Maybe I should consider having a May-December romance...

I sang this evening with some other members of the Opera Studio at the Washington Arts Club. The concert went well, and the dinner (and wine) after was delicious. However, I schmoozed with a ton of strange people, including a 42-year-old Civil Was historian (dressed as a Confederate soldier for Halloween) who tried to pick me up. It was very awkward.

From the makers of Overheard in New York...

Saying what you think, with the wit you don't have.

eavesdropper's netwerk

have my nyc city friends, or those with affinities, yet heard about this site? it is a delight: www.overheardinnewyork.com. i don't know if the link will show, but it's easy enough. have fun...
oh, and why is no one on myspace aside from erica?

Loire Valley chateaux

i prefer the trips that i plan, and thus make room for drinking wine at vineyards and taking unusual forms of transport, like
requiring a extra-large bus to get on a rather small ferry to get to the next destination. however, last weekend's adventures in fairytaleland wasn't half bad...here, have a look for yourselves:

W Street party-ers

I just got home from a mild night on 14th street because I have my church job in the morning. And what do I discover when I get back to my apartment? A raging dance party on the second floor, that's what. They are rocking out to god-knows-what, and every time someone opens the apartment door to go outside to smoke, I hear the revelries. I am upset by this because A) I need to go to bed in order to sing tomorrow morning, and B) why was I not invited to this shindig? True, I don't know anyone on the second floor, but that shouldn't stop them from extending an invite to their neighbors. So off I go to bed at 1 am, hearing heeled shoes stomp down the steps for a cigarette. If only I still smoked...then I could infiltrate myself into the inner circle. Now I hear people fumbling with keys next door. (I wonder if they were invited to the upstairs club?) I have to go to bed to stop the paranoia. THEY ARE SO LOUD, though. And Geoff, why don't we hang out anymore? I love karaoke...and I use too many ellipses...

cafe japone strikes again!

we went to cafe japone for paulie's birthday last night.

it rocked the house down and then swept up the rubble. a def mucho fun night.

did anyone take pictures?

(erica, i got to see dan for a little!) ---and by a little, i mean that i was too drunk to properly socialize and he was all the way at the other end of the table.

Hi opal i am riding

Hi opal

i am riding on the metro in washington, dc where are you?

Some Friday Morning Fun

Who wants to buy me this?

Carolyn, did you just throw up in your mouth?

Take a look at:
1. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
2. Totalitarian institutions more befitting of George Orwell's 1984
3. Acts Prohibited by the U.S. House of Representatives Proposed Flag Burning Amendment
4. Reasons I don't feel like family when I'm at the Olive Garden (that's for you, Geoff)
5. Reasons We Can't Have a Baby, Honey (that's for all of you)

Why I like Public Transport: This would be so much less fun in a car.

Magnetic Wall Paint

Not that I have this much wallspace, but I want one.

He Man does 4-non-blonds wait it out-- this is good.

This is for Cary

Because she indulges me.




I guess they've opened the other beaches now too. Island lore said they were better, but my heart cries for Playa Navio.

peacocks in the video rain

things are turning up, much like new tales from old friends. i was going through a bit of a lull for a while there (although you couldn't tell from the latest batch of embarrassing parisian party pix) but i'm back in for the attack.
first things first: boys. yes, i suppose that kev+i are still together in some ambiguous way, even though you all know that i've been doubting the thing for years now. so, to reject all sorts of carnal desires and scandal, i crush. and i crush alot. the new nyu film professor, the frenchie that i work with on international exchanges at university de paris VII (i have a thing for the bespectacled intellectuals, you all know this) christian lajambe who lives across from school, a boy named ludovic who swooned me into catching a coffee with him after an auditorium-filled presentation that had to give at a different university of paris on tuesday, an old nyc friend named dana who was in town last night for a his band's show on a pirate ship. my mental lovelife is quite happening as of late...and if kevin doesn't get his ass over here quick, things will get physical...
in other news, i'm taking 77 students to the Loire Valley tomorrow, to see chateaux and to bike, boat, eat and drink during the waking hours and then to sleep in little cottages on castle grounds at night. actually, i get a castle room (and i laugh diabolically). be scared.
so, it's characteristically rainy here in paris but things are shining on the wet cobblestone streets and, well, i'm shining too (but not quite as brightly as the eiffel tower twinkles on the hour). then again, maybe it's just the red wine talking.
erica, did you see that i was on the front page of friday's Washington Square News? no, not for looking cute next to a celebrity (moogie)...it was really just a few quotes. the parents are proud.
goog, i hosted cinéclub this week and showed the Triplets of Belleville. the acrobatic maître-d' was a hit with all.
i've written enough and i'm fading fast. just wanted to bring y'all up to date on this distant one.
xoxo

