Happy to be alive

I barely escaped being eaten by this beast last weekend. He apparently snacks on holiday shoppers at the National Harbor.

Growing Stuff

Seems I'm growing quite a few things these days...
There are the plants in my mini-arboretum near my bedroom windowsill. Then there is the yogurt I'm growing in my kitchen tonight thanks to the gift exchange at work today. Yes, I'm growing clean air and bacteria. I'm also growing tired. Good night!

Julmust

Preparing for Christmas has given me new purpose in life.

The first sign of Christmas was when I saw IKEA's holiday coca-cola (Julmust). Jag tycker om Julmust!! (I like Julmust, in Swedish). This holiday beverage tastes a bit of coca-cola and evergreen. At first it confuses the taste buds but a few sips later you won't believe you've ever lived without it. And now, you can go to your local IKEA to purchase some for yourself. No need for a ticket to Sweden. It's easy!





The second sign of Christmas was when I smelled the Christmas trees when walking by my neighborhood hardware store. This year my roommate and I decided to buy a real Christmas tree. While a brilliant idea, and my first time to experience a real tree, I opted against the purchase today. First, trees are expensive. Second, I own no accessories for the tree. There is the stand, lights, the star, ornaments... and where does one stop? As I may or may not be in my house next year at Christmas, the thought of moving a Tupperware full of holiday goodies turned my energies to other crafty tree ideas. I landed upon making a wreath of coat hangers (thank you dry cleaners!) and pine cones from the sidewalk outside my house. Total cost = $0. Now THAT'S the holiday spirit! (Hey, we're in a repression people. Follow my lead and we'll make it.) After finishing the wreath I put together a few other decorative items with oranges and pine cones. Our house smells great.







The third sign of Christmas was the explosion of fantastic events. (1) My roommate and I took a candlelight tour of Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home, for those who need a brush up on East Coast history). You'll see a pic here of the CAMEL that was on the grounds. That is because George Washington DID have a camel during Christmas at least one time. We sat around a fire sipping cider with men dressed in colonial period clothing. Not a bad look. (2) The Swedish embassy held a holiday festival with food and crafts, music and a St. Lucia day train. It just so happened I had already baked pepparkakor and saffron buns. I'm a die-hard Swedish Christmas lover. It's true. (3) I watched the Capitol Christmas tree lit last Tuesday and attended the (free) reception with delicious food from Montana. (4) Next weekend I will run the Jingle Bell All the Way 10K that benefits my friend's school.


The fourth sign of Christmas was my over zealous commitment to crafting. I am not at liberty to disclose the items crafted until after Christmas. However, I can tell you I spend a babysitting check at a craft store. That made me a little too happy. Hopefully you will see at least a Christmas card come your way.

Lastly, I AM listening to Christmas music (I want a hippopotamus for Christmas...) I AM drinking eggnog. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! I love how it brings a sense of happiness and hope.

I'm Victoria Beckham

I want to cut my hair like this...


Or do you prefer this one?

Send some ideas !

Sweet Smell of Fall

As I walked home on Saturday, I could smell the fireplaces started for the first time this season. The leaves still hold most of their color but the air has grown crisp.



On Saturday my friends and I took a jaunt to Harper's Ferry to take in the history.



The day is not complete without a stroll in a battlefield and exploring the abandon home.



Harper's Ferry sits on a magnificent hill overlooking two rivers.



And what would fall be without a carmeled apple?

Appropriations Law

This week I'm in a Fiscal Law class... basically that means I'm learning the laws that guide how government agencies can spent the money Congress appropriates to us. My professor has traveled to nearly every nook and cranny on earth, which makes for outstanding stories. My favorite tidbit of advice involved some knowledge from Bruce Lee. Apparently if you're in a street fight, Bruce Lee recommends running away. But if you cannot run away, hit first, from behind, with a weapon. In the fiscal law realm, I suppose that means to run away from conflicts. But if I cannot, I've decided my weapon of choice is the Federal Acquisition Regulations book (a large resource of laws). Somethings you just need to learn in law school. Using reg books for weapons is one of those things.

A few weeks ago I discovered my favorite sentencing guideline in a training. Today my professor divulged his favorite regulation. Comparing favorite laws is one of my new hobbies. . . what is your favorite law?

The Wave

I came across many a Brooklyner who either wanted to run for US Senate or start a documentary movie company. In case the US Senate does not work out, I have tried my hand at a documentary film. It's a short film set on Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles during a beach volleyball tournament.

What I very much enjoy about this film is the juxtaposition between the man's back and the man yelling "back" to slow, "back" to slow. But my favorite part is the person sitting next to me who, while participating in the slow wave, stands with arms in the air, proclaiming "whooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo." You can feel the wave pulsing through you during that moment. It's so real. So real.

Please enjoy my documentary entitled, The Wave, Back to Slow.

WI Summer at the Union

Only thing better than the Madison, WI Farmer's Market is the Madison, WI Farmer's Market the morning of your BFF's wedding. It will be a superb b-day week indeed!

Quick Release

Quick, release your hunger:

I ate this.
Quick release bike tires and seats:

But what is so quick about them... it took me over a week to figure out how to reverse the quick release and instead "quick install" a seat and tire onto my disassembled bike. It took a tool loan from KL and some crafty, though incorrect, methods. And I built this. Enjoy this cry for help sent in video form to my dad. It's just that the man at the bike shop told me to turn the tire the other way, turn the seat handle the other way, and turn the quick release the other way. . . I have another way to build a bike. For $50 I'll fix yours, too.

