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By Jess, February 5, 2011 8:27 am

Today is Saturday. I woke up at 5AM, saw it was 5AM, and tried to will my body to sleep longer.  But at 6:30, I gave up and succumbed to wakefulness. Then I proceeded to the kitchen where I made coffee and washed dishes for half an hour.

Since settling into the overnite shift, this has become a typical Saturday morning. Before this, I’d had little experience with voluntary early mornings, but I admit I like them. I encounter this whole group of people who I’d never see five months ago. They say “hello” on the street as you pass them walking to the grocery store at 8AM. Two or three hours later, the vibe of the neighborhood changes. The brunch crowd spills out onto the streets, sporting bed heads and large sunglasses. Never sweatpants, though — This is Dupont f*cking Circle.

There’s one drawback to the early mornings. They are, by nature, solitary. At least if you’re not shacked up with a fellow early riser. And while this is one reason I love them, it’s also a bit of social handicap. I was never one to go out of my way to hit up the bars and, as the yawns begin around 8PM, my aversion has only escalated.

My favorite kind of bar is the kind where you can sit down and/or have a conversation. This isn’t quite in line with the scene favored by most early-20-somethings, so last weekend I tried to expand my horizons. I went out to The Mighty Pint in Foggy Bottom to meet some friends who had suggested the place. Upon arriving there, I immediately wondered how long I’d have to stay. After five more minutes in the place, I decided not a minute longer.

I am under no delusion: I am not the most easy-going when it comes to social events and being in a dark, crowded space with drunk strangers exacerbates the problem. So… I have my own version of the Irish exit. As defined by Urban Dictionary, an Irish exit “refers to the departure from any event without telling any friends, associates or acquaintances that one is leaving.” Typically, an Irish exit-er is drunk and that is his/her excuse for an unexplained departure. But as a bit of tea-totaler as of late, I have no real excuse — only complete intolerance of my surroundings. Luckily, two friends shared my sentiments and, gracefully and silently, we power-walked to the Bier Baron where we sat and talked and drank a single craft beer each.

Well, at 8:30AM, after she has slept the whole day away, Alex is awake. And so I bid farewell to the internet for now. Until next time.

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By Jess, January 1, 2011 10:24 pm

A year ago today, I had an early brunch at Matchbox with two friends from Georgetown. It was the first New Years away from home for all of us, and I think it’s safe to say that it was finally a good one. But 2009? A great year in some respects, but decidedly lacking in others. There was graduation, simultaneously joyful and traumatic. There was moving three times. And of course, I can’t forget the months of underemployment.

Rolling into 2010, I was a little weary, and my brunch companions were, too. So together — on the back of a receipt Katy dug out from her purse — we compiled the following list of resolutions:

Looking back, it’s less a list of resolutions and more a list of hopes. But regardless, 2010 was a much kinder year: no moving and more employment. During the last few weeks, though, I had a hard time remembering how great the last year has been. Working Thanksgiving was fine, Christmas was a little harder, and then on New Years Eve, I felt near my wit’s end. Embarrassingly, the worst part was the Twitter feeds and the Facebook update — constant reminders that most everyone else was sitting on the couch with their families or at least going home to them after work.

I’m feeling better now.  My sanity has more or less returned, and so have most of my DC friends. While the holiday season may have had some lows, I neither cried nor watched You’ve Got Mail. And I dub that a successful end to a successful 2010.

Here’s to 2011!

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By Jess, December 14, 2010 2:46 pm

I wrote this list for Autostraddle, but I thought I’d re-post here since Gitnerblog’s been wanting of content lately. It’s been a good year for many reasons, but one of them is music. And I was fortunate enough to see five of the following acts live in DC in 2010.

Gold Panda

· Lucky Shiner ·

It’s not easy for an electronic album to nab the top spot for favorite album, but U.K. producer Gold Panda takes the prize. Lucky Shiner is a perfect example of how electronic music can transcend the club and invade bedroom stereos. If you have any preconceptions about this genre, Gold Panda might shatter them.

Standout Tracks: You · Same Dream China

Jenny & Johnny

· I’m Having Fun Now ·

Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley may have brought a legion of fans to her new project with boyfriend Jonathan Rice, but I’m Having Fun Now stands up on its own two feet. The album’s 11 tracks are chock full of sing-along harmonies, so prepare yourself to beg your friends/girlfriend to sing with you. It’s pop candy for your ears.

