Destiny as an Adult

You won't be disappointed

2011-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we ate this. I recommend when you have time, you do the same. It was a delightful fall meal.

Oh, and, we are alive and happy. And busy. We both have new jobs and I'm in school.

Back to the food:
winter squash soup with gruyere croutons

pie crust 102: all butter, really flaky pie dough

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

You won't be disappointed.

Resume booster

2011-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

By far, the best line on my husband's resume reads: Appeared in teen romance film as a basketball player.

Proof:

Okay, you might have to watch the full film to see more of him. Look for the tall, lanky b-ball player in blue. He is only in 1 second of the trailer (1:16). They filmed the movie in UT and he was used as an extra while he was in high school.

Busy

2011-07-14T20:00:00.001-07:00

I have been really busy lately. All good things, but with two nights a week at school, other obligations and bike riding I have had something every night for the past week and I think the next two are quickly booking up.

Last night I was telling Bryson how busy I am and complaining about not having time to clean (I know, Bryson is was busier than me). Tonight I had school. I got home and saw this:

Bryson cleaned the whole apartment. Our bathroom is sparkling too. What a gem. It was the best gift he could have given me.

So, yes, I have just devoted a whole post on my fabulous husband. And his mad cleaning skills.

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Week in Review

2011-07-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Bryson is razzing me right now for not changing my age on my blog. I'm 28. Changing that now.

Since that is all taken care of I will give a quick recap of the week.....

Last weekend was GREAT, as many three day weekends are. Saturday we went on a bike ride, met up with friends for tennis, laid by the pool and saw Super 8. Monday I ran a surprise 9k (surprise for two reasons 1) I forgot I signed up for it and 2) it was only supposed to be 8k, the course was a bit long), went to a BBQ and rode bikes to the mall with the Bessey's to watch the fireworks. The boys fought through the crowds, stashed our bikes on (as in on top of) the bushes and we watched from the Lincoln Memorial. This is year number 4 watching fireworks from different places on the mall and this was my favorite view.

School is going well for me, I turned in my mid-term and am hoping it went well. I really like being back, it feels really good. Busy, but really good. I am really excited to start my actual Poli Sci classes in the Fall.

B has been sick, which is pretty sad. Yesterday he wasn't feeling well, and spent the day working while I went on a long bike ride, went to a pool party, took a nap (the sun really takes it out of me, whew), cooked dinner and we watched "The Man Who Knew Too Little". I recommend it if you want to watch a silly movie and be easily entertained.

Huzzah.

2011-07-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning and through fate decided to try on that pair of jeans that were just a little tight, but as most women know, you keep those pants because they will totally fit someday.

Someday being after joining a dumb work contest where you don't eat sweets or eat within two hours of bed and have to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies and work out everyday. There is actually a checklist of 8 things and since I really like to win, I have been really committed. Ask B, I have been a nut, and he mocks me, but also told me how impressed with my will power he is.

Anyways, those pants totally fit this morning.

After finding this out, I found B and made him tell me how good they look. ha. I also told him his sick stomach will hopefully be feeling better so he can take his hot wife and her fabulous jeans out on a date tonight.

He finds me endearing.

And it has been a really good day.

Charleston

2011-06-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

When we got to charleston we went for a walk around town. We sat by the waterfront and enjoyed the breeze. It was pretty hot outside and it was nice to be by the water.

After that we went back to the hotel for a Sunday afternoon nap. Somehow we got really worn out after all the eating and wandering.

For dinner we went to a restaurant called Poogan's Porch. The shrimp and grits were wonderful as was the peanut butter pie. I do love southern food.

Monday morning we both woke up full. Shocker. We brought along the Georgia peaches that were getting better by the day. We spent the morning at Boone Hall, an old cotton plantation. The plantation was beautiful. We started with an open air tram ride through the grounds. Our driver was an older southern gentleman who was pretty crotchety. He loved living on the ocean but couldn't understand why anyone else would want to move to charleston and was pretty upset they have. At one point while looking at a small fresh pond he pointed out a baby heron standing on a log and said "surprised a gator hasn't gotten him." He then pointed out a group of wood ducks and said, "the mama can fly but those little ones'll be gone when this water goes down. Them gators are gonna have a heyday."

After That we watched a presentation on Gullah culture. The woman who gave the presentation spoke in Gullah and

Why would any parent sign their kid up for tap dancing? It has no application to the real world.

-Bryson

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A bit of a mess

2011-06-21T19:54:00.001-07:00

I went to work yesterday without my voice. It was pretty silly when I was on the phone with the plasterer (since we had a leak at the office and now needed some repair work done). Who get's a cold in June?! Bleh. I had to get a new passport photo taken and didn't do my hair or get ready at all. No customs agents will be hitting on this girl for the next 10 years.

I also cut my finger with a razor last night (freak accident, I sliced part of my fingernail and skin). I superglued it together- since it wasn't deep.

I am also convinced there is something planted in my right eye. B says he thinks it is a scratch, but I think it is a piece of sand. It is giving me a headache. B also said when he gets some time tomorrow he will make me a patch for my eye. He found a you-tube tutorial on how to make an eye patch.

Isn't that a lovely sight: superglued finger, pirate patch, raspy voice, hacking cough and wild hair.

B is a lucky man.

Thanksgiving

2011-06-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I love Thanksgiving food. This year, we'll be experiencing a different type of Turkey for the holiday.

Savannah aka eating my way through the south.

2011-06-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday biking around savannah. Renting bikes and taking a few hours to see the city was a great idea. It was 90 degrees and walking would have been way too hot. The heat makes me grumpy. Biking makes me happy.

After dropping out bags at our hotel, the Savannah Riverside Marriott, we walked to the bike shop. Luckily there was an ice cream shop next door with homemade ice cream. Leopold's ice cream came highly recommended and did not disappoint.

Savannah has a lot to see (Bryson disagrees) but not a lot of these things take time so another plug for biking the city.

Forsyth park was enchanting. (Bryson just said "if by enchanting you mean a routine city park with a nice fountain.") but seriously, it is lovely. The dense trees cover the park and give it a feel of old southern charm. The fountain in the middle is beautiful.

Savannah was the first planned city in north america. King George commissioned it and there are 22 city parks.

We rode along the river front which houses old cotton warehouses now transformed into restaurants and shops. And the eyesore modern hyatt that hangs over the cobblestone street below. Seriously, whoever allows that to be build made a serious error in judgement.

Bryson really liked the peanut shop. We later realized they sold Virginia peanuts there.

For dinner we had reservations Olde Pink House. Delicious. BLT salad with fried green tomatoes, local shrimp over cheese grits, pork shank with mac and cheese and flash fried flounder with and apricot sauce, "one of the five best pieces of fish in my lifetime" said Bryson.

