Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Quiet Night...

It's one of those rare evenings. No one is here and I am relaxing in the house. I have no agenda and am not likely to form one in the little bit. The day at work was rather short in that "I got nothing I wanted to get done today" sense, but long in that it was "I spent over half the day in meetings." I gave a few minutes of thought to going to the gym, but opted instead for a walk while simultaneously checking a trip to the bank off my "to do" list. Plus, it gave me an excuse to listen to my new iTouch, which I heart in every sense. I can understand now how people easily fall in love with Mac products. I have... at least with one of them.

Last weekend was full of good memories. Mallory came up to DC on Friday and arrived in time for the two of us to join Marie for dinner at Bistro. I hadn't been there in a really long time and Marie had never been. It brought back some good feelings walking through their doors. Mal, Marie and I had many laughs as Marie and I told Mal stories of our DC adventures over the past couple of months. Later that night, we caught part of the presidential debate on television. I'm not quite sure what i was expecting, but the debate was a lot more boring than I imagined it to be. The evening wrapped with some home baked brownies and the movie Music from Another Room, which was completely chick-flickish, but really cute!

On Saturday morning, Mal drove Marie and I to the airport where we had rented a car for the rest of the weekend. Mal left for Richmond. Marie and I departed for Philly. The ride was entertaining as Marie and I listened to music and chatted, which was a good thing because the weather left much to be desired. The trip wasn't too long and probably would have been shorter had it not rained most of the way. It was a little under three hours.

Marie dropped me off at my friend Tim's and continued north to visit her brother and his family. Tim and I proceeded to pretty much hop right into his car and drive to Lancaster, where we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at the Renaissance Fair/Oktoberfest celebration they had. The rain tried to deter the festivities (and actually did cause some events to be canceled), but we still had fun. Here are some pictures I took from the festival. I would have taken more, but had some technical difficulties with the camera (ie. the operator). You can tell as the pictures progress, we got more and more soaked by the rain:After the festival, we rode back to the Philly area and Tim showed me where he worked before we called it a night and went to his house. On Sunday I visited his church with him and we grabbed lunch- Philly steak and cheese sandwiches (yay!)- and relaxed a bit before Marie came through later and scooped me back up again. It was quite fun.

Last night, I joined three of my gals from the my leadership program for dinner. Kat, Caryn, Anna, and I went to Thai Phoon, a yummy Thai place in Pentagon City (VA). It was so good to see and catch up with them. I really cherish my female friends here in DC. I am so blessed to have a roommate who gets me and with whom I "click" and then to have such other good girl friends to share my world.

Carlos came by today to pick up his keys and drop off his rent. He's moving in as soon as he buys some furniture. I think he's going to be a great housemate. He has a lot of energy and zest. It'll bring some more good vibes to the house!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Why'd the chicken cross the road?

I received this in an email today and thought this was pretty funny...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
  • BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!
  • JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
  • SARAH PALIN: BECAUSE, PRAISE JESUS, I WAS GONNA SHOOT HIS SORRY LIBERAL ASS OFF FOR BLOCKING MY VIEW OF RUSSIA!
  • HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
  • GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
  • DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
  • COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
  • BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of crossing?
  • AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
  • JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
  • AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
  • DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.
  • OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
  • ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
  • NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
  • PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
  • MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmers Mark et to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
  • DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
  • ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
  • JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the other side. Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
  • GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
  • BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.
  • ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
  • JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
  • BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash.
  • ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
  • COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
My favorites were Al Gore, Grandpa's, and Colonel Sander's.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

200 Posts!

This is the 200th post to my blog. Crazy.

I thought I'd post a few pictures from my weekend. Melody, my college roommate, came to DC for the day on Sunday and I took some pics of us. I met her, her fiance (Jerry), and their friend (Stan) for lunch at La Loma before we set off to see the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum (one of my favs in the city). Here are some pics from our afternoon:
I hadn't seen Melody in about three years. We were able to pick up from our last conversation (which thankfully wasn't three years ago). I was excited to get to know Jerry a bit more and also see her rock in person. Jerry did good!