Standout Tracks: Just Like Zeus · Straight Edge of the Blade

The National

· High Violet ·

Mumbly, obscure lyrics and moody compelling melodies — the National’s High Violet is brilliant from start to finish. I can’t put it any better than NPR’s Stephen Thompson: “[High Violet] locates the sweet spot between majesty and mopery, catharsis and wallowing, soaring grace and wounded confessionals.”

Standout Tracks: Bloodbuzz Ohio · Lemonworld

Robyn

· Body Talk ·

Swedish pop star Robyn experienced a resurgence in 2010 with Body Talk, her three-part album. It was her first release in five years. Robyn called the move “selfish,” but her fans might think of it differently. Body Talk Pt. 1, 2 and 3 offered insights into the pop star’s production process with two versions — both a stripped down version and dance rendition — of “Hang With Me” and “Indestructible.” Sure, Robyn could’ve edited down her three albums into one, but I’m not complaining.

Standout Tracks: Dancing on my Own · Hang With Me · Indestructible

Josh Ritter

· So Runs The World Away ·

When it comes to spinning a yarn, few do it better than Josh Ritter. Take “The Curse,” which tells the tragic love story of an archeologist and the mummy she unearths. So Runs the World Away is Ritter’s sixth studio album, and he just keeps getting better.

Standout Tracks: Folk Bloodbath · The Curse

Sufjan Stevens

· The Age of Adz ·

I’ve never understood all the fuss about Sufjan Stevens. Sure, he was prolific (despite abandoning his states project), but his sound was a little too delicate for me. In The Age of Adz though, Stevens pairs his wispy voice with beefed up production and the result is a must-listen record.

Standout Tracks: Too Much · Vesuvius

Crystal Castles

· Crystal Castles (II) ·

“Fainting Spells,” the opening track of Crystal Castle’s Crystal Castles II, may or may not have given me nightmares, but I continued on and discovered a noisy album that I love. Alice Glass’ strained vocals over Ethan Kath’s experimental beats are some powerful sh*t, so try this out if you need a dose of dance music with a splash of head-banging.

Standout Tracks: Baptism · Empathy

Jonsi

· Go ·

Jon (Jonsi) Thor Birgisson is the front man for Sigur Ros, the Icelandic band known for its huge, lush arrangements. On Jonsi’s debut solo album Go, he takes that aesthetic and shrinks it down to the size of a pop song.

Standout Tracks: Go Do · Animal Arithmetic

Laura Veirs

· July Flame ·

Laura Veirs, the bespectacled singer-songwriter from Portland, is a little nerdy and a lot of adorable. July Flame is her seventh record, and her finger-picked guitar and lyrical sincerity make for a winning combination. Folk music lovers, give this one a listen.

Standout Tracks: July Flame · Carol Kaye

Laura Marling

· I Speak Because I Can ·

This summer, I obsessed about Laura Marling’s indie-folk love triangle but there’s more to her than her boyfriends. At only 20 years old, Marling sings with the wisdom of someone twice her age. And with her sophomore album I Speak Because I Can, she exhibits more confidence than the meek singer-songwriter that burst onto the London anti-folk scene just three years ago.

Standout Tracks: Blackberry Stone · Rambling Man

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By Jess, November 20, 2010 1:40 pm

I can’t wait to meet this pup! He comes to join our little apartment family on Tuesday. More photo documentation to follow.

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By Jess, November 15, 2010 4:10 am

After I saw Shop Girl, I knew I had a thing for Steve Martin. And after I heard The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, I loved Steve Martin even more. But now after hearing “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs,” I can say with absolute certainty that I adore Steve Martin and hope to be half as talented as he is when I have gray hair.

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By Jess, November 3, 2010 11:45 am

I want a lot of things.  Intangible things like love and happiness, definitely, but also material goods that I can hypothetically* obtain immediately. Together, and perhaps even separately, the items are prohibitively expensive, but I’ve decided to reward myself with one (or two) for being alive and not living in a box ~1.5 years out of college. Which will they be? I haven’t decided yet, but I will say that two are pure lust and will have to wait for a time of greater life stability. On to the the droolfest!

