Another Christmas Light Hanging Casualty

Last week my friend was hanging Christmas lights at his house. I had nothing to doso I decided to help him. Most of my helping was standing outside handing him strands and being cold. At one point he was putting lights in the bushes and needed another strand. I went to get said strand.

His house has a porch without railings, as does his next door neighbors house and there is a two and a half foot gap between them. I was on the neighbors side of the yard, so I walked on their porch with the plan of jumping/stepping onto his porch. Apparently this gap was too wide for me to scale, because my foot slipped off, and I fell in between the porches and into the bush we were putting the lights on. My feet were in the air and I was lying on the ground.

My friend ran over thinking I had hit my head on the brick porch and gotten injured and some guy across the street saw the whole thing and yelled "Are you okay?" After much laughter, I walked away with only a small scrape on my leg.

My phonebook got deleted... over a year ago.

Over a year ago my phone got drenched whilst flaoting a river and it never came back to life. I lost all of my phone numbers so my outgoing message says "My phonebook got deleted, so if you want me to call you back leave your number after the tone." I keep forgetting to change it.

I forget until people leave messages consoling me for the deleted phonebook and leave their numbers. I got one of those today. Generally, those who know me well leave messages saying "change your message."

Once, my Mom called and left our home number, we have had that number since I was 6.

Yes, I could change the message right now since I am thinking about it, but I am busy blogging about it instead.

Proposition 8

I have a friend here who is very adament about gay rights. I agree that there are inherent rights given to individuals in this country. I think that individuals should not be discriminated against due to their lifestyle. I also believe that Church's have the right to stand up for what they believe. We have had the discussion many times on the Church's position on Homosexuality, Proposition 8 and equality for all. This discussion is a difficult one, not ever wanting to offend, but also knowing that I have my own beliefs on the matter. I found this article on the Church's website, an interview with the Public Affairs board, Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman. I found it to be a great discussion on such topics.

I couldn't pull away from the election news last night. I just kept watching. My gut told me what would happen, that Obama would win, but I still just couldn't stop watching. I think I should have gone to an election party, which I heard were great fun, but I sat in my house and watched Obama capture PA, OH and NM. After OH, it was done, two of the battleground states were taken and it was known that a McCain upset would be nothing short of a miracle. Later on, when the votes were tallied America was informed that Senator Barack Obama would be our next President.


I am ecstatic to see a different "type" of President. I love that we will have an African-American President. I love that he came from a non-ideal situation and used perseverance and hard work to rise above his situation. He is an example of the American dream. This election means so much for minorities in our country. This is what Martin Luther King Jr., aides to the underground railroad, Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedy, and many others stood up for.

I am so happy to live in this country at this time.

Voting Day.

Today I voted. It was my first time voting at the booth. Usually I have to vote absentee but today I got to go to the booth and make my choices. I stood in line for an hour and proudly out on the "I voted" sticker.

I was UNDECIDED until I got to the booth. This is not because I was uninformed, or had not tried to make a choice. I was leaning one way, but I just kept bouncing back and forth. The more I would read about one candidate the more my decision would sway. But, I didn't feel right about just focusing on one. I had to make an informed decision. Obama, McCain or Nader? I read up on all three and felt a mild instinct to write in Romney. I still find it ironic he lost the ticket considering the financial crisis we are in, and that McCain and Bush called him for advice about what to do. I digress. I did make a decision, I went with the candidate I was leaning towards and I feel good about it. Now we'll see if he wins...

Vegan for a week

My roommate and I are embarking on a new endeavor. After some discussion, we found that both of us wanted to try eating like a vegan. We decided this week we are going to try it out. No animal products will be eaten. We both though it would be interesting to have to be so particular about what you eat. I don't think it will be a permanent change, we'll see how it goes though.

Weekend Update

Thursday I had the opportunity to go the The White House and watch President Bush fly in on Marine 1. I have a friend who works on his speechwriting team and he invited me along. It was great. We also took a tour of the Old Executive Office Building, which is one of my favorite buildings in DC. I should have taken Pictures, it is beautiful. The library is lovely, as is the Indian Treaty room.

Marine 1 landing on the White House lawn

President Bush coming off of the Helicopter

Me in front of the Rose Garden and the West Wing/ Oval Office

I love dressing up. I don't think I have outgrown it from when I was a little kid. So Halloween is a favorite holiday of mine. Thursday night I had some friends over for Dinner in a Pumpkin and Pumpkin carving.

At Chipotle on Halloween, if you dress in tin-foil you get a free burrito. We made our costumes while waiting in line.

This year for Halloween I was a Spartan cheerleader. If you don't know what that is, it's a Will Ferrell and Cheri Onley skit from SNL. Those costumes are hand made by the two of us. We went to a few parties in VA and then walked along M street. People started cheering at us.

The President's Cabinet

I heard a blogosphere rumor that Obama may put Oprah in his Cabinet.

If I felt that there was any truth to this rumor I might be inclined to spend every waking moment campaigning for McCain.

Do you like Pina Colada Toothpaste?

I went to the dentist today. I walked in and CNN was on the TV. The Hygenist/ Assistant (I'm not sure which) started into a rant about politics. Here was our conversation:

Her "I can't wait for Obama to get elected. I pay too many taxes as it is. Since 2000 my taxes keep going up. And this coutry just keeps getting worse. Oh, and that Palin. I can't believe that "failin Palin." Oh, dear. And she drags her kids all over the country with her. They should be in school."

