should take it.

What do you think? Okay to do?

a pole dancing rant

First off, I have to say, I effin love pole dancing. Forget every idea you have about pole dancing and strippers and focus on how fun and what a great work out it is. My arms are toned, baby!

Okay now that is out of the way, I just have to rant about these 3 girls in my class.

They giggle. All. The. Freakin. Time!!

In Level 1 I could understand it because, hey, you've never taken a class like this before and it's gonna take some time for you to find your comfort zone. You're not used to gyrating your hips and feeling sexual.

But halfway through Level 1 they were STILL giggling and acting stupid. I know pole dancing isn't supposed to be serious. You're supposed to have fun. But I feel like they're wasting their time here. By the end of Level 1 they weren't any more confident and sometimes they didn't even try whatever new trick we learned that week. Sometimes they wouldn't come up with an answer for our fun little questions of the week.

Then I found out they signed up for Level 2.

W
T
F
!!!

Why continue the class if you're not even going to put your all into it? Guys, I'm not saying that when I go to class I put my serious face and I dance the hell out of my pole. I also sometimes feel dumb doing new spins but after time I get it right and I feel great. I feel effin sexy. Yet these girls continue onto Level 2, and unfortunately, still in my class, and they're just goofing off in the back.

Did you know class costs $160? Why spend that much money if you're not going to put any effort into it? Towards the beginning of Level 2 one of the girls admitted she never jumps up to hang on the pole when everyone else is working their arms. She just pretends to. Another one just rolls her eyes and half asses her spins. The third one, well, actually she's okay. She's just part of the Giggling Girls.

A friend mentioned maybe they just take the class so they can say they are taking the class. Well if that's the case that's pretty lame. Why continue on past Level 1. That's a pretty expensive way to sound cool. What are they going to do when we get to Level 6 and graduate? Will they just giggle and half-ass their way during their individual routines?

Today I found out they signed up for Level 3. I'm unsure if it's for the same class I signed up for. I should probably add that they completely skipped the beginning of class to sign up. They could have easily signed up after class - no one was going to take their spots if they waited another hour and ten minutes. But I'm sure they did it so they could use it as an excuse to skip out on warm up/cardio.

I'm just so tired of having them in my class. It's like they don't care. Like I mentioned, you don't have to be serious about pole dancing - we all do it for fun. But at least put some effort into it and act like you want to be there! No one forced them to go.

I really hope they registered for Level 3 on a different night, lol.

random notes on the dog

These past 7 months with my dog Nico have been hilarious. There was no doubt in my mind that this dog would provide some entertainment.

Just tonight he has made me laugh by attempting to squash a bug (successful) and then trying to eat it (not successful). Then somehow flinging the bug towards me making me shriek like a shrill little girl.

Then later he tried to wipe his butt on my bed. Thankfully, there was nothing to wipe off.

And then just now, as we're laying in bed and he randomly decides to start barking in a high pitched cry. I had no idea what he wanted, but whatever he was doing was pretty damn hilarious. I swore he was a crazy girl.

Of course it has been hard work - I have to make sure I pick up everything off the ground before leaving him home alone and free to roam the living room and kitchen room. Who knew the couch pillow would be something I should have looked out for (I just put all the stuffing back in, shhh!). Or the time I had all the neighbor drama when he wouldn't stop barking in his crate (which is why he is free from the crate... and no longer kept in the bedroom). Or keeping him from jumping on guests (rattling a jar of pennies or a quick shot in the face from the water bottle seem to work).

But overall this dog brings me joy. I look forward to coming home from work to spend time with him and love that he is always excited to see me (and that he will sit when I tell him... except it doesn't work when people visit). I actually get jealous when he gives my guests more attention than me (HEY! I'm the one that takes care of you and defends you when people say you're a bad dog!). He also is there when I'm feeling depressed or upset. He doesn't understand why or how I got to be unhappy mommy, but he cuddles up on me when I need it. He'll also show me every single trick he's ever learned if I have anything that looks like a treat in my hand - without even asking.

He also makes sure I run REALLY FAST when I treat him to a run around the neighborhood. :)

At times I think life would be easier without Nico, but in the end I am so glad that I took the plunge to own a dog. I don't regret it. I can't believe it's almost been a year since I've had him and I look forward to the many years to come.

Who wants to bet when all his energy will start to fizzle away? Someone told me it'll just happen overnight without any transition period. That'll be scary when it happens.