This morning we ate breakfast at Huey's and we really enjoyed that also. We filled up on bignets and I couldn't really finish my omelette. Maybe my eyes were bigger than my stomach. But I did try my hardest to finish the Parmesan garlic grits, again, delicious. And not that expensive. If it sounds like all we did was eat in savannah, you might be right.

After church we even found a fruit stand and bought a bag of Georgia peaches which we are snacking on.

We are on our way now to charleston and frankly can't wait to see what other food we find.

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South

2011-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Bryson and l made a weekend getaway to the south. We are in Charleston,SC and driving to Savannah, GA. Since I pretty bad at blogging after vacations, I figured I would blog while here.

We rented a car. The car is a mercury grand Marquis. It us the size of a boat. A house boat. Bryson, being a giant, loves it. I, being difficult, keep joking that no one under the age of 95 who is not employed in law enforcement drives this car. Bryson's response was "I don't think this is a law enforcement car, definitely an octogenarian car."

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2011-05-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

We were talking about our future (way in the future) kids and Bryson was hilarious.

His quotes of the night:

"There is a chance our daughters will be gorgeous supermodels, or they will just be bigger Americans."

"That is why we went to the park and threw [the football], I was checking out your genes."

Baking woes

2011-05-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in our smoke filled apartment typing away. Don’t worry; I haven’t taken up smoking, I just burned something real bad in the oven. Totally not my fault though.

I bought a Bundt pan a few weeks ago. I decided to break it out for my childhood favorite Sunday treat, pull aparts, a sticky but type treat. This Bundt pan is different than the one my mom had, in that the bottom and middle lift out. Apparently this is great for cakes, not great for pull aparts. I looked back at our oven and smoke was coming out at a rapid rate. Oh dear.

After furter inspection, the sauce in the recipe melts and goes right through the bottom of the pan which leads to a sugary puddle of burning, smoking goo in the bottom of the oven. Lovely. Pretty sure that is going to need to be cleaned at some point. Ugh.

I also am not sure how these gooey treats are going to taste after losing half their sauce (and I know this makes them lower-cal, but who wants low-cal treats?).

At least as I type the haze in our apartment is clearing out. I think the real question is though: how did our smoke alarms not go off at all during this mess? And should I be worried about that?

**They taste great still. And, since they are low-cal, I feel fine about eating half the pan.

My favorite things

2011-04-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love candy. Love it. As in like it more than most people like their dogs. I openly admit it is a huge weakness for me. Husband is a take it or leave it kind of guy. I fully agree with this New York Times article: Is Sugar Toxic? That sugar is causing obesity, heart disease, cancer and a whole slough of other problems (rotted teeth). But I really like it.

Why am I babbling about Candy? Because I haven't eaten it for almost 4 months. B and I gave it up for New Years. It really was after he teased me about liking it so much and I said "Fine, New Years Resolution for both of us: No candy" I forgot that the Easter season is a candy lovers dream. Need evidence?

I think I was really hoping someone would bring him some at work and he would eat it, tell me and then it would be off by now. Not even close. He is solid. Sweets in general aren't tempting to him. And after he read about Steve Nash, a professional basketball player, who doesn't eat sweets and has inspired Shaq to go sugar free too, he was even more set on the dangers of white granulated goodness (or gloppy processed from corn goodness).

For anyone reading this, could you send B a snickers bar to his work address, then I won't eat them and maybe he will? Thank you in advance.

I bought a brush

2011-04-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

My hair use to be real short. I loved it. B hopes I never cut it again. It was so short I would weave my fingers through it and it would be done. Now my hair is real long. It has been growing for two years. I still just finger comb it. I finally bought a brush tonight. I am pretty excited about this purchase. I hope it actually reduces frizz Like the packaging says it will (yeah right) when DC turns into a hot swamp this summer.

A runner is born.

2011-03-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Two marathons
Two relay Races
One Half Marathon
Three years of pacing a running group

And....

I AM A RUNNER!!

Running has always been tough for me. I get bored, I don't like it, I would rather do something else. I have a lot of excuses, but I keep at it. It is the easiest form of exercise to do. You just have to have shoes. And you can do it anywhere in any weather.

But it has been so hard for me. Running long distances hasn't ever agreed with me. My knee hurts, my legs go dead, I had some ligament problem in my foot for months. Plus my lungs feel like they are going to generally explode after about a mile. In elementary school I would always be slow in the mile run.

Somehow though, on my ten mile training run for an upcoming half-marathon, I broke through. I felt real good. At mile 5 about the time I was staring at this:

I wanted to keep going. This is rare. Normally at mile 5 I would want to catch a cab. But I plugged along and felt good. I am getting excited for our Half-marathon in two weeks. Our office is doing it together (all three of us) and it should be a blast. I am still slow, but slow and steady crosses the finish line, right?

2011-03-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

This winter I seemed to watch a lot of movies. It was cold and dreary and I had no desire to go outside. There are a few movies I adored. Here they are:

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Garrett, Bryson and I watched this while G was visiting us. All three of us loved it. I think this is a diverse enough sample group that it will entertain everyone. This documentary tells of Steve Wiebe trying to break the Donkey Kong world record which was held by Billy Mitchell. I got so into the movie I yelled at the TV and almost cried. Hollywood could not have created better characters, and these are real people. Totally family friendly.

Lars and the Real Girl

I think I have cried in three movies in my life. This is one of them. The description of the movie sounds like it could be scandalous. It isn't. Lars brings home the girl of his dreams- the problem is she is a doll. The storyline is hilarious and moving and the acting is great.

Running

2011-02-20T15:26:00.001-08:00

My office mates and I have been training for a half-marathon. This past weekend I decided to run a 10k in preparation for it. It was incredibly windy yesterday morning, wind about 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and I figured my pace would be a little slower but not too much slower.

Mid-way through the race I saw the time and it was 10 min slower than I thought I would be. My first thought was "WHAT?!" At that point, that would mean I was running 3 min per mile SLOWER than normal. I was so upset. I thought I was going to be a little slower, but that was really slow. I really thought about quitting. I was sick of the wind and I was not in the mood to keep running. But I kept going. There were only 3 miles left and I figured my real goal was just to run the whole thing.

And then I finished. I was pretty happy to be done. Running in the wind is a rough. I then checked my time. The time we almost exactly my normal pace.

There was a 5k that started 10 min before the 10k and that is when the clock was started. So, when I saw my time, I should have subtracted 10 min. I was really happy that in the wind I stayed on pace.

I learned that sometimes things aren't as bad a they seem. And that I shouldn't give up. All these reasons to love running. Which I am really starting to do.

GOP Candidates

2011-02-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

I am against the two year long races for President/Senate/Congress. Too long. And for House members, that means they are running for the next race their whole term. Since this is an off year though, and next year is a presidential election, people are buzzing with guesses on who is running next year. I keep reading about potential candidates and it is getting interesting:

PalinHuntsmanRomney Trump??

