Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Grading, and seven (ridiculous) things


Happy Tuesday, Style Nation.  Right now I am in grading purgatory, and I'm sinking neck deep into additional research work (Deadline of the DecadeTM is coming up, February 1).   Today, I am attempting mixed patterns again- diamond tights and a slouchy striped knit cardigan.  And my favorite cut off shorts, which I am glad other people are wearing again.  Since I accidentally dyed my white tank tops bluish-green after washing them with a brand new beach towel, I co-opted Blokey's tank for this look.  But he's giving a final right now, so he can't mind too much.

Last Sunday, jesse.anne.o tagged me for a "seven things" list meme.  Her's is super cute (including super cute photos).  I hope mine are about as 1/2 as endearing, although I haven't scanned in kiddie photos for this, but maybe later (as holiday gift to Style Nation?)  

1. I play the guitar, quite poorly, mostly as an accompaniment to singing (which is moderately tolerable, but not good in a choral sense).  I may post a video some day.  I realize this is very vain, but then again, I do post pictures of my outfits regularly.
2. I spent my first semester of college at a U.S. Service Academy (a.k.a. "naked army").  I can't quite explain why I chose to go there, and it was a full time job applying (Senatorial nomination, physical exam, fitness test, interviews).  At 17, I thought I was going to be a politician, and I thought joining the military meant helping to stop humanitarian crises in Eastern Europe.  Hey, it was the 90s!  This explains my love of military styles and combat boots.
My brief stint in the military (service academy attendance equals active duty service) is the only time I've ever done 7 pull-ups.  I can barely pull myself up once now.  

 Rad during basic training, in summer '98.   That's not a real gun. 

3) Berlin is my favorite city to visit.  I went there in 2005 as a result of strange circumstances and had a blast.  I'd love to take Blokey there and see all the old post-communist stuff in the East again.
Marx, me, and Engels, in front of the now destroyed Palast der Republik

4) I used to run about 7 miles, 5 times a week.  I was very hard core about running outside as long as it was above 0 degrees (Fahrenheit).  Minnesota made me a cold weather beast.

5) My sister, who is 17, is one of my style icons.  She takes risks, she mixes bold colors/patterns, and always looks comfortable and awesome.  She did a rockabilly thing when she was about 12 years old, wearing an oversized boy's blazers, Converse, and skinny jeans.  She got a sewing machine at age 13 and made a bunch of cosplay clothes.  I can't believe how cool she is.

6) I spent the first 2 weeks in NYC, after moving here from MN in 2008, on crutches and an aircast boot.  Why?  Because I fell off my bike one hot summer's night, after a fateful drunken bachelorette party. This is why I shouldn't drink.  It looked a bit like this:

Nobody is nice to you when you're young and crutches in this city.  Please enjoy Blokey's super 1970s, super Scandinavian 'do.
7) Blokey and I live on the top floor of our brownstone in Bed-Stuy.  This rocks not only because we can see Manhattan from our window (including the Empire State building), but it's marginally quieter and we don't hear folks on top.  Last night, we went up and looked at the lunar eclipse (and my attempts at a picture on the windy roof resulted in blurry, smidgey pictures not worth sharing with anyone).  Most importantly, sometimes our kitties can see very exciting things, like pigeons.
(Can you spy Buster's buddy?)

I'm supposed to tag others.  Participation is optional, and of course you should totally work around your holiday blogging hiatuses (hiati?)
1. Anne
2. All the lovely ladies at In Professorial Fashion

Tank: Hanes (via Blokey)
Cardigan: Roxywear (via Cliche, Minneapolis)
Shorts: from old pair of Levi's
Tights: Uniqlo
Boots: Palladium

12 comments:

  1. 1). I don’t think a video of you playing would be vain, and I’d like to see it!

    2). Basic training is just about the worst nightmare I can imagine short of medical testing. I can’t even. Go you.

    Not a number). I love this look. I’ve been living in cut offs a tights on the weekends.

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  2. Loved this peek into your past, Rad!

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  3. I love that picture of you and Blokey, especially the way the light is hitting his hair. Very 70's :)

    I never knew #2! I actually thought that picture might be fake before I read that! Boy, the things you learn.

    And way to rock the cut-offs!

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  4. Oh, goddess, you are so very hardcore and a badass. I kind of want to make that picture of you in fatigues my desktop wallpaper. But that would be creepy-stalky, so I won't. Look at your pipes!

    Also, I love ALL these photos and tidbits. ALL of them. Thanks for the tag.

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  5. Holy cow, super badass Rad! I love today's outfit -- looks super comfy for a day of work!

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  6. This post was really interesting. I'm going to start thinking about my seven.

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  7. Eeee! Thanks for the tag! I came onto the site to belatedly thank you for the shout-out the other day and found this! Yay! Okay, I gotta think about things now.

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  8. @WWWYG: I'll think about the video, then! Yeay for cutoffs.
    @Sal: Aw, thanks!
    @Anne: I know. Blokey is so stagflation chic. And how do you not know #2? I swear I must have told you. Or maybe we're so old that the first year of college just seems so very distant.
    @A-Dubs: Someone made a poster out of this picture once and plastered it all over my university campus. That was weird. And I wish my arms were buff like that now.
    @EW: I wish I were still a bad ass. I just try to fake it now with boots.
    @Rebecca: I can't wait to read yours.
    @C&B: You're welcome! I wish I'd discovered your blog sooner.

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  9. I love this outfit, and fully enjoyed the seven things! Thanks for the tag; I'll start working on a list. I may even fire up the scanner.

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  10. This post was really interesting. I'm going to start thinking about my seven.

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  11. 1). I don’t think a video of you playing would be vain, and I’d like to see it!

    2). Basic training is just about the worst nightmare I can imagine short of medical testing. I can’t even. Go you.

    Not a number). I love this look. I’ve been living in cut offs a tights on the weekends.

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