Earlier in the weekend, Marie and I met her friend, Zak, to see the movie Burn After Reading. I think Marie and I were more impressed by the previews than the actual movie. The movie was filmed in DC so it was entertaining to pick out local spots. They didn't do cheap aerial shots and plug them between scenes, but actually filmed on location, which made it more impressive. I was able to pick out some bridges and some places on The Mall where I've been. It's fun to see my neighborhood on the big screen!

On Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the pregnancy center's volunteer brunch. I'd never been to the restaurant, which was located near Chinatown. We had delicious food and were given some nice gifts. I always enjoy the brunches because of the opportunities to meet other folks who work at the center.

When the brunch was finished I wandered around DC for a bit and ducked into a few stores. The weather was gorgeous here and walking outside aimlessly did my soul some good. Trying on shoes helped too!

This week I have been working on my grad school application and should have it done by week's end. I just have to round up a couple of recommendations. So, I should probably know something about whether I'm accepted in a month or two.

This week is pretty quiet. I have the pregnancy center tonight. Wednesday and Thursday are nights to relax. On Friday Mal is coming up for the night. YAY!!! I'm SO excited to see my sister. Then on Saturday, Marie and I are leaving for Philly for an overnight trip. She's going to visit her brother and I'll be hanging out with Tim. Should be good times this weekend.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Busy much?

Since my last post, I’ve gotten three new piercings on my face. I once heard that people who get tattoos can become addicted to the rush and to getting them. So, maybe it’s true for piercings? Heh… just kidding. I haven’t gotten any more piercings, but I love my nose ring!

We’ve found a new roomy to take Matt’s room when he moves at the end of the month. Carlos is our new “roomy to be” and will move in the last weekend of September. He’s originally from Colombia and moved to the states six months ago. He’s lived in New York and seems like a well-rounded guy. He’s done a lot of traveling and is 30, so I think he’ll be a good addition to the house.

Last weekend was eaten a lot by our roomy search, but I did have some time for fun. On Friday night I joined some friends for a wine and cheese tasting. It was like a Tupperware party (from what I’m told), but it was a tasting to encourage folks to buy wine. There were about 15 of us and we went to my friend Melissa’s house.

On Saturday, Marie and I connected via Skype to Drew in Paris. It was great to see him and chat online. He panned his camera around for us to see his neighborhood. He seems to be happy and is settling in to the French way of things. I think he starts his classes this week.

On Saturday night my friend Tim, from Philly, came down for the evening. Since I was tired from early Skype chatting and roomy interviews afterwards, we just hung out mostly at the house. I made dinner for Tim, Marie and I. Afterwards, Tim whipped us up some brownies and then the three of us played Settlers of Catan with Aaron. It was a really fun night. Tim stayed through Sunday and went to church (which was A-MAZE-ING) and lunch with me before heading back to PA. I have plans to visit him in Philly at the end of the month. Marie’s brother lives there, so we’re renting a car and going up for a couple days.

Mmm... brownie batter.

So, Marie dared me to lick the bottom of the bowl. Lick brownie batter? It wasn't a tough dare.

This week has been pretty busy and I can’t believe that I’m already looking at another weekend. Last night I went to dinner with my other friend Tim, who lives here in VA. We went to a (new to me) Thai restaurant in his neighborhood. It was quite tasty and it was great catching up with Tim, who’s been a friend since high school.

Tonight I am catching a Nat’s game with Dom. It’ll be my fifth game at the new stadium. Hopefully the Nats will win. I’ve yet to see that in the new stadium.

Tomorrow Marie and I are planning on going to an embassy party. I think we are going to the French embassy, where there is going to be loads of food and good music, among other things. Then, on Saturday I am going to a brunch that the pregnancy center is hosting for its volunteers. I have enjoyed past brunches because I get the opportunity to meet other volunteers with whom I never otherwise cross paths.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Quarter Life Crisis?

Well, the wedding was loads of fun. Jennifer was a beautiful bride and the food was amazing. She really did it right! It started at 5 and my friends and I left around 10:30. It apparently kept going until almost midnight. The weather was awful here on Saturday, but everyone pushed through. I had several interesting Marilyn Monroe moments as the wind played with my easy-to-blow dress. Gladly, I don't think I gave too much of a peep show. I also got the chance to wear the dress I wore to Mal's rehearsal dinner.

Here are some pics from the wedding of my friends from work, Heidi and Jessica, and I. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make them bigger.