Geoff loves opal from his

Geoff loves opal from his cell phone (this is a test)

pushing the book

hey lovers.

just a sneak preview. i'm not feeling particularly verbose this evening, so i'm just going to post a special picture:



love you's
-geoff

Help and praise

Matt-- call me, and I'll walk you through getting onto the blog. Moog had some problems too, but it was fairly easy to fix. I'd call you, but alas, you never answer your phone! :)

Cary, I am very proud of you. Having flown with you before, I've had the pleasure of hearing the pilot come over the loudspeaker to inform whomever-in-the-back-of-the- plane-who-identified-a-funny-smell that everything was okay. And that was after Matt and I made you drink whiskey at 5am & take a sudafed. So not pushing the button once, in a flight delayed trip all by yourself? Amazing. Good luck on your test!

I'm in the process of trying to get a summer internship, and have basically been informed that since I have no experience, I should go find a paper in bum-fuck to slave away for free. Ahem, grad student here-- bills, rent, dog, real life... So we'll see. I guess I better get my but back to work!

xo,

e

Autumn in NYC

Boycotting CUA homecoming, and gladly so, I remained in NY this weekend. Better still, Geoff came up to visit. As he always does, Geoff brought the sunshine: After 8 days of torrential downpours, it finally stopped raining just when Googie arrived on the Upper East Side for our weekend of touristy fun.

We started our Friday night with some ill-thought-out shots, and then headed to meet Ge-off's friend Eric in the West Village. Too much vodka and redbull moved our party over to the Lower East, at some bar where we (typically) never moved out of the corner.

After our excessively gluttinous (our lifetime theme) Saturday brunch, we spent the afternoon napping off our hangovers, before heading for a long evening walk in Central Park with the P-lo. We then got all dolled up and went to the movies in Times Square. Capote was pretty good-- I'd recommend it. We spent a while starring at the twinkling lights before heading home to down some wine and pass out.

On Sunday, we spent our afternoon at Tiffany's (yay), FAO Schwartz, Louis Vitton, and Dylan's Candy Bar, enjoying New York's best. The highlight of the weekend, though, was getting kicked out of Home Depot for taking pictures. If you don't have a friend with a phat pad, pretend!

Homecoming. Seriously.

Remind me never to go out for Homecoming ever again. I drank too much (shocker), and spent four hours of my life at the Times that I will never get back. When I left my place to go out on Friday night, I knew that the combination of the Times and what turned out to be a god-damned CUA reunion would not be a good one. I don't know that I actually had a real conversation all night, as no one was really interested in anything anyone had to say. It was all "remember that time freshman year when..." and "one time at this party junior year I..." I woke up on Saturday morning in Chevy Chase at a house with eighty thousand people in it and had to walk about a mile in heels to the Metro to get back home. I think I scared a few passengers along the way, as I didn't even look in the mirror before I left MD. (And no, Cary, I did not make out with any freshmen.) I finally got home, saw that I looked like the bride of Frankenstein, scrambled some eggs, and drank some coffee before settling in on my couch to waste an entire day watching shitty movies on Comedy Central. I actually watched Bubble Boy. I really didn't have any food in the house, either, but I couldn't move to go out and get something. So I ate chickpeas and Wasa crackers for dinner. The whole experience might have been better had I been able to participate in any Homecoming festivities on Saturday, but the perma-nausea and mild vertigo I experienced from the hangover prevented me from joining in any reindeer games. Considering that I spend my days in school and rarely drink anything harsher than orange juice any more, I am surprised to be conscious right now. So there's my Homecoming story. I know all of you in NYC and Chicago and Europe, etc. are really jealous that I had oh-so-much fun this weekend, but we all can't live the dream like I do...