Taco Night

2011-01-28T13:55:00.001-08:00

Bryson and I made Tacos last night. At the store I text him to see if he wanted soft or hard shells. He said both.

I understood why he wanted both when we were eating he made one of these:
and said "This [the double decker taco] might is the greatest culinary invention of the decade. "

Morning Commute

2011-01-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

I ran out the door to the shuttle. With the sheet of ice that is DC I didn't want to drive. Just outside of our apartment building door I looked down and realized I didn't zip up my skirt and it was around my ankles. How I forgot to zip it up I have no idea. Luckily I had on a pea coat and tights so the shuttle bus only saw mid thigh down. I am sure they needed some entertainment, right?

On the shuttle I got a text saying we could open late and noticed the 2 hour late start due to the storm. Good thing I rushed for the bus.

On the metro, a kind gentleman informed me my bag was dripping. Luckily it was only my water bottle and not my lunch. By the end of the ride there was a little puddle under me.

Off the metro, a block to work and I got a little too confident walking the ice covered streets when my feet went in front of me and my hip was firmly connected to the ground. A nice pedestrian asked if I was okay and I got a few sympathy looks from others.

I am positive the day is going to be better than this.

NYC

2010-12-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

We are on the bus to new York city right now. We got here too late to sit by each other and are across the aisle from each other. No one seemed willing to move for us.

Joke is on them. We both have head colds. Hope they took their airborne.

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My Favorite Christmas Song

2010-12-10T07:12:00.001-08:00

I think this really gets the meaning of the holiday right, even if you aren't a Josh Groban fan.

Medical Experiments

2010-11-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get emails from people that have random home remedies for whatever ails you. I always want to try them out, but I generally don't get sick, and I would rather try them out on someone else.

Enter marriage.

Bryson got a cough last week the same day I got an email saying:

"During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks VapoRub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks VapoRub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.

My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes."

I think it was fate. It took a little (or a lot of) convincing and I had to go buy the Vaporub, but I got him to try it out. And, it might have worked. We weren't real sure, he didn't cough during the night and did feel like a warm blanket was enveloping him, that may have been the vicks he put on his chest though.

Next up: get him to try a netti pot. It might be harder than the vicks. When I emailed him this he replied "I hate netti pots. I don’t know what they are. But I hate them. They wronged me somewhere, sometime."

Football

2010-11-26T17:15:00.001-08:00

Whew. Apparently it was the weekend of big games. Bryson explained how this weekend is also sort of a geography lesson with all of the rivalries. Sad Alabama lost. I love Tuscaloosa when I visited the town and fell in love. And I think the QB for Auburn is sort of a hoodlum (though the win today was really impressive, what a comeback).

And, for the record, not that I am in any way knowledgable enough to make this call, Ohio State should play Boise State. I am not a fan of elitism and any team who is undefeated should be eligible for the BCS championship game not just big conference teams. Go Boise State.

For the record, I haven't yet watched any football, but we talked about it a lot today AND I read an article about what the Ohio State coach (can you say elitest) said about Boise State having a chance at playing in the BCS championship game.

I think college football is going to be so much easier to get into than pro football. Drama, drama, drama.

Turkey Day

2010-11-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Bryson and I had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Really wonderful. Tom and Jenny, Colton and Adrienne, tons of delicious food; I love Thanksgiving.

On the way home we were talking about hobbies. Bryson and I are a great couple (if I do say so myself). We love hanging out, we have a great time together, and we laugh a lot. But… we have different hobbies. I spent a lot of time outside in Montana, fly fishing and hiking. I love skiing, running and cycling. Bryson loves sports. Really loves sports. He lived in a house with sports fanatics before we got married. I think maybe the only time I went over and a game wasn’t on the TV was during General Conference. And I am pretty sure a score was checked when the choir was singing. I don’t watch sports on TV. Life is too short to watch sports on TV. And football feels like a million hours long.

In our discussion Bryson reminded me of the bike he bought this summer to have a hobby we could enjoy together.

New goal: I am going to learn about football. Watch a few games (or parts of a game- four hours will make me want to give up the sport), read a few articles, learn about the players (more than just the players who have dated a Kardashian sister). Then I will make an educated guess about whether I really like it or not.

Honeymoon

2010-11-23T19:03:00.001-08:00

When we fly we try to get seats in the exit row since Bryson is real tall. On the way back from the honeymoon we were sitting in our seats chatting with the man next to us about his home the Florida Keys. The flight attendant walked up to give us the rules and asked us if we were all willing and able to perform our duties if needed. We said yes and she said "And you are all over 15?" and looked directly at me.

Afterward the man next to us said "I wondered if you went out of the country on your honeymoon because you don't have to be 21 to drink."

Art

2010-11-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

Bryson has decided he is an abstract artist. To envision where the TV will go on the wall he tacked nails where the corners will be. Since we do not in fact own a TV, he put a picture on one of the nails and hung another picture up next to our TV spot. He just told me how it is abstract art because marking where a TV will go and then putting up an unframed picture of nature contrasts rich and poor, and technology and nature.

Our most hilarious wedding gift

2010-11-15T18:02:00.001-08:00

From Bryson's old roommate.

They will be in storage for a while.

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Proud Almost Wife

2010-10-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm bragging about my soon-to-be husband on my blog. I am sure this is some sort of relationship step.

We spent the month of December apart while he was in Tennessee working on this case.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/10/08/sidley-lawyers-save-innocent-man-from-life-in-prison/

Well done team Sidley.

And, we are getting married in 8 days. I thought I would get more nervous, but nope, just more excited. We move to our new apartment tomorrow. I keep quoting Monica from friends "I have to live with a boy!" except, I GET to live with a boy. I can't wait. For those who think the idea of us living together a week before the wedding is a little off, don't worry. We will be spending the last week of singleness all cozy on our roommates couches. Our things will reside at the new apartment and we'll move in together when we get back from the honeymoon.

IE = Incredibly Exhausting

2010-09-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Internet explorer won't load. I am using Firefox right now. Although it might be a better browser, I think my computer is sick and needs some tlc.

Help me. Thank You.

Chippy

2010-09-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

When I was young I chipped my tooth. I had it fixed by a nice dentist a few years back, but unfortunately part of the filler chipped off again last week. Bryson has been calling it chippy and said chippy isn't invited to the wedding. Tomorrow I am getting it done. This might be one of the last tasks I have on my to do list before the wedding. How great is that?!

By the way, we get married in LESS THAN 4 weeks. WHAT?! I told Bryson if he had a list of things to do before he gets married he better get on it. He probably doesn't have a list, but I do. Do you think Bryson would notice if I took a little backpacking trip across Europe before the wedding?

upcoming marriage= busy busy girl (and boy)

2010-09-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

There is a lot to do. I have no idea how people put on their own weddings. I have hired people to do the busy stuff and I still feel like I am running around frantically trying to check off boxes on an unending to-do list.