Me "Well, I am sure the have tutors and what about Obama's Daughters, aren't they on the campaign trail too?"

Her "I know that they are in school right where they are supposed to be. Michelle is with them all the time when he is away."

Me "But she campaigns too.... And I am sure they have nannies."

Her "No, they were only on the campaign trail during the convention and that was at night so they went to school that day. They are in school every day. I know they are. But Palin's kids aren't even in school. And she leaves them in the hotel room alone."

Me "Aren't her daughters 15 and 17? They are old enough to babysit."

She kept ranting and though I wanted to say more I had an epiphany: Sitting in a dentist chair is no place to debate politics with someone who has acess to your mouth and drills. I kept quiet.

Maybe my remarks about her boy Obama are he reason they cleaned my teeth with Pina Colada toothpaste. Yuck.

A girl walks into a book shop

I am mid way through Jane Eyre and I am already dreading the day I finish it. Do you ever get like that whilst reading a great novel? There I am enraptured in the story, and it's over. Though happy I have finished the book, I have to go about finding another book to fall into. Not always an easy task.


Yesterday I went to the used bookstore by my work. I found out they were having a book sale, so I went in. I have had a list in my head of books I really want to read, and I hoped I could find them there. Hoping to walk out with a new title, I proudly carried out five. Two I have been waiting to read, and three that just looked great. Looks like I will have to finish Jane Eyre quickly so I can start another.

Friendly Competition

I just found out there was a competition to get linked on my blog. I'm didn't even know people read my blog.

Why does it hurt to bend over?

A few months ago I had the grand idea to plant tulips outside of our office. I love tulips, they introduce spring so well. For those who don't know, you plant tulips in the fall and then they bloom in the spring. Let me quickly explain that I don't know if I have ever gardened in my life. I have pulled weeds when my Mom made me, but gardening has never been a hobby, in fact I have never been able to keep a house plant alive (apparently they need water occasionally). So, with my lack of knowledge or experience in any gardening I ordered tulips. And daffodils. And Hydrangeas. And Lily's. Total there were around 250 bulbs. Maybe I went a little overboard...

So the bulbs came and my Coworker and I decided today would be a quiet day and we could plant them. I went to the gardening shop to get topsoil and mulch, and also get some advice. The manager said to mix it in to our soil, or we could use a tiller. Since we have no tiller, I told her we would use shovels, she said to invite over friends. Unfortunately I have no friends who weren't either working or enjoy manual labor, so it was up to Olivia and I.

I don't think I have shoveled that much since I was a ski instructor and it snowed FEET at the resort. My office job has not been preparing me for this type of work. We shoveled, mixed, dug holes, covered, transplanted and spread mulch.

I definately grew a new appreciation for my Mom and Grandma's gardens (and the hard work it takes to garden).

If our front yard doesn't look like Holland in the Spring I am not going to be happy.

One Year. No party?

I have now been a working girl for one WHOLE year. Actually the year rang in on the 1st, but I was too busy faxing, emailing and balancing to write a blog about this momentous occasion. One Year! Whoa! This is the longest I have ever been at one consecutive job, and the longest I have lived in one place since high school.

And don't tell my boss, but I'm getting the itch. I generally live with one foot planted in place and the other stepping off to some unknown. I'm trying, really hard, to happily stay put. I like my job. But maybe there is something else, like studying eastern medicine under a Buddhist monk in Tibet, that would really captivate me.

I will be grounded here for a while. I have no plans to leave, and this feels good for now. This job has been a blessing, I have learned a lot, met amazing people and grown. I have gotten to study issues I love and have learned to love some issues. It has been a wonderful year.

Notes for Sarah Palin:

1) Learn how to pronounce nuclear. It may be coming up a lot in the next little bit, and you are just asking to be likened to Pres. Bush if you can't pronounce it.

2) On the topic of Pres. Bush, learn what his doctrine is.

3) The proximity of AK to Russia gives you NO, I repeat NO knowledge of or expertise in foreign policy. Please do not state that it does. Yes, it is a small world, unfortunately there are a few major international conflicts going on in it. You may want to study up on them.

*Note: If anyone hasn't had the chance to watch the SNL skit about Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton... watch it here. Hilarious.

What's happening

The past two weeks have been really eventful, though no blogging has happened. Here is a quick recap:

Two Weeks of Debauchery
Like freshman year all over again, except I am not 18 and I like sleep a lot more now. It was fun to pretend though. With Callie leaving we had to pack in a ton of fun into two short weeks; and we did.

MoCo Fair
Davenport won a giant dog which is sitting in my room right now. Carnies, sharing Carmel Apples (not weird) and the world's largest horse, Sampson. He drinks 25 gallons of water a day. And he is Absolutely Alive.

Latin Dancing
Spinning, Dipping, Salsa and Merengue. A new love of mine. These hips don't lie. Part of the reason I have been so sleepy, it's hard to party like a rock star on a work night.

Georgetown Pool
Saturday afternoons are best spent here. And they often are.