1. Audio Recorder

2. Bike

3. Macbook Pro

4. ProTools

5. Camera

6. Canine Best Friend

*if I was a rich girl, na na na na

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By Jess, November 1, 2010 8:26 am

This Halloween, I had no plans for a costume and then Laura handed me her red spandex suit. It didn’t take much effort from there.

This is not the first time red spandex suit has been the centerpiece of an outfit. See Laura (spandex suit owner) in her Mrs. Incredible costume, pulled together in a hurry last year.

And before that, see Laura in her superhero costume — also pulled together in about an hour — when our Senior year house rallied to attend a superhero-themed Senior Disorientation event.

Last but not least, the suit made another appearance for 80’s Night at the Tombs during Senior Dis-O. Claire was too bashful to show some more spandex, but she did it proud.

Who will wear red spandex suit next? And for what occasion?

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By Jess, October 30, 2010 3:22 pm

For just a minute, did you instinctively choose two without considering the possibility of having all three? Because I did.

(via llcooljen tumblr)

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By Jess,

Here I am awake at 5AM on this Saturday morning. Unlike the past 4 weeks, I did not screech into normal person schedule after work last night. Instead, I went about business as usual. I hung out a bit after work, went to sleep when I was tired, and woke up when I felt rested (aka overslept my alarm). Unfortunately, that was at noon and 9PM, respectively.

5AM is an exciting hour during weekdays. Morning Edition goes live then, and it’s a little bit of a sprint to the finish. But today, 5AM is desolate and silent. There is no good TV on and even the internet is a sleepy place — been there, read that.

I could do productive things, like pick up my room, check off some writing to-do’s, or finish I Capture The Castle, but… I won’t put too much pressure on myself.

Here’s to hoping daylight comes and with it, sleepiness. Happy weekend.

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By Jess, October 27, 2010 10:49 am

Sometimes I forget that I am a creature ruled by hormones. So, after an emotional weekend and a much needed Saturday off from the retail grind, I’m feeling much better.

As I mentioned before, I have a lot of alone time now and, admittedly, there are a few perks to the new schedule.

For one thing, mornings are wonderful. I’ve never had the opportunity to properly acquaint myself with them until now. I used to resent them for arriving too early and would stumble around pretending to be a functional human being until the caffeine kicked in. Now, mornings are what I look forward to. I suppose it’s natural, considering it’s the time that I go home for the day. But there’s something a little more joyous about riding home into the sunrise.

Mornings have also inspired some unprecedented behavior in me. I’ve started to go running for no reason at all other than I felt inspired to — just like Forrest Gump.  Unlike Gump, however, I map out an exact route and stick to it. So far, I’m logging just 2 miles each time, but I’ve already planned an ambitious 4-mile route when the ol’ legs can handle it. Before you frown at my small goals, consider that I probably haven’t run a full mile since I took the Presidential Fitness Test in the 8th grade.

I’m not sure exactly what inspired my sudden urge to pound the pavement. Anyone who knows me is aware that it’s something I’ve never done or wanted to do, in college or before. (I’m notorious among friends for stepping foot inside Yates, Georgetown’s gym facility, fewer than 10 times in four years.) But here I am embracing purposeful fitness. Purposeful as opposed to the unintentional fitness of say… riding my bike to get places. Biking was a sacred activity before and you’d be right if you guessed that it’s only grown in importance with my overnight schedule.

A lot of people have given me a hard time about riding my bike to work at 11 o’clock. I admit I wasn’t sure about it either at first, but a few weeks in, I wouldn’t choose any other way to commute. The difference between riding my bike and taking the metro to work is like night and day. The metro is a slow, deserted and sometimes creepy operation in the late evening whereas the streets are a little friendlier. I can set my own pace on the bike. If I’m feeling groggy, I can take it easy and coast it out. And if I’m feeling anxious, I treat the commute as my personal time trial and race against the clock.

Will I fall off this new bizarre fitness craze by the time winter rolls around? Who knows. Maybe this is just a strange response to the lack of control I feel in my life. In the mean time, though, I’ll just keep doing what keeps me happy and sane. And if that’s running or biking or — well — there are certainly worse things.