When I started looking at bridal magazines I noticed a rather large number of checklists. With a large number if items on each of them. I think I have made more decisions in the last month and a half than I have in my adult life. I tend to shy away from decisions.

We found an apartment yesterday. The wedding is planned (it will be lovely, fingers crossed). Bryson and I are totally solid (he is a gem, I have been a crazy person).

I now am going to spend the next 6 weeks until we get married (!!!) figuring out how to go from Ms. to Mrs..

Oh so happy

2010-07-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a moment in life that is so wonderful you want to hit the pause button and sit in that feeling for a few more hours (or days)? Last night I definitely wanted to press pause. Luckily this morning I woke up in complete bliss, just happy. I think this feeling will be sticking around for a long while. This morning, thinking of it, I get so happy I can't stand it.

Bryson proposed. I had no idea it was going to happen. No clue. I thought (and hoped) it would happen eventually but no clue it would be last night. He picked the perfect spot, somewhere meaningful to us (the site of our first kiss), said the perfect words and (of course) I feel it was absolutely perfect. (Thank you to the Anderson Family!!) We then went to dinner and I couldn't stop beaming. They printed Congratulations to Destiny and Bryson on the menu.

Not knowing if I would be dressed up enough he also talked to my roommate and had her buy me shoes, dresses and waterproof mascara in case I needed them (Thank You Katie!!). He talked to my family by getting numbers from my phone, got the ring (Thank you Joe and Jeni!!) and I had no clue. It was perfect. I can't stop staring at my hand. Really, I can't stop thinking about Bryson.

We don't have a date yet. We'll be getting to that soon....

The beginning of the trip....

2010-06-11T12:39:00.001-07:00

Madrid Airport in customs line after an all night flight

B: Look there is Miley Cyrus (chuckles)

Me: Oh, yeah, it is

B: Destiny I was just joking

Me: No it really is. That is her.

B: What? I really was just joking.

Then we saw her get taken to the front of customs.

Apparently she had a concert in Madrid that night.

Back

2010-06-07T06:50:00.001-07:00

Just got back from Spain/France last night. I am worn out. I think the computer screen is burning my retinas. On my run this morning I realized the USA is giant. The streets, the cars, the stores, the space. All giant.

The trip was Awesome. Wonderful. Beautiful. More on that coming soon. With pictures. A lot of pictures.

We were in route back to the states yesterday from noon in Barcelona until 11:00 pm here. That is a total of 17 hours. The flight was delayed, the customs line was moving slow and the shuttle to the car was late. Oh, and I paid for the Dulles toll road in pennies. All pennies. I had no other change except Euro's and I don't think that would have worked. Luckily it took pennies. The car behind us had to think it was hilarious to see me throw at least 5 handfulls of change into the bin. Bryson and I thought it was hilarious.

Atlantic City

2010-04-21T11:34:00.001-07:00

We took a much needed road trip to New Jersey this weekend. DC is great but I needed to get out of here. It has been busy lately. I have been house hunting and selling my room and it has been a tad stressful.

Atlantic City is one of those places I have wanted to go for a while and it reminded me of a smaller Las Vegas. Unfortunately we didn't walk the boardwalk (it was late and dark). We did see The Fray in concert. Great show, small venue, great vocals. Wonderful (and tall) company.

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Why I don't like talent shows

2010-04-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

In third grade we had a talent show. Everyone had to do something. Being someone without talents that are done on a stage, I rollerbladed. Seriously. On one foot even. Embarrassing. I am still scarred.

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This makes me giggle.

2010-04-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

Wake n' Bacon

Who doesn't love waking up to the smell of bacon?

Yum. Bacon sizzling next to your head in the morning.

So I blogstalk. Is that a problem?

2010-03-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

It generally happens like this: you go to a friend's blog, you click on the links to theirs friends blogs, you find one you like and you are then reading it far too often and know too much and are stalking people you have never met by reading their blog. You know their kids names, they have an affinity for Thai food, they don't get enough sleep, they are redecorating their kitchen. If you actually met these people you would be great friends because you know all about them, but instead, if you saw them on the street you would feel like a celebrity gawker. True TMZ style. You continue to go to their blog because they are great writers. The stories suck you in. We all have embarrassing moments, but they have a gift with words and their life seems so much more interesting to yours.

Then, out of nowhere, they make their blog private. WHAT?! How are you ever going to know how their vacation went? Or if they got the new job? Or how they feel about the health care bill?

Question is: Do you request an invite to view their blog?

Favorite time of day

2010-03-26T04:56:00.000-07:00

Just after my morning run and eating cereal out of the box. Great way to start the day. And it's only going to get better.

Documentary Review

2010-03-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on my couch watching Life with my roommates. We recorded it from the Discovery Channel. Reptiles and Amphibians is currently on... In a word: Amazing. Giant bullfrogs, geckos, horned lizards, turtles, frogs. It is incredible to see how different forms of life survive and have adapted to survive. I am really excited for the next installment Sunday night.

Two weeks ago I saw the Oscar winning Documentary The Cove. It was playing at the National Archives. I didn't know much about the acquisition of dolphin's, but after watching the documentary I felt much better informed. The documentary was partially made in a late night covert mission to uncover the murder of hundreds of dolphins a day in a secret cove in Japan. It was very sad to see.

I also have been fortunate enough to watch Planet Earth. Again, it is amazing to see how animals have evolved over time to be able to survive in diverse habitats throughout the world. The camerawork is incredible as is seeing animals in their natural habitat's. I think the segment with the elephant migration is my favorite.

Useful

2010-03-18T14:18:00.001-07:00

In case you are in need of one stop shopping for Pizza delivery and a limo service we got this flyer today:

Carryout, delivery, and a posh ride. I wonder if they deliver pizzas in the limos.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Springtime

2010-03-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

Spring is here. Our tulips are coming up and I have really fallen in love with fresh everything. My newest gardening experience are these:

My herb garden. Rosemary, cilantro, chives and basil. Really i am not sure if these are great ondoor plants We'll see how they grow, hopefully well. Fresh herbs are far better than dried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pretty please?

2010-03-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Mother Nature,

I hear you are letting Rain come see us this weekend. I think you should blow her over to Las Vegas. I think they need her more than we do. You were kind enough to give us record amounts of snow last month, and I think we are still drying out from that (I know in my house we are, my poor roommate was out of her room for a week with a nasty leak in her wall).

Sunshine is here now and we wouldn't want her to cut her stay short. Plus, I think a few of us (me) are lacking Vitamin D exposure from being inside an office all day. Please don't rain out the weekend.

xoxo

Destiny

today

2010-03-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

My boss walked into the office looked at me and said "You look like you are ready to go to church."