NYC in a day
Chinatown Bus. Street Food. Phantom. Times Square. Reebok Miami Vice's. Street Purses. Rockefeller Center. More Street Food. Chinatown Bus Fight. An innocent fib (apparently the bus does stop in Philly).

Labor Day tour of DC
Callie's cousin was in town and I must say we make darn good tour guides. Highlight: the ghetto shoe store. Low light: the Library of Congress was closed for the holiday.

Church Talk/ Proposal
Both in one Sunday. Missionary work is great. And, I should dispel all rumors here and say it was a fake proposal. But in the middle of introductions at church after Sacrament. I was all shades of red.

Moving
Callie my roomie is moving back to UT. I am not okay with this. Darn jobs across the nation. Now I get "new roomie." I am sure she is great, but will she wake me up with the Cougar fight song? I sure hope not (no offense Callie).

True Love

I found this story on Tara Z's blog. Amazing.

A girl without a State

This morning I had to relinquish my UT residency. To register my car here, I had to become a DC resident. A little part of me died when I watched my UT drivers licence get put through the shredder. I just gave up my right to vote for a Senator, discounted ski passes, and proof that I used to have long hair.

Tool Time with Destiny

A few days ago the knob on out dryer came off, and it was difficult to turn on with only a small plastic piece sticking out to turn. Last night when I got home, Callie told me that the plastic thing fell into the hole on the dryer and in an effort to get it out, another roomie took a bobby pin to try to fish it out. When metal is stuck into an electrical appliance sparks fly. Callie saw this happening, a mini-fireworks display, and said "don't touch it, Destiny will fix it when she gets home." (A moment of laughter)

Well, when I got home, I did fix it. I pulled out my handy allen wrench, unplugged the dryer, took the panel off the dryer, and fixed the knob. If the lobbying world doesn't work out, maybe I could get a job as a fix it person...

Wait a minute! I work at the bike shop tonight. How convenient.

Wait for it, wait for it....

Do you ever think about what would have happened if I had done this instead? I am sure that there are many who think about "what might have been." But I am talking about how different (for good or bad) life would be, if.... Sometimes this ends in fits of laughter, or "wow, I am glad that didn't happen," sometimes you just wonder....

I try not to focus on the past, and I can't think of a decision (for better or worse) I regret. I have learned from most, winced at some, and been very pleased at others. I feel like these most of these decisions have been inspired; the pawn that I am has been moved in places I didn't know existed.


I wonder how many times in life, we have the chance to take a leap, off of some tall cliff, into the vast unknown. Do we do it? Or do we hold back? I mean, the jump could teach us to fly, but the fall could leave us bruised, scraped, battered and broken. Is it a 50/50 chance?


Most of the time these descisions, like so many other things in life, are (unfortunately) not black and white. You worry about the outcome, what will happen. Sometimes I wonder if we are so worried about the potential distress the outcome could have, we make a hasty decision to back away from the ledge and walk away, safely. Other times I wonder if we take the leap not thinking about the potential distress and we are injured more severely than imagined.


Therein lies the predicament we face. How in the world do we make these descisions to ensure the best possible outcome?

I firmly believe in the power of prayer and the power of revelation, but I also believe we were given brains and we have to figure it out, and then patiently wait. The waiting game is generally the hardest. It seems unending. But it will. Everything will be okay.

For all those waiting... It will come, and it will be better than expected.

Philadelphia: the city of Brotherly Love, Bubble Gum and Cheese Steaks

Last weekend Laura and her roomie Ashley paid a little visit to DC. I figured there was no better time to break in the car for its initial road trip and see a new city, so my roomie Callie, Laura, Ashley and I decided to take a road trip to Philly. We met up with Jenny, her sis, Tom and Tom. It was great to be a tourist, getting lost, pulling out the map, and asking for directions. All of the things locals roll their eyes at, we did, and it was great!

We rolled into Philly Saturday morning and hit off our trip with a brunch at this great little cafe. After that, we headed over to see the Libery Bell. For some reason, I have wanted to see the bell for a long time, and it didn't dissappoint. It is large, cracked, inscribed, everything I had hoped for. We also got to brush up on our history of the Bell, which sadly was much needed. Then we walked around Liberty Square. Inside independence hall is where men risked their lives for this country. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed there. Philly also houses the first Supreme court Building.

After that, we made our way over to the "Rocky Steps," but not before picking up a sweet Rocky Shirt to comemmorate the experience. I do find it funny that there is a large statue of a fictional character near the steps, but those Rocky movies were huge....

No trip to Philly would be complete without a Philly Cheese Steak, so we went to Jim's to indulge. Jim's did not disappoint. The Cheese Steak was great all smothered in cheese whiz, yummy. We also learned that Bubble Gum was invented in Philadelphia, random.

The trip was great, and we were also very grateful to Tom for sharing with us his Mariott discount. We stayed downtown which was great and rolled out Sunday morning. While I really enjoyed Philadelphia, I think DC is a better place to live. I have a friend who calls it "Filth-adelphia," which isn't too far off. That place is way dirtier than DC. It was nice to get back to the District.

YAY YAY YAY!!!

This weekend was fabulous! FABULOUS!!

