The Beginning

Hello Victory Seekers and welcome!

First let me say that this entry is a tad longer than the others shall be (I hope).  But it is the verbal keystone of my stupendous Kennedy Center-like blog, if you will. (yes, I could have chosen, Chrysler Building-like or Notre Dame-like but I think once you get to know me, you'll agree, a performance venue fits the bill.)

This being the premier entry, it is an important one, and thus, may be a bit wordy - feel free to jump around, take frequent water breaks and by all means STRETCH my darlings. Stretch.

Straitch... ees good for you

As a way of introduction to me and my blog (less form fitting than a shadow but much more intimate) I would like to tell you all about myself (the last word spoken funnily in your head, if not, read again with funny voice to catch up).

My name is Jessica, though I respond to many variations and monikers, not all of them flattering but each close to my heart in its own way. I am in my early 30's (read: acts like I'm 12) I am recently married to a wonderful man, name o' Joe, who purports to all but myself and our two black cats that he is indeed a grown-up, we love all films (mostly old classics), I love everything British (am half-one after all) and as you may have surmised, we have two black cats; Dora and Ripley.

Dora's full name is actually Pandora, because she has all the world's evils inside of her (though I, as her mother, can see no wrong) and Ripley was named as such because when we rescued her she skulked around the vets office as if she were an alien on a space station awaiting the obligatory fight scene (ironically, though not surprisingly, Dora turned out to be more of the hissing alien).

Dora - Our spoiled single (until this summer) child. Look at that pun-um!
How could this face do wrong?

Ripley - Our battle-tested stray, quietly awaits the alien siege.

In September, this year, we all moved from a lovely 7th floor one-bedroom in Washington D.C. To a 3rd floor, two-bedroom, just outside the Capital (the burbs).

No more are our evenings spent with our south facing windows open to the community patio, our neighbor's voices bouncing gaily off the concrete walls of our high-rise whilst music from their homes swayed easily into ours (it was much akin to the lovely sights and sounds Jimmy Stewart had in Rear Window - minus the broken leg and the mysterious murders).

Now our (albeit quite large) patio faces a flock of trees and the shady north so 'tis pretty and green -but quiet. Distinctly lacking the rich flavors of humanity. Most a pity.

So we joke that we have not moved to the burbs; but the country. The large pantry behind the kitchen has been dubbed The Barn and the shelf that stretches above the open-to-below living room and kitchen is now The Hayloft... I enjoy naming things. (I firmly believe in enhancing the mundane and naming is a marvelous method in which to do so.)

I am slowly unpacking our life from a one bedroom, one bath into a two bed with 2.5 bath (but the stairs, did I mention the 3rd floor walk-up stairs?) And as I do, I have been taking a very "New Year's Day" approach to it all.

You know; that exciting time when we all make steadfast resolutions and grandiose promises with a gleeful glazed look in our eyes, enhanced by way too much sugar and seasonal twinkle lights (is there such a thing?) we fix our gaze skyward and declare to all:

TODAY! - I....WILL START ANEW!

I said ANEW dammit!

So the challenge is to find a place for everything and everything in its place, yes? And then your laundry is always clean and your sheets are never mussed, your sink is always void of dishes and you never get that face from your mother when she visits... you know that look.

Well that sounds easy! (fights to control rolling of eyes) But, really, thus far, Joe and myself (cue funny voice) have done a pretty great job of making the house work for us (cue VICTORY!).

And as I began to accomplish my small and large victory steps through this life anew, I thought I would compile them all here and low-and-behold, they would create my very own Victory Dance! (Did you see that one coming? You did, I knew it, you're so smart, and stylish- and my goodness- your hair looks fanTAstic today.)

So that's what I'm doing here. And since YOU are here too, one can only assume (One being me) that YOU are a fellow Victory Seeker, and as such I must address you thusly - tis the polite thing to do

So, fellow Victory Seeker... you feelin' lucky?

Join me and let us adventure into the wild-blue yonder of life!

(Probably your kitchen and laundry room, but don't let them trick you 

into thinking that's not life... they're so tricky)

(Joe leading me to crazy adventure, silly-lovely boy)

 So, to VICTORY!... and- to YOU!