My co-worker and I looked at each other confused.

What does that even mean?

I'mTotallyFreakingOutRightNow

2010-02-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Memorial Day 2010

Barcelona, Spain

I can hardly contain myself.

I am making a paper countdown chain in my room....

Snow

2010-02-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

We are supposed to get the storm of the century tonight/tomorrow.

People are going nuts. I went to the store and the lines were to the back of the store.

WHOLE FOODS RAN OUT OF PRODUCE.

I gained an understanding of food storage.

*Don't worry Mom, I have rice and frozen veggies to last for days. And a full tank of gas.

**I keep talking to UT friends and we think these DC people are soft. I mean, who hasn't lived through 2 feet of snow overnight? Do we shop like this in UT when we get this much snow? Do people go nutty there too? I couldn't remember. Maybe Utahns have a bunch of food storage in their basements so they don't have to shop more or worry. The only thing crowded on snow mornings it UT are the canyons to the ski resorts.

***Why is Alta 2,092 miles away???

Urban Dictionary: destiny

2010-02-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Urban Dictionary: destiny: "Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. But rather it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan. If we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call fatum, what we currently refer to as destiny."

Urban Dictionary: Destiny

2010-02-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Urban Dictionary: Destiny: "A simple yet complex girl who is Beautiful inside and out. Her loving nature and kind hearted spirit tend to have an effect on the opposite sex.People usually gravitate toward her and some may be jealous because da[ng] she's on top of her game. Basically; Destiny is [incredibly] DOPE &you're just not on her level.

Woman of Action

2010-01-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

That was my New Year's Resolution. Become a woman of action.

I think it is a good one for me, it came about after this conversation with *ahem* a good friend:

Him: "I am a man of action"

Me: "I am a woman of lists."

Eek. I have things and places I want to do and see but I felt like I was s l o w l y becoming comfortable. Life isn't comfortable. It isn't supposed to be. Likening it to food, I don't want to eat plain oatmeal every morning. Nope, I like cinnamon, blueberries a little flax seed and make those steel cut oats thank you. Life is supposed to be spicy and juicy. Let's all be honest, we dream of a life worth being gossiped about. Whether it is our awesome job or our latest adventure overseas or even our random encounters at the grocery store. We want something to talk about.

So I am making these things happen.

And whenever I forget I am reminded "That was the old Destiny, the new Destiny is a Woman of Action."

Thank you.

*Making it happen moment of the week: I started Calc. II and I rearranged my room. I felt I needed new perspective.

Oooh I love running.

2010-01-29T06:42:00.001-08:00

Anyone that really knows me may be a little shocked by the title of this post. I generally say I don't like it at all. 2 marathons, a half and a few relay's under my belt and I still could take it or leave it. Before my run. Afterwards though I am all hopped up on endorphins and I think to myself "that was great."

It's been a long week. Taxes, lobbying, Calc II, lack of sleep, life and simple carbs.

But I have been running. And it feels good.

This morning's run was frigid (24 degrees?) but lovely. Jenny is my running partner and she is a peach. She is faster than me, so she pushes me in a "you can do it" sort of way. She is consistent and always at my door at 6:30. On off days, I try to get up, and my body refuses to leave my bed before it is absolutely necessary. Forget morning workouts. But with Jenny there, I just can't let her down. And she lets me talk. I mean, we both talk, but she is a great listener. It is nice to get in some early morning therapy and exercise at the same time.

So today, I love running.

Simple Carbs

2010-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

My stomach hurts.

I went a few days (it was supposed to be a week, but who is counting?) without anything processed and then I caved. And by caved I mean I have been eating anything with simple carbs in sight. I just really like them and it has been a long week and I have been doing taxes. So don't judge.

I began this morning with a run and the thought "Eat healthy all day!" I did really well until the drive home and a few cookies that were left in the glove compartment. And then it went downhill fast. And now my stomach isn't singing me the same praises my tastebuds are. Well even the tastebuds might be overwhelmed.

Yeah, I keep (well kept) cookies in the car, in case of emergency, you never know when you are going to get stuck in your car, but really they were left in the car so they wouldn't tempt me while at home or in the office. Maybe I should take the bus. Or not buy cookies.

Or print here that sweets are off limits for a week. My tummy will thank me.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T08:41:00.001-08:00

My roommate Catherine and I decided to undertake the cooking of thanksgiving dinner this year. We had a great time! The turkey was moist, the potatoes were yummy and the pies were delicious! I will say though, after cleaning out the bird (or watching Catherine do it) vegetarianism didn't look too bad. Also, I had a lot more love and respect for my grandmothers who cook for four times the people every year.

We woke up early and ran a 5k so we were extra hungry for the feast. Very fun run!

Our table, I think we had enough foor for 30 people, only 11 came to dinner though. Luckily I love leftovers!

Catherine cleaning the turkey "Walter" what a champ.

I touched the raw turkey to help separate the skin... then washed my hands three times.

Carving the turkey was hilarious. We had no idea how to do it, but we got it done.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

From the iPhone

2009-11-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

I just got it and I am having too much fun with the nifty little device. It also has come in handy for work. Really. I think it needs a name though... Here are a few random photos.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

People respond to incentives

2009-11-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

The boots are en route. I met my goal. It was close. 40 seconds. Still slow but faster than the first.

And, Happy 50th Dad!!

Incentives.

2009-11-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

OhIamtotallyfreakingoutrightnow!

Tomorrow I have to run 26.2 miles. I hope the downpour passes. I hope I didn't forget anything. I hope I finish in my goal time.

If I do, I get these:

That's right, I will be trading in my running shoes for much cuter rain boots. I have been swooning over them all season, and I feel like I need an award for the training. I better be careful with the rewards though, it might posess me to run another.

Wish me luck.

SunTrust Richmond Marathon

2009-10-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

Sweet child

2009-09-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today at the corner market I saw a woman with dreadlocks. Then I looked down and saw her daughter, about 9 or 10, sporting her own set of waist long dreads. I am almost positive this is the youngest person I have seen with this hairdo.

The life of a Secretary:

2009-09-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Caller #1

Me: Good afternoon MGF's office.

Sassy Caller: Is _________ there?

Me: Sorry, you have the wrong number.

Really sassy caller: How do you know?

I just hung up.

Caller #2:

Me: Good afternoon MGF's office.

Clueless Caller: Is this the office of __________?

Me: No, sorry you have the wrong number.

Caller: Could you look up the number for me?

Labor Free Weekend

2009-09-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of a three day weekend.

Saturday:

Beach day with delightfully perfect weather. A few friends and I spent the day working on our tans at Virginia Beach. I hadn't been there and I would highly recommend it. The day was wonderful and we didn't hit a stitch of traffic on the way there or back. I have a certain affinity for laying on the beach, listening to tunes, and munching on Wheat thins, all while catching up on the latest celeb gossip (though I was a little sad my current read The Sun Also Rises didn't make it into the car).