I woke up Saturday morning to the carpet guys waiting outside my house. I hurredly opened the door, showed them my room and they got right to work. They laid the carpet and even vacummed up afterwards in about an hour, leaving beautiful NEW carpet! My room was ready to move into, and that I did. Here are a few photos which don't do it justice, but my room really is beautiful. Two brick walls and two wood walls make for a really unique and fabulous space. My furniture from my old house looks great and I am so happy I bought it, and I adore my queen sized bed! The photos don't do it justice but....

I also picked up my car! A 2003 Toyota Corolla. I really really like it! I feel so good about the purchase! I cannot wait to be able to drive my groceries home from the store, go outside of the metro area, drive to church and not have to take the bus.... It will be beautiful! I think my friends, from whom I have been getting rides from for 9 months, will be equally excited.

An adventure outside the beltway

Last night a friends who has access to an outdoors camp invited me and a few friends to go play there. The camp, Cavella, is fabulous! We started off the evening a little late, so it was getting dark, but that didn't stop us from going zip lining. This was my first experience doing this, and it was so fun. There is such a rush zipping through the trees in the dark wondering when and if you are going to stop. Great fun!!

After this, we were just getting warmed up, so we grabbed a canoe, and paddled the Potomac to a nearby island to float the rapids in life jackets. We canoed to where we thought was a good drop off location, and jumped in. The water was so warm, and floating was an adventure since it was around midnight and the moon was covered by clouds. We felt a little Navy Seal-ish, paddling through swamps. Whilst floating, Dave saw some people camping, it turned out he knew them from the camp, so we sat around their fire and they were kind enough to share some fresh peach cobbler they had just made. We also walked around the island and saw a tree house built by the camp.

The last part of the adventure was when we had to walk back to the canoe through the woods. We couldn't see anything, including the person in front of us or the path we were supposed to be following, but we made our way back to the canoe and paddled back to the car.

That was one of the best nights I have had in DC. I couldn't stop laughing at the guys I was with and the activities were awesome!! I have been longing for Montana lately, since I am rarely one with nature anymore. Last night gave me a little fill of my old outdoor lifestyle. I am now determined to find more adventures outside of the District.

Fed Ex has it Right.

So I moved from my house two and a half weeks ago. RR and CK have been kind enough to let me bunk at their houses while I wait for my room to be ready. My room was supposed to be re-carpeted and ready for me on July 3, at the latest. Well, here I sit, no carpet in sight for about a week. My things are now all at the house, bed on the dining room floor, clothes in my dresser in the storage room, just waiting.... I finally asked the landlord if I could just move in and forsake the new carpet. He said that wouldn't be good, it is on back order and I should just wait it out. Well, here I wait, on the dining room floor.

In other waiting news, I am buying the car. A 2003 Toyota Corolla. I am super excited, and I thought it would all be nailed down by the end of the week. Well, apparently this was wishful thinking. First off, the lady I am buying it from has a lien on the car. This means she has to pay off the car, and then it takes somewhere around 10 days to release the title so I can register it in my name. 10 DAYS! Then, to make matters better, the woman I am buying it from is out of town all next week.

It looks like I will have a bedroom around the same time I have a car. In February.

Decisions, Decisions...

I am indecisive. I am. I can barely decide what to wear in the mornings, which was incredibly difficult when I lived alone. Generally this lack of decision making power comes from the fact that I just don't care. If someone else in the group has an actual opinion, let them decide. I feel good about being able to mold to many situations, be happy with whatever happens. But there comes a time, when one has to make decisions all by themselves.

This is the week.

I decided (haha) that this week, for a whole week I am not asking another person "What should I do?" I will also not be using the phrase "I don't care, whatever." I will go along with plans happily, but I will be manning the ship, I will have a decisive answer for every question asked (unless I actually don't know the answer).

This is a big week to try this experiment. I found a car I am thinking of buying, okay so I cheated when I spoke to the mechanic, but I count that as a lack of knowledge. I also am moving into a new house and will be decorating my room alone. We'll see how it goes...

I love you James!

I have been a huge James Taylor fan since I was a little kid, riding in the back seat watching my parents sing along to his cassette tape. Since high school, when I stole my mom's JT CD, I have wanted to see him in concert. That finally happened Wednesday night. Through Paul's hard work finding tickets (Thanks Paul), Paul,. Tom, Blake and I went to Wolf Trap, an outdoor pavilion to see the show.

Before he came on, we sat on the grass, ate Popeye's chicken, notices that we were the youngest people there, and and saw Elijah Woods and that grey haired guy who won American Idol (or their lesser known twins).

James was at his best with his sultry smooth voice, dry wit and killer moves. He played a few more covers that I would have liked, but he also broke out some of my favorites "How Sweet It Is" "Sweet Baby James" "Country Roads" and "Shower the People." The concert just made me love James even more. Though he sounds better live, and I would love to take carry him around and listen to him sing all day long, I have to settle for the iPod which has been on constant James Taylor repeat all week.

Weekend Recap

Friday night I saw Rilo Kiley at the 9:30 club. I know that many tried and true Rilo Kiley fans are a little distraught by their new CD. Under the Blacklights employs a little more Disco flavor than I would have liked to have heard from the band too. That said, Rilo Kiley rocks. I love Jenny Lewis, I do, I think I have a girl crush on her, she's just so cool. The band puts on a great show, infusing new tunes with their older stuff. Highlights: Portions for Foxes, Silver Lining, and I Never.