From left to right: me, Heidi, and Jessica

In other news, Marie and I both got our noses pierced on Sunday evening. Could it be a quarter life crisis? It's possible. If so, however, I'm enjoying my age!

This was my face as the lady, Erica, was explaining what she was about to do.

Right afterwards- you can see my eyes are still a little teary.

Marie and I showing off our battle scars and bling! That's Erica, who pierced us, in the middle.

My friend, Dom, who joined Marie and me for moral support and snapped pics!

Friday, September 05, 2008

Lots o' news

So, while posting pics about two weekends ago, it obviously doesn't fill in all details. Things have been shaking around here lately!

Some updates (in chronological order):
  • Pics from the 23rd were from a weekend of fun with Andrew, his bro Kent, and Marie- it was basically a weekend of nights on the town, a day at Eastern Market (where being a genius that I am I bought a watermelon within ten minutes of being there and then lugged it around for two hours... nice), and then spent some time doing the roomy search for Andrew's room
  • New roomy, Aaron, was selected after two days of interviews. He's originally from Taiwan and is doing an internship on the Hill for the time being. He's 25.
  • Then, skip to Labor Day weekend... night out (again) on Friday to celebrate Drew's last weekend in DC. The evening was filled with dancing and then the DC staple of Ben's Chili Bowl. Mmm for cheese fries at 3 am.
  • Saturday was spent at Chesapeake Beach, that is within an hour of DC and makes for a fun beach to visit. We got there around two and spent a few hours lounging on the sand, searching for shark's teeth (well, that was mostly Marie and my fun), and then splashing in the bay. Once the sun had taken the energy from us, we made our way to a local restaurant that served fresh seafood and was hosting a live band. Love fresh seafood and live music!
  • Sunday was spent with my new friend, Tim, from Philly. We spent the day out on the town, first with church then to Eastern Market before heading to the National Geographic Museum. Finally, we landed at Oya, a french-japanese fusion restaurant I've been eying for about a year. It was worth the wait and the whole day was very fun. After Tim left for Philly, I joined Marie, Drew, Kent and more friends of Drew's on the town again. Once again, Ben's Chili Bowl sealed the evening.
  • Labor Day... bittersweet. Drew left for Paris. Marie and I cried. I thought in poetry all evening, but was too slack to jot any down.
  • Aaron moved in within an hour of Drew's room being empty. We're still all adjusting. I miss Drew's smell and clothes pile in the middle of his room. The pictures, cigarettes, books, and music is gone. A new kid's in town.
I told Drew that besides my dad, he's been the most consistent man in my life for the past 2.5 years. We'd been through a lot... moving, roommates, deaths, new loves and loves lost, jobs, bosses, and arguments. In the mix were the stuffings of life: hugs, rain dancing, crossword puzzles, french movies, dancing, drinking, good food, laughter, bus rides, pun sharing, political discussions, dinners in, road trips, museum hopping, shopping, trash tv, and french pressed coffee.

Marie and I are adjusting. Matt also informed us that he's moving at the end of the month, so our roommate search isn't done. We've another place to fill... or at least we'll attempt it.

The weekend ahead isn't super busy, but I am attending a wedding on Saturday for my dear friend, Jen. It'll be an extravagant event, as it's Italian and should have amazing food. Mmm. I'm looking forward to meeting some new people, eating some fine food, drinking some well made wine, and dancing til my feet hurt. Should be good! :)

On a side note... things are heating up here in DC with the elections looming. It's been interesting attending a DNC party and then also watching the RNC. People's tongues are wagging already and I've taken part in many of interesting political discussions at work. Despite being a Christian organization, the people in my office vary on their views, from being extremely conservative to pretty liberal. So, it makes for interesting chats. I am sitting on the fence, one day being more impressed with Obama and another day with McCain. I agree with different issues that each party is pushing and also disagree with a several on each side. So, I'm anxious to hear the debates. I think the Republicans have been throwing a lot of mud in the RNC, much more than the democrats did at the DNC. Interesting. I was completely turned off by Guiliani's speech. The man makes my skin crawl and spews lies. Ugh. I think Palin delivered an impressive speech and seemed comfortable in her skin. We'll see how she she does while facing Biden.

It's a wonderful time to live in DC. I'm in this amazing city during a time that will make history. Awesome.