Sunday:

I met up with a friend from church and caught up. She made me lunch and we chatted all afternoon. It was a lovely day outside so we spent the afternoon on her glider on her porch. I then went to a friends house and played pool, which I am sure is a great Sunday activity, especially if you win two of three games, which I did.

Monday:

I headed to Harper's Ferry with another group of friends. Oh, I adore rural Virginia. It was so pleasant to get outside DC and explore. We spent the morning floating in the Potomac river on tubes, which was much fun, though a little overcast and cool, and in the afternoon we walked around Harper's Ferry and explored Waterford. Waterford is an old Quaker town consisting only of houses and one corner market. The homes are old and well preserved. Many of them were built before 1840.

Responsible, part II

2009-08-10T07:13:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I dog sat the runaway dog again.

I made sure she was leashed and attached to me everytime she left the house.

No escaping now.

A week ago I finished up house/dog sitting for 9 days.

Both dogs (and a cat) are alive, well fed, happy and didn't leave the yard once during my caretaking.

Looks like I am capable of taking care of living things. Ha.

Howard County Fair

2009-08-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday night at the fair in Howard County, MD. It brought back memories of the Utah State Fair which my family frequented annually since my Grandfather served on the Utah State Fair Board.

I don't think I had eaten a corn dog for 15 years. Until Saturday night. Next time you are at the fair, be sure to get one. They are shockingly delicious.

Responsible?

2009-07-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

A friend was out of town last weekend and I agreed to watch her dog. She lives down the street from me and I just have to run over and let her out, feed her and give her water. No big deal right?

I got home aroung midnight and I wanted to go to bed, but remembered the dog. I thought I could let the dog out into the little yard and she would come back in, that is what my friend does. I let her out the door. She was there and I told her to go to the bathroom and all was well, right? No. She decided to crawl under a car.

I called for her for a few minutes and couldn't find her ANYWHERE! It was past midnight, and I was standing outside calling for the dog, trying to be quiet so I didn't wake up and neighbors. After 15 minutes or so, I was starting to get worked up a little. I called, roamed the alley, and prayed. Nothing. I am really starting to freak out, and it has now been around a half hour. I left my cell phone at home, so it was all me, no calling for help to find the lost dog (I have NO idea who I would call at 12:30). By now, I am sobbing all alone in a dark alley looking for a dog. Silly, I know, but I had no idea what to do.

I saw people on their porch at the end of the Alley, so I thought I would go over and see if maybe they have a flashlight I can borrow to look under the cars and see if the dog is just hiding. I get to the porch, start talking to these three men just out enjoying a nice summer night smoking their cigars, and break down sobbing. They look at me like I am totally NUTS! At this point, I look like I am a complete crazy. Luckily, one of them says he will let me borrow a flashlight, and goes in to get it. The other two stare at me crying and I am sure are thinking I am a nutcase. I take the flashlight, and walk up and down for a while longer, then walk through a yard to the street and see a cop car.

I wave it down. I tell the cop what has happened, describe the dog (still crying, so maybe I get weepy when it is late and I am tired; or hysterical when I lose other people's animals), and the cop is really nice. He said he has 4 dogs and understands my worry, he also said that dogs generally will return home and it's okay. Not to panic. I thank him and continue yelling for the dog. It is now 1:10 am (I saw the clock in the cop car) and I have no idea what to do. I wander the alley some more thinking of my options: continue yelling and shining a flashlight in other people's yards (how have the police not been called on me yet??), go home and call another friend who has babysat the dog and see if he has any ideas (do I really want to explain that I lost the dog), sit on the porch all night long and hope the dog returns...

I start yelling again and wandering around the alley. I hear a baby start crying through an open window. I woke up a child. Oh dear. I still wander trying to be quiet, but still yelling. I hear a man yell "Quiet!" out another window and know that it is now probably 1:40 am and I am running out of options.

A man is walking down the alley and says "I think I saw your dog." I stood there with my mouth open and said "A small black and white dog?" He confirmed it and said she was a block away, he took me to her. She was in the bushes scared, and lost. I picked her up and took her home, We chatted the whole time, and I couldn't stop thanking him.

I asked him if he needed anything, after a minute he said "Do you have a cold beer? I have been doing work on one of my rental properties and that just sounds so good right now."

"I don't, but my roommates do!" Yes, I offered him my roommates beer. "Let's put the dog away, then you can come to my house and I will give it to you."

We went back to my house, it was now 2:15 am. (Note: Do not worry for my safety, this guy was really nice, 5 inches shorter than me, and I looked like a crazy disaster). I look in my fridge and there wasn't a beer to be found. Of course. I started offering him anything, my roommate had made brownies, I had Mango popcicles in the freezer. He took the mango popcicle and loved it. We chatted for 15 minutes about recent trips to Peru and then he went home.

The next morning I baked cookies for the guys who let me borrow the flashlight.

Thoughts

2009-06-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look at my bed and think longingly

We don't spend enough quality time together.

Letters

2009-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Rain,

Go away. Don't come back for many many days. You have now ruined all chances of enjoying Saturdays outside before your cousins Heat and Humidity get here.

Sincerely,

Destiny

Dear _______,

Please quit calling me Sweetie. Dear, Hon and Cutie can go too. I am a 26 year old professional, not a 7 year old grade-schooler. In case you were confused.

Pleasantly,

Destiny

Dear Sarah Palin,

You threw your kids into the national spotlight. Expect them to be mocked. Especially your teen who became the national symbol of the problem with abstinence only education (which you paraded around the country). It isn't nice and possibly not fair, but you should have thought of that when you entered the national political arena. And, you just upped Letterman's ratings. Well done.

With regrets,

Destiny

Just a list

2009-06-16T13:39:00.001-07:00

Thailand
Denver
Portland
Salt Lake City
Seattle
Hawaii
Montana
Boston
Vermont
Charleston
Paris
Vancouver
New Zealand

A reason to work out in DC

2009-06-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

This morning on my bike ride into work I saw: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

power walking along the Potomac.Her security detail was a few steps behind her and there was a black SUV trailing.

A few months ago I saw:

hand in hand while I was running along the C&O canal on a Saturday morning.

Things I love Thursday

2009-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Garden. It is my pride an joy right now. I built the garden box in my backyard a few weeks ago, planted the plants and it is growing like crazy. Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots and spinach. Probably too much for such little space. When I trellised my tomato plants yesterday my fingers smelled like the juicy tomatoes that will be growing on them in a few months. I can't wait. Knowing that it is helping my garden grow has even made the rainy week more bearable.