It's all over now

Geoff- the new iPod is smaller, in color, and has video. Dan, you can take Lost with you. That's so hot.

What fun

Ooooh, what fun! I've always wanted to be a part of a blog. I am disappointed to hear that none of you will be around for CUA Homecoming weekend. I am sure it will be a big mess, and probably VERY obnoxious, but at least I will have stories to tell.
Just got back from class. I'm singing every day, it seems, which has prevented me from going out to enjoy DC on the weeknights (now that I finally live here again). But I am spending less, I suppose. And it would appear that my church-singing job starts this Sunday, so I really only have Friday night to join in the Homecoming festivities.
And Cary, I am an asshole and forgot to call you on your birthday. Hope you and Matt had a wonderful weekend in Chi-town! So happy belated day-of-birth.
Ummm, nothing else to report or recommend, so good night moon...

I guess it's my turn...

Hooray for everyone jumping on the bandwagon! You've got the idea, Cary-- I'm terrible about keeping in touch too. I figure this is better than trying to ever remember to send out a group update email, mainly b/c you can see what other people have to say. Really-- if you have abook/ movie/article recommendation, found a $20 bill, or if you're Mikey, and saw another celebrity-- what timing, he just im'd me and said he just had his pic taken by some paparazzi! Ok. You get the point.

I just got back from a long weekend in Annapolis, visiting the Dan-o. Other than Elliot, we unfortunately didn't get to see anyone else. I mean you, Paul. :( Sorry! I'm mainly been busy adjusting to the back to school grind, and that's keeping me busy. I'm working random events and passing out fliers in an attempt to make rent in a way that allows time to do school work. My parents came to visit last week, much fun was had by all. We took Penelope to Central Park, walked way more than they're used to, and got some Googie's take out. As you can see-- I'm boring for now. Looking forward to hearing about Geoff's big brother's wedding though. While Moog is leaving me this weekend, I'll be here with bells on, ready to have some fun with senor Gaspar.

I think we'll get into some trouble.

hellopal! i'm thrilled, as you can see, to re-inaugerate opostings. thanks, dear friends, for taking initiative. i rely on the internet far too much as of late...it's my recreational activity of choice.
i'm keeping things true to form here...just finished with a cocktail party after a european union conference at nyu. had far too many kirs, and the remaining white wine was transported in the cab home with me.
visited my old stomping ground of oberursel, germany, with my parents last weekend. we drove from paris after i ended my workday on friday, and we were famished driving on the germanic highways late at night, waiting for a rest stop (with kinder chocolate in hand) and kind of lost, nervously waiting a road sign to point us in the right direction. highway sign vaguely illuminated in the night...waiting to make out the words...kind of expecting yet another nonsensical exit sign.....when flashed upon us nothing but the words "bad hamborger". we were enlightened and thus found our way to bratwurst and all other bad foods.
i'm preparing to head back to the us-of-a come springtime. if any of you spot any intriguing job openings, let me know - i've got no plans. save for a few select visits from des amis...any of you heading to europe anytime soon??
love love
care

Inaugeral Opal

Welcome to OpalBlog! We want to know what you're doing, how you're doing, and where you're doing, well, whatever. This is a way for friends-of-opal to keep in touch, share some pictures, and generally spy on each other's currently far apart lives.

Members list to come soon.

xoxo,

Erica