Saturday morning/early afternoon I almost died of heat exaustion/ dehydration when I, in moments of stupidity, decided to go running. After the concert I was a little tired, so I hit snooze on the alarm and slept in until 10. I got up and decided to get in a little run for the day. Horrible idea. I left at about 10:30, and the temperature was already around 90 with the humidity at about one million percent. Even as I sit here typing at 10:00 at night it is 90 degrees outside and feels like 98 (thank you msn weather). I am not used to this heat, or sweating this much (note to self: don't give blog address to any potential suitors after describing my Saturday run here, they will inevitably be totally grossed out). I digress, sorry, back to the run. I left my house thinking it wasn't too bad. I ran about three miles, feeling like I may as well have been swimming I was so wet and the air was so thick. After about another half mile, I gave up, found a convenience store and bought some water, because I thought I was going to fall over right there on 23rd and P. I then drank my water as I found the nearest metro station. I got on the metro looked down, and my shirt was SOAKED. Sweat was dripping down my face. I didn't even sit down, I would feel too bad for anyone who used the seat after me. I don't know if I have ever been that hot in my life.

Another quick digression: I am so glad I moved here, I only missed the best ski year in recent history this past season, and it is the beginning of June and there are heat advisories... I heart DC.

Saturday night Paul invited people over to his house for a little BBQ/ Pool party. It was the ideal activity, until it started raining and we couldn't swim. During the lightning, we hung out inside, and I watched as my friends almost started a brawl over Pictionary. We then played a riveting game of pool basketball. I have no idea if we won or not, but I do know that I hang with a very competitive bunch. Cheap elbows, grabbing arms, scratching, more than once I was afraid someone would lose their suit in a scramble for the ball. Luckily all suits stayed on and there were no major injuries.

Duck Beach '08/ Find a Mate '08/ Birthday Weekend

Duck Beach is supposed to be the best thing to hit the East Coast LDS singles scene since caffeine-free Coke. It consists of hundreds of LDS singles spending their Memorial Day weekend staying in huge beach houses in North Carolina, strutting it on the beach, and kissing late at night in Hot Tubs. I have been hearing about it since October when I moved here, and people have been on Duck Beach diets, working out, and getting their back's waxed in preparation for this event. Though you all know how I love a plethora of sweet bra's, I was a little apprehensive of going, but I got the invite to a house and I do love the beach, so I went.

The beach is 6 hours from here, and I drove down with Tom. The car ride was great, and Tom and I now know way too much about each other. We rolled into town and had to drop food off at our house and then we had to camp the first night because our house wasn't open until Saturday afternoon. When we got to the camp site, everyone else was already asleep so we pitched our tent and fell asleep to the sounds of the nearby roadway. I felt like a kid sleeping in the backyard. It started raining sometime in the night but no worries because the tent was waterproof, I think Tom may have been a little peeved since we could have had spots in a house that night. We won him over with good chocolate.

The next morning we split from the group, popped on the aviators and Rachel, Tom and I got cozy in his truck while belting out Celine Dion and Timbaland, and headed to the beach. The cluds melted away to blue skies and the weather was perfect for catching rays, and zzz's since we were a little behind from sleeping on the ground. As we were laying there we got introduced to a few new people one of which said to me:
Him: "Your name is Destiny? I used to know a Destiny..."
Me: "Oh yeah? Where?"
Him: "Oh it was a while ago, in High School, in Bountiful, UT"
Me: "Yeah, That was me."

After the beach Rachel and I decided to walk and get our stuff, which was a much longer walk than we planned on, luckily we ran into an ice cream truck on the way, and we hitched a ride back to the house. Tom and Colton were talking up "The Dunes" so much, when they said they were going, I had to tag along. We went four-wheeling on these sand dunes by the beach, and we saw wild horses. We almost had to go Survivor style when we thought we were going to get stuck there and Tom's clutch was smoking, but we somehow made it out without being eaten by the wild horses.

We made it home just in time for the steel drum band and the hoards of people to invade, but left just before the table dancing started and the cops broke up the party for noise violations. Rachel, Michael and I went to his house for hot tubbing (again avoiding the sweet bra's).

Sunday was Rachel's birthday, and before she woke up we made her a card signed by everyone we knew, Sunday school by Preston in our bed with 6 others, more beach time, and I may have gotten annhialated at tennis with Michael. We went to a BBQ and I met two people who didn't glaze over when I told them about my job, it was great! We also had a birthday cake for me, Rachel and Allison, and introduced Michael to Rock Band. I feel a little dealer-esque, because I am pretty sure he is now an addict. We played it in the theatre room of the house, and it was money! That is the way to play Rock Band... but by the end my head was buzzing and I felt as if I had just left an actual concert.

Monday we took a small field trip to the house with the CRAZIEST name Jiggleitalittleitllopen. We sadly had to say goodbye to Duck Beach, and Rachel and I drove with Michael home, and we also now know way too much about each other.

Overall, the beach was a hit!

I'm moving!!

Not sure exactly when, or where, but it is happening soon.

The house that I have been housesitting/dogsitting/teenager watching has been on the market for a little while, and is now "under contract." Sadly, this means an end to my incredibly cheap rent, it does mean though, that soon I will live with roomies, which I am excited for; living alone can get a little, well, lonely.