This is my Garden three weeks ago on day 1:

Hot Yoga. I love it, love it. I even wake up at 5:45 am twice a week to do it. This is a big deal, because I also love sleep. I feel so strong yet peaceful after the class. It also has really helped my running and tight muscles.

My new Ice Cream maker. Apparently tart frozen yogurt is all the rage right now, and I am also mildly obsessed. I found a recipe for it so feel free to stop by for a taste. Topped with fresh berries and it is delish. Tastes just like Sweet Green/ Pink Berry/ Ice Berry. I also tried my hand at pistachio ice cream and loved it, thought it isn't quite as healthy at the fro-yo.

Etsy. Sometimes I look at all the homemade goodness and am thoroughly impressed by creativity. I wish I had time to sew (maybe I will try to take it up between gardening and ice cream making). Here is a little sample:

Yoga Wisdom

2009-06-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

This morning at yoga class my teacher said this:

"Take a moment to consider that right now, at this moment, everything in your life is how it's supposed to be."

Decisions

2009-05-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if we worry too much about making the right decision, when we should actually just make a decision and make it right.

All Things Southern

2009-04-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

I fulfilled a longtime dream last weekend. I spent the Weekend in Alabama. I really have wanted to visit the South for a long time, and since my good friends Roz, Thad and Michael now live there, I thought it was the perfect time to go. The trip was wonderful from the time I left DC to the time I got back. Here is a quick recap:

On the Train to BWI I sat by a lawyer from the DOJ who told me there was a shooting right by the Ghetto Shoe store that morning, about an hour or two before I was there. An avid Science Fiction junkie and Roller Coaster enthusiast sat across from us and I learned that Babylon 5 (B5) is the best science fiction series because of the Spirits and the Rangers and that the Millennium Force roller coaster at Cedar Point is "not for the novice." I would ride the train again just to sit by her.

On the plane to Alabama I chatted with the nicest Southern man the whole ride. He told me many highlights of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham and this is where I decided that I would probably be eating my way through the state. Which I accomplished nicely.

Michael picked me up from the airport and we drove to the Gulf Shores. On the way, needing sunscreen, we stopped at... WALMART. I gave up shopping at Walmart around 7 years ago, and haven't gone back since. But, I figured since the theme of the weekend was "All Things Southern", it wouldn't be complete without a trip (and it was the easiest store to find). It was as dingy as I remember.

The beach was wonderful. The water was perfect and the white sand beach was beautiful. At this point I was ready to move to Alabama. I was really enjoying it there. After the beach we stopped at a Gulf Shores staple, Lambert's Cafe "Home of the Throwed Roll." The walk around with huge homemade rolls and if you want one, they toss it to you. Or they will throw it from across the room, you just catch and eat. They also serve unlimited side dishes such at collard greens (the only southern food I didn't like), friend okra (mmm!) and sweet potatoes. I happily tasted everything.

On our way back, we were driving at night. We were trying to be careful, but unfortunately after coming around a bend, we saw an armadillo in the road. Poor little guy, we tried to swerve around him, but...

Heading back to Tuscaloosa was great, especially great to see Roz and her new home sweet home. We also met up with Katie and Nikki and took a tour of town and the town's religious institution, the University of Alabama. Seriously, the football stadium is more like a shrine.

Katie and I decided to play a little football in front of the stadium. I don't know if we will be recruited anytime soon. We also got to hug our favorite (?) past Alabama football coach, Paul "the Bear" Bryant. He is kind of a big deal in Tuscaloosa. He also brought back houndstooth. Tuscaloosa is a great city with such southern charm. And good food. I also ate grits and Dreamland Barbecue where you dip wonder bread in the BBQ sauce. Luckily we also found a running path through the woods. While running, we heard a noise, looked down and there was a little family of armadillos hanging out just off the path.

This is a statue of Big Al, the Alabama mascot. He is fierce.

Freegan Lifestyle

2009-04-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

I read this article about the freegan lifestyle and it brought me back to my college days. Freegans are "radical environmentalists (typically vegan) who reject our wasteful consumer culture by living almost entirely on what others throw away."

At USU, we were friends with an apartment of guys who weren't freegans, I think they were just cheap. One night we were hanging out and they said they were going to get free chips and goodies at the Hostess bread store in Logan. Apparently this store threw out all of the damaged goods into a dumptster behind the store and our friends would go get free bread, chips and Ding-Dongs (my personal favorite Hostess treat) out of said dumpster. They told us this, and while all of us girls turned up our noses and were a little grossed out at the thought of eating out of a dumpster, we still decided to go along for the ride.

We piled 8 or 9 people in a car (we all had cars of our own, but the more the merrier right?) and set off. We turned down the alley to get to the dumpster and got pulled over by a cop. No we weren't drinking. Yes we knew it was illegal to jam that many people in a car. And, yes we were college students going dumpster diving- which is also illegal. The cop told us to go home. That was the end of my freegan lifestyle.

Success

2009-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last fall my co-worker Olivia and I spent a day planting tulips. We waited eagerly all winter to see the results and it was a definite success. Everyday we get to work and go look at our beautiful flowers blooming. I think I have tulip pride. We keep getting compliments on them. The UPS man said "You have the most beautiful yard on Constitution Ave, and Constitution Ave. is a looong street." I heart him. Our next door neighbor said "I saw your yard and it inspired me, so Saturday I did some weeding and planted a few things." Today we were upstairs eating lunch and I looked out the window and saw a lady stop, look, and then... she pulled out her camera and took a few photos of our blooms. We were totally overly excited. Unfortunately these photos don't do it justice. Apparently, there is an inner gardener inside of me just waiting to come out.

Current Obsession

2009-04-08T12:34:00.001-07:00

= afternoon delight

*just in case you get hungry at your desk around 3:30 pm every day like me

Gifts.

2009-03-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

I was given a bag of Starburst Jelly Beans today from a kind person who knows how much I enjoy them and also knows this. Would it be inappropriate to re-gift them to, say, the first person who responds to this post or a homeless man on the street?

What a Week.

2009-03-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Monday: I locked myself out of my office and had to call my coworker (who was home sick) to let me in. Not one of my finest moments.

Tuesday: Started my day with a trip to the dentist. Then when I got home I was greeted by a ticket in the mail. One of those camera tickets. Argh.

Thursday: Caught a grungy man breaking into my Boss's car. I walked down the street yelling "If you ever come back on our property I will call the cops!" Luckily he got away with only a few quarters. He left a set of keys behind. When he is locked out of his house, maybe that will teach him to brake into cars that don't belong to him.

Raw

2009-03-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

I read this article on the wonder that is raw milk. I learned that in Pennsylvania it is legal to sell it, so I think on my next trek though PA, I should partake. I do think it would be pretty cool to be an underground raw milk consumer though (meet my, uh, dealer in a dark alley, wear all black, grab my goods out of a cooler...). Unfortunately, it is illegal to bring it across the border into other states, so my consumption will be limited to PA (unless I am feeling particularly edgy, and like the taste of course). Maybe they sell it in Dutch Country and (after Lent) I can eat a whoopie pie and chase it down with a tall glass of raw milk.

