See this article on the Awl to see how that worked out.

Gooooooo overpriced Richmond!

I’ve never been able to get into it, my Dad isn’t really into it (I argue that whatever sports the Dad likes, the daughter will like), and Philadelphia doesn’t exactly excel at it (ahem AI), so it’s not really my thing.

I’ve also never gotten into college basketball, either, because Richmond was never really that good at it.

Until now!! I love to watch a team I consider “mine” and cheer for it, and since Richmond made the NCAA (at 7th seed, no less), things got a little bit more exciting.

Then, I found this article about how to bluff (with your eHarmony matches, perhaps) that you know what you’re talking about when it comes to the tourney, and I feel like solid gold. The best tips from the article, below:

1. Vaguely mention comments like, “Yeah, didn’t they have a big injury this year?” and “The team is well coached and experienced.”

2. Learn the word “guard play,” and use it in sentences like “They’ve got great chances, have you seen their guard play?” Same goes for “ball movement.”

3. “Press” is short for “pressure,” so you can talk about a team having trouble with the press.

4. Shake your head and talk about “questionable calls” from the refs.

5. Insert the phrase “They live and die by 3″ into sentences. This references the 3-point game, or, as like to say, shots from outside the “shooting circle.”

6. Learn the name of three key players and toss them into conversations.

The CNN article also stresses not to come in to work on April 1 and say “Aw man, I’m so sad March Madness is over.” The championship is played in April.

On a related note, GO SPIDERS!

You did NOT tell us about this.

Um, pretty much speaking for moiself only, if Reese Witherspoon were rumored to be playing me in a movie about my life that a studio bought rights to off my blog, I would die. Just. die.

That is all.

With excitement,

Laura

<3 Alex.

Hmm.

Accurate.

1. There is no way that people could possibly go on a date before at least the third week of this thing, if not even the first month. The process is very, very slow. Of the 502983492 matches it sends me (OK, like, maybe 70 total), I’m genuinely interested in maybe 3 at this point. And with these three, it has been slow-going; I’m only now e-mailing with one of them and the other two are still slowly, slowly getting back to me. Thus, eHarmony should not be charging you for the first month of membership.

2. There is no playing “hard to get” when you’re online dating. There is no need to take a few days to respond to questions or e-mails. It doesn’t make you seem cool if it takes you days on end to get back to me.

If you are not answering me quickly enough:

• You’re out of luck, because chances are, someone else is;
• It just bugs me because you’re wasting my precious days of paid membership time;
• If you’re really that busy, I probably don’t want to date you, because I want someone available;
• It sends the message that you’re not interested enough to actually pursue matches, which makes me wonder why you’re on this thing in the first place.

3. Opening e-mailing is fun, if you like the person. If the person is inquisitive, they can be charming through the little venue. If, however, they e-mail you simply to tell you they can’t wait to chat, and then answer your e-mails in a boring way with little creativity, it’s an easy way to separate the winners from the losers.

4. There will always, always be more losers than winners.

5. Although eHarmony seems to seem a lot like quantity over quality, at least in the beginning, I keep reminding myself: I’m only looking for one.

It only takes one.

The sun is beaming and the high approaches 70.

Matches on eHarm are finally communicating with me via e-mail, and there’s even one I’m legit excited about. Others are initiating communication and I’m finally feeling hopeful about this online dating thing.

Although I sat outside to do work yesterday and had to wear a high-cut shirt today to hide my Simon Cowell chest, I’m pretty pumped I got sunburned, in March, in DC.

There are people everywhere outside, I’m ahead on all editing for work, and my prospects of pimping out my editing skills for cash are soaring at the moment.

It’s Wednesday, and it’s a good day.

*Richmond blue: vibrant, almost electric blue color that frequented the sky above the University of Richmond. Often looked most astounding next to Jepson and Boatwright towers. Makes me miss spring and want to drink iced coffees outside Gottwald, wear flip flops and see Lilly on white legs, and look forward to a little thing we used to call Pig Roast.

graduation day, 2007

It’s very easy and fast to make, it’s kind of messy, but clean-up is relatively easy, as well.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (If you make it today, you can bring it in to your coworkers tomorrow morning.)

Irish Soda Bread

adapted from Elise

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup raisins (you can also add cranberry thingies to this too, I bet that would be yummy)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 c. buttermilk (I made my own with lemon juice, and it was fine)

Preheat oven to 425° and grease a cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (I used a jelly roll pan).

Whisk together flours, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Using your pastry blender, cut in butter. Stir in raisins. Add egg and buttermilk, stir with a spoon until it starts to come together. Put a LOT of flour on your hands and on a board (dough is very sticky) and knead just until it forms a rough-looking ball (it will have lots of pieces parts coming off, just get it as quickly as you can onto the pan).

Cut it into four sections using floured serrated knife (helps the heat get down to the bottom). Sprinkle the top with sugar, because, why not?

Bake for about 40 minutes until it starts to get brown and the outside is crunchy crispy looking. If it is browning too fast and the sticks aren’t coming out clean, put foil on it.

Tastes delicious served warm with a little butter.

Why am I single? I am single because I’m not dating anyone. Why do people obsess over reasons for everything? Sometimes things just are. Furthermore, isn’t this question kind of like when you lose your keys, and someone so matter-of-factly says, “Well where did you have them last?” If I KNEW where I was when I had my keys, they would not be lost. Is it true that if I knew why I was single, I wouldn’t be?