I will be staying in the DC area, though I do have dreams of running off to some far off land and being an expatriate for a few years. Maybe next year....

The Fuzz

Let me paint the picture: Jenny drives a honda Accord, she is all of 5 feet tall and was wearing a tennis skirt. I look like I am maybe 20 years old, also clothed in workout gear, and am possibly the least intimidating person in DC. I also live in the safest area of DC, it feels like the suburbs and there is an elementary school across the street. Oh, and it was like 9:00p.m.

She was nice enough to drive me home after we played tennis, and we were sitting in her car chatting outside of my house. A cop pulled up and flashed his lights, so we pulled into my driveway thinking he wanted us to move our car. He followed us into the driveway, lights flashing. I got out of the car and went to talk to him, told him I lived there and we were just sitting and chatting in the car. He asked for my ID, which I presented and explained why it is from UT. He asked if I had anything that proved I lived there, to which I responded I would gladly whip out my keys to the place and give him a tour. He declined, but then told me that some neighbors called about two people sitting in a car outside of the house. I just smiled and looked confused. Luckily, he let us go, and we weren't arrested and questioned by the counter-terrorism unit in the DCPD.

It does make me wonder though, why are crime rates so high here? And is there possibly a better use of this cop's time, and our tax dollars, than making sure people aren't talking in cars?

I Heart Mom!

In honor of Mother's Day '08, I thought I would give the top 8 reasons my mom is the best:



1) Everytime I go home, she let's me raid her closet and lets me take all the best clothes.

2) She trusts me and my judgement. She let's me know I can make my own desicions, never second guesses them and sticks by me.

3) She put up with me as a child/didn't beat me when I would tell her "You are not the boss of me, I am the boss of myself."

4) When I tried to run away from home when I was 5, she helped me pack.

5) She is the best to share Popcorn and Licorice with.

6) She always makes everyone feel welcome (Laura, just eat the damn jello!) and loves everone, no matter what.

7) She taught me to fly-fish, a sport she is passionate about. She also took me camping and skiing as a kid, and made me the outdoors woman that I am.

8) She is more mechanically inclined than both of my father's (no offense to either of you). She has changed flat tires, fixed lawnmowers, ripped out carpet, and still makes dinner.

I love you Mom!

How much am I worth?

During a slow period at work, through the site humanforsale.com, I found out I am worth exactly $2,088,018...

In other news, I also have a post-race photo from Sunday. So pretty.

A few miles down, many more to go...

Last Sunday I rolled out of bed at 5:00 am, jetted down to the Potomac, and ran the Potomac River 1/2 Marathon. It was the ideal day to run, not humid, not a cloud in the sky, and a great course. It was a really small race, but there were still some great spectators, including a few people from my running group (thanks again you guys and I can never get too much Cowbell)! I felt good, and while my time (2:20) was a little slower than I had hoped, I was happy to have finished and still could walk afterwards, which was quite different than the whole marathon...

In a fit of stupidity though, during a g-chat conversation a friend told me to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon, and I did it. Game on: October 28. There goes my summer plans of lounging by a pool all day Saturday sipping lemonade; now weekends will consist of long runs and Advil. On the plus side, when I collapse by the pool after my runs, my legs will be toned. And, I think it will help that a few friends are also running the MCM, we can all collapse together.

Days off are the best!

Saturday morning I woke up early and went to meet up with my running group. It was a beautiful day and perfect weather to be outside. The run was fabulous, I ran to Roosevelt Island, met up with the group, and we ran around the island. It felt so good to be in the woods, and for a little bit, while on a trail, I was brought back to Montana having to duck under branches and hop over roots. It was a fabulous run... I logged around 7.5 miles.

After the run, I headed home and while eating eating my veggie omelet, I got a text from Tom about going for a bike ride. It was way to nice to be inside, so I changed into my biking gear, pumped up my tires, and headed to Shady Grove. We biked Rock Creek- the whole thing (around 25 miles). We ended up in Georgetown, headed to Trader Joe's for some Ben and Jerry's, and ate the whole carton of it while watching the rowers on the Potomac. The ice cream was great, but didn't exactly sit well on the 10 mile ride home. The ride was great though, especially the part when I smoked Tom in our 1/2 mile race (I am sure the fact that I was on a road bike and he was on a mountain bike made no difference).

K2, anyone?

I went to the greatest presentation last night by this guy who is a serious mountaineer and summited K2 last summer. He told an awesome story of the trek and the teamwork that went into making the journey. His team made a movie which aired on NBC. His trek involves three friends who teamed together and ended up helping lead many to the summit (the largest group of people to reach to top in one year). It also conveyed the dangers of that mountain, with two deaths, hypothermia, altitude sickness and some genuine dirt bags on the trail (someone stole a sleeping bag and a pair of crampons at their advanced base camp). Overall though, he conveyed the three things important in the trip, Safety, Summit and Style. His team definitely displayed all three throughout the trip.


He also told the story of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. They were the first two to summit Mt. Everest. They went together, and they made a pact that they wouldn't tell anyone who got to the top first. When Tenzing Norgay died, he wrote in his will it was Hillary who reached the top first. I loved this story both for the character that it showed, and the perseverance of reaching that goal.

Accident prone?