Who's in?

Weekend Fun

2009-03-18T13:43:00.001-07:00

Since Washington Dc is finally getting warm, I was finally able to go on a bike ride. A few friends and I rode the Mt. Vernon Trail that leads from DC to Mt. Vernon, it was great. Afterwards we (Tom) made breakfast, and then spent the rest of the beautiful day playing tennis.

The Blue Team:

By the Potomac, across from the Monuments:

Our post bike ride breakfast:

Thought of the day

2009-03-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

"I have the most liberal sentiments, and feelings of charity towards all sects, parties, and denominations; and the rights and liberties of conscience, I hold most sacred and dear, and despise no man for differing with me in matters of opinion."

The Prophet Joseph Smith

Lent

2009-02-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am giving up sweets again for lent this year. I binge for 325 days, and give them up for 40. Perfect. I have heard without sugar you are supposed to have some sort of heightened mental function; remember things better, more energy, etc. I have been more of a space cadet than usual lately. The only thing that is heightened thus far is my irritability from lack of sugar.

Saturday Night Live - Don't Buy Stuff

2009-02-12T06:12:00.000-08:00

The wisdom of SNL.

How to fix a slow computer

2009-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

1) Turn on computer, wait for 5 minutes to bring up any program.
2) Google what could be wrong "slow computer"
3) Call a computer place, download (more) virus and spyware programs, run them, notice slight difference.
4) Yell at computer, say things you will regret, and threaten to punch it in the screen
5) Reboot, hoping it will magically fix itself
6) Back to Google. While waiting for it to load, go for a run. When you get back, page is almost up.
7) Determine this is fate telling you not to apply to grad school
8) Ctrl Alt Delete
9) Notice CPU is running at 100%, don't know what that means, google will tell you.
10) Apparently that is not good. Find out why. More google.
11) Bring up faulty program, uncheck a box, reboot.
12) Computer works like new.

Note: Due to slow computer this process might take a month or so. You may have to repeat steps 1-9 many times. Or you could take said computer to a computer person and pay a lot of money, and save a lot of time for them to uncheck that box.

Resolution Fun

2009-02-05T10:58:00.001-08:00

So, I am really trying on my resolutions.

I found this website with Geography games to learn where countries are located. I am at 50% right now (already stated I am bad at Geography).

I picked up a volunteer application.

I still don't make my bed every day.

I have been riding the bus to work to get in more reading time. Anyone have any good book recommendations??

When DC freezes over

2009-01-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Snow on Tuesday.

The great freeze on Tuesday Night.

I saw this on my way to work Wednesday morning:

Chopsticks frozen to the cement.

Someone (me) needs to buy an ice scraper. I used my credit card (good idea Callie) to chisel ice off my car a few nights ago. I also learned the value of ice melt so clients don't fall and slip on their way to the office. I hope DC defrosts soon.

Innaguration

2009-01-28T12:20:00.000-08:00

This post is a little bit late, but I have been a busy girl.

Last week I was ever so grateful to be a resident of the District of Columbia. Yes, it was out of control busy, but I also got to roam the streets with millions of strangers who had united with a common purpose and excitement.

The inauguration festivities started off on Sunday with a concert at the Lincoln Memorial celebrating the President-elect Barack Obama. I was standing with friends between the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial, with thousands and thousands of people in front of us. It was freezing cold, but totally worth standing outside. The concert was great, which we mainly watched from the huge screens put up on the mall, but the excitement in the air was incredible. Chants filled the mall "O-Ba-Ma," there were readings from Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Reagan's (?) speeches.

Monday night I volunteered at the New Mexico State Ball. It was held in the Native American Museum. I met new friends there and had an overall wonderful time participating in a ball. There were a total of 14 bolo tie sightings and a woman who made her dress completely out of Obama signs.

Tuesday my roomies and I woke up early to leave our house at 6:00 am to get to the mall and in our places for the inauguration. The crowd was ridiculous, there were people everywhere and it was fabulous. It again was brutally cold and it took us 3 hours to get through security. Many, I am told, didn't get in. I have never seen that many people united for a single purpose. Tears were shed by many as President Obama took his oath of office. We were fortunate to be in a decent standing section.

My favorite thing about our new President is his ability to unite people. He has a gift of getting people to be active in their communities and I feel he has the opportunity to mobilize people to help themselves and each other. I feel he showed this during his campaign and I hope he can continue to motivate the Country.

I really liked this line from President Obama's speech:

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

My weekend just seemed to keep getting better, and after the inauguration I had the pleasure of meeting two prominent church leaders. It was amazing to see the shift in power of the President of the United States, a government leader, and then have to opportunity to meet spiritual leaders.

I feel for you man. I really do.

2009-01-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today while walking to lunch I saw a man pulling his van to the side of the road. Smoke was pouring from the hood of the van and anti-freeze was pouring from under the car, leaving a green puddle on the cold pavement.

This immediately made me think of car troubles I have had. And there have been many. In high school I drove a 1982 VW Quantum. We called it the Maserati. Yes this car was older than me, and no, it did not perform like its namesake.

Once while driving back from lunch in high school, the clutch pedal broke. Leaving me in a near death situation trying to slow the car down. We somehow coasted into this nice Latino family's driveway and they let us use their phone (this was pre-everyone has a cell phone craze).

The final breakdown was very similar to what I witnessed today. I was driving to school, when at the stoplight before the parking lot, my car filled with smoke and icons lit up the dashboard. I parked the car, went inside and called my dad, and went to class smelling like anti-freeze. At least it has a sweet smell, right?

9 for '09

2009-01-05T14:15:00.001-08:00

Here they are. I am posting these here, because frankly I need some accountability. Last year I made a sorry attempt at completing my short list, I think I barely etched by on one goal. So here goes:

1 Learn a new language. I took a french class last year, I will continue the study this year.

2 Save money. I am thinking of a number... by the end of the year I want it to equal my savings account balance.

3 Bike a century. 100 miles. This will probably take me three days straight, but so be it.

4 Read a certain book every day.

5 Travel somewhere new and exciting

6 Volunteer.

7 Make my bed every day. For anyone who has lived with me, yes I do know how to do this.

8 Read 50 books. I read that G.W. Bush read 40 last year, I assume he has a tighter schedule than I do, so I'll add a few more.

9 Be able to point out where 90% of the countries in the world are on a map and be able to state each of their capitols. I am terrible at geography, and I think this will help me improve.

Another Christmas Light Hanging Casualty

2008-12-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-11-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-11-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-11-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-02T05:51:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-03T13:34:00.001-07:00

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.