My family teases me all the time about the fear that went through them each time I would go on a bike ride as a child. They joke that I would be riding along not paying any attention to what was going on, cars could be crashing, fire hydrants going off, dogs fighting... and me, just riding along. Well, last week I biked into work (which I plan on doing daily once the rain is gone) and I laughed to myself at these images. I am happy to say I made it safely to work and back home through the streets of DC without a hitch.

On the other hand, my roomies in college have an ongoing joke that I consistently trip on dry flat ground, this I don't even try to deny. On my way home from the bike shop, I was walking briskly because I was going to check out a car and didn't want to be late. Well, it happened last night. I was walking along and then all of the sudden, WHAM! I hit the ground. My arms outstretched to catch myself, me laying on the pavement. I stood up rather embarrassed, though I only saw one guy in his car nearby, who I am sure was dying with laughter. When I got up, I did notice my big toe missing a chunk of skin (gross, I know) and my palms were all red. It was one of those moments when, once I stood up, I couldn't contain my own laughter.

Rock Band

For all those Guitar Hero lovers out there (Mom)...

This weekend we headed up to the City of Rock (Rockville) and played Rock Band. I am sure all of you faithful readers out there know what this is, but if you don't, it is possibly the best video game since Tetris. You get to be a band member, instrument and all. It's kind of like being in a real band, minus the sex, booze and drugs.

Sports and politics

There are two ways to fill out the NCAA bracket. You can watch the games, research teams shooting records, and fill it out based on percentage of three's hit this season. Or, you can randomly fill out the bracket. I do the latter. Well, I actually just pick a random team to win (this year Xavier because I like the name) and fill in the other slots. I have a friend who filled her bracket out based solely on the team's colors.


At work today, Roz and I were discussing political candidates. We came to the conclusion, there are also two ways to pick a candidate. I wonder how many Hillary haters know what her opinion is on tax policy, or the war in Iraq. Obama is such a likable guy, because, well... he just is. He seems really friendly doesn't he? McCain doesn't seem like he would be quite the kick in the pants that Romney would have been. Speaking of Romney, I would have liked to have seen Obama and Romney against each other, charisma would ooze off the debate stage. Uninformed voters would have to choose based upon tie colors, or shoes.


The funny part about this is though, in sports, the best generally comes out on top. I realize this could be debated due to upsets and the nature of the brackets. Who decides if the best candidate won? I like to think that the system works itself out. Checks and balances. And if that still doesn't catch it, due to government bureaucracy it takes years to get anything done.

Idiotarod

Last weekend, I participated in one of the greatest events DC has to offer. The Idiotarod, like the Ididarod, except people pushing shopping carts instead of dogs and sleds, dressed up as idiots. We ran from Dupont Circle to Union Station with a few stops in between to spray people with shaving cream and take pictures. Being lifeguards, the whistles came in handy to stop traffic and bolt across the streets. Luckily, drivers were pretty willing to let us pass, I think they were just confused about the crazy people running around with shopping carts.

Pictures!!

If the ship would have actually gone down, I don't think we would have made it. We had to sprint to our room, grab our life jackets, and sprint back to the muster station for the drill. We did make good lap time though.

That's a scary thought, the two of us manning a ship.

Ixtapa and the Pinata. We wondered why people kept staring....

The cutest mexican child, Gabrielle, our tour guide (literally) in Alcapulco. "I pick you up in 20 minutes."

Margaritas in Mexico. Yummy.

Melissa and I offering a little extra protection

Keiran and I hanging out on the cruise.

Yes, that is me doing the running man in a dance off.

Me and My Dad.

The D 10... what's on my mind this week

1) Facebook: 14/15 Paul signing me up, 1/15 caving to peer pressure by logging on and posting a comment on a wall. I have been told this is somehow different than Myspace, we'll see about that.

2) Prince Harry in Afghanistan: You are my favorite royal. You aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, and clean up so nicely.

3)The man who hands me Express papers outside of the metro in the morning: Thanks man, you supply me with free entertainment during my commute. News in the morning, Sudoku in the Evening.

4) My favorite protester: Outside union station every day, crazy signs about bombing Kissinger and not a fan of Hil, but ever since you stood up for me, when that lame taxi driver honked, you have won the best protester in DC award.

5) Nada Surf: 4/15, it's gonna be good

6) The Idiotarod: I am sure pics will follow, still need a team name... Thought about stealing our butt rock band name from college: Free Swimming Medusa.

7) Appropriations forms. All I can say is UNIVERSAL FORM! This is only one of the reasons it takes forever to get anything done around here. The paper trail is ridiculous.

8) What Should I do with my life? Great book. No, but seriously, got any ideas?

9) Service. Yes, this is an answer to question 8, I keep trying to find ways to serve, in some organization. And, I can't get the lyics to "Because I Have Been Given Much" out of my head. Goal of the week: Find something and get on it.

10) Freedom Writers, what a great movie. If you haven't seen it, watch it. It left me with feelings of 1) I am so blessed in life and 2) I should be helping others (see #9).

Thank you, whoever you are!!

This is a huge thank you for whoever found my credit card and called it in missing, without first using it to buy themselves anything. You found it before I knew I didn't have it. If I knew who you were, I would take you out for a giant ice cream sundae as a token of my appreciation. Unfortunately I don't know you, because I think I would like you.

$10 I won't get back

I went to see a movie last night with friends, Vantage Point. Interesting cinematography, interesting plot, for a while. It went downhill fast. I think Denis Quaid, Matthew Fox (yes he is), and Forrest Whittaker can act, but don't be decieved if you are in the same boat. My thetre started laughing in the middle and at the end of the movie, it is supposed to be a drama. If you are dying to see this, get a large group of friends together, chip in and go to the Red Box at your nearest Smiths, McDonalds or Giant and rent it when it come out on DVD. That way you will only be out 10 cents (and 2 hours).

I heart Mexico

I just got home from my cruise to Mexico, oh the sun was great, especially since it snowed today here in DC. A few trip highlights:

• I was in a dance off during a contest on the ship. I busted out such moves as the running man, the carlton and the mashed potato. I would have won (yet had no dignity) if I had resulted to pole dancing. Even if the guests weren't there to see it in person, it was videotaped and shown over and over on the cruise tv's throughout the ship. People kept coming up to me and saying "I saw you on tv, great dancing."
• Kobe and Gabrielle our 11 and 8 year old Mexican tour guides.
• Allan, our waiter at dinner. He sang, he did the conga, he danced, he did magic tricks, he had razor sharp wit... and he brought us endless amounts of food.
• Endless amounts of food. 24 hour Ice cream bar. Enough said.
• My family. Talk about a good time. I wondered where I got my dance moves from, now I know. My dad, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins can cut a rug. Beaner (BYOM) and Donkey were nonstop fun. I couldn't stop laughing.
• Searching for a pinata at the markato which was just down the street. Then finding the Parrott pinata and making Melissa carry it around with us all day. I wondered why people kept staring. Then, the pinata got stuck in the x-ray machine on the way back. You had to be there, but it was hilarious.
• I had the opportunity to take a picture with a wild monkey.
• Mexico in general is a great place. It was all I had imagined. Chaotic, random and strange at times. I really would love to move there for a while.

Maybe my next job will be selling stuff on the street corner in Mexico, I'll have to learn Spanish, and invest in a monkey.

Best news of the week...

Paula Abdul (the singer of my first casette tape) is coming out with a new album. One can only hope it has such winners as "Straight up" and "Cold Hearted." I can't wait. Who want's to sleep outside the record store with me to be the first to get it?

SWEET!!

I read my MSN horiscope this morning and this is what it said:

Some beautiful dreams or visions, perhaps involving angels, spirit guides, or other high beings, could come your way today, dear Gemini. Listen carefully to the messages these beings are bringing. Whether they involve matters in your material life, intellectual or spiritual concerns, or events in the future, they can shed light on a lot of facts about yourself of which you might not be aware. Write them down as soon as you can. You'll be glad you did.

Thoughts:
If I have a vision, I will not be forgetting it.
and
I have been waiting for this to happen for a while now!! I am totally ready to be told what to do with the rest of my life... I wish it would just hurry and happen...

Mustaches are coming back

I saw an article today about how mustaches are coming back.

Then...

I was picking up tax forms for the office and I saw a lady with a FULL mustache!! Not a few hairs, not shaved... She was old, and couldn't see very well so, maybe, she has no close friends to tell her to shave.

It was a shocker.

An ode to Madison

Not the President, not the river, not the city... the car.

I sold my Subaru this week, which was lovingly named Madison. She was a good car. She carried me where I needed to go, didn't give to too many fits, plowed through snow, and provided a nice overnight shelter on more than one occasion. Unfortunately the move to DC was done without her, so I had to sell her.

Her new owners better treat her well, give her some (much needed) love and not have road rage.

On the mall...

While walking with friends today on the mall, a thuggish man walked past wearing a long fur coat and matching fur beret. It of course spurred a rather interesting conversation.

Highlights:

1)Pimp is both a noun and a verb

2)Wearing a fur coat and fur hat, and being male, does not necessarily make a person a pimp. Likewise, a pimp does not necessarily wear a fur coat and fur hat.

3)If the man is wearing items in #2 along with gold chains with money symbols, large diamond earings, and/or a platinum grill, the probablility of such man being a pimp are greatly increased.

4)I should start carrying my camera around.

Flight of the Conchords Ep 3 Think About it

Have you seen these guys?

Resolutions kept, resolutions broken

Last year, determined to make and keep new years resolutions, I wrote them down, put them in my wallet and marched on. The problem is, I can't find the paper. I remember a few goals I set, and a few I accomplished (run a marathon and visit a new and exciting place come to mind). The real question I find myself asking at this time every year, is have I grown at all as a person in the last year? Am I any better? Am I any smarter? Have I picked up any important life lessons?

This year was interesting, before, many of these questions were determined by education in my life. Every year since I was 5, I have been in school for at least part of the year, so the questions were easily answered. Progress was measured by grades completed, classes taken, and subjects learned. This year, growth was definately more personal. These questions I ask are subjective, and what I see as personal growth or moving forward is probably seen to some as a giant fall back. Example: I dropped out of grad school in '06 to become a ski bum in '07.

Well, for the record, yes, to all of the above questions. It wasn't the real job, or the move across the country that did it either. It was the moving forward, accomplishing goals, and having new adventures. Oh, and the people I associated with.

2007 is going to be hard to beat, but somthing tells me, 2008 is going to do it.