Quick-Cross your fingers that my tire and seat will cooperate.

Good Famous Stuff

A new restaurant opened in my neighborhood called Good Stuff Eatery. Chef Spike from Top Chef dreamed up the concept of a burger, fries, and shake shop where people eat the good stuff from their childhoods. The shakes are big, burgers are decent, and fries a little limp, but the fun atmosphere will bring me back. The prices are fair for the location, too.

My favorite part is secretly that it was opened by someone famous. Chef Spike is there in his funky hats nearly every time I pass by on my walk home. I like to tease my roommate about dating Chef Spike. But really, what a great set up that would be! He could cook for us all the time. Then he could invite us to his friends' restaurants. I could be the girl in the background of cooking shows tasting the food.

Such talk of dating Chef Spike is a strange funny reality/unreality that occurs in big cities. This would not happen in my small hometown. Then again, Chef Spike's work schedule would be prohibitive for a serious relationship. This is the blunder in the plan. At least it will give me something to plot over on my walk past every day.

Similarly, a friend of mine had been dating a guy who came from a wealthy family. The guy purchased expensive bottles of wine on dates and refused to ride the metro. Though women joke about dating rich men, I have never actually encountered a close aquaintance that did date a man with lots of dough. In the end, my friend found that this particular man did not relate to the average working person, nor would he choose to experience her type of lifestyle (such as by riding the metro). She broke up with him. This opens many questions about how money and lifestyle affect one another, or not. I could go on and on at this point. Instead I will chalk it up as another thing to think about on my walk home.

Play Me Some Mountain Music

Last weekend some friends and I rented a car and explored the Appalachian Mountains. We canoed down the Shenandoah River and camped near the tranquility of the rushing waters. The next day we drove through the National Forest and hiked to Mary's Summit. The hike took only about an hour to the top, but the view rewarded us for fighting the bugs. Other hikers told us they saw bears just a few miles earlier. While the Appalachians pales in comparison to the size of the Rockys, the proximity of the adventure to DC leaves no reason for us to stay home.

While on Mary's summit, the clouds rolled in and reminded me of how I wanted to lay around in clouds as a child. I always thought it would feel like one of those giant ball rooms that kids played in at McDonalds, except softer. The cartoons made an afternoon lounging in the clouds look so appealing. I have seen clouds before in the Rockies, on flights, etc. Every time the same idea pops into my mind. Good thing I never sat in a cloud. I would fall right through.

On our drive back into the city we spotted Mayor Fenty in his black SUV jamming out to some tunes. Welcome Home!

Busy Day II

To clarify an earlier post, I intended the busy day post to be my transition back into regular blogging. Now, I will attempt again to blog a few times a week. Here goes!

Red River

For the fourth of July, I visited a quaint Wisconsin secret locally known as Red River. This is an unmarked part of a river where people park in an unmarked parking lot type area and swim in rapids. While attempting to reach the deepest part of the river, I noticed something crawling on my foot, then saw a crayfish. Soon after, I slid down the rapids on my posterior and called it a day for swimming. Mainly I feared the crayfish. I transitioned from an olympic rapids swimmer into a national geographics photographer of crayfish.

The real reason Red River holds such a special place to me is the unique gathering of Wisconsinites that can be found there. Everything from the [tatoo-ed, smoking, drinking, ride your motorcycle down a steep hill to the river bed] type person, to the [family grill out] crew. I rolled in with my father who sat recovering from a surgery and my sister who sat with a generic brand ipod listening to her biology teacher's class and studying for an exam. We didn't exactly fit into either of the above category of Red River dweller. All types can be found at Red River.

Wisconsin. I love it.

First Cucumber

My mentor at work gave me the first cucumber harvested from her garden this season. She thought to herself for a while about who would most appreciate the cucumber and I won that contest.

The cucumber is photographed here beautifully next to the tent I weather proofed last weekend. This was a free tent I received with the points I earned for researching on Westlaw or some legal database during law school. Two points for the cucumber, two points for the tent.

You likely asked yourself whether I enjoyed the cucumber. Why, yes I did. I ate it in spears like french fries as I sat next to those enjoying McDonalds at the airport on Sunday. Had McDonalds offered the mango shake I thought I noticed on the flight home, I would have indulged. But no, I ate to my heart's content - of the first cucumber harvested this season.

David Beckham

At a DC United soccer match vs. the LA Galaxy, I discovered that pro-soccer has some of the best fans. Particularly in DC, the only city where I've seen pro-soccer, the game raises my spirits for at least the next whole week. There is serious salsa music, fans banging on drums, gigantic flags, confetti, and the occasional spice girl's husband. Also, when I see people smoking in no smoking zones I am brought back to Guatemala where the law is what people perceive as common sense. Why wouldn't I smoke at a soccer game? Common sense. To be clear, I wasn't the one smoking in the no smoking zone. It represented for me the days of last summer in Guatey. Back to soccer though, I highly recommend you visit me on a weekend when UC United plays.

Thursday

What a busy day.

Downtown

Tonight I took the metro to DuPont for dinner with a friend in town. My friend is dog sitting for a fellow Wisconsinite who is out of town for a few days. The Wisconsinite has a top floor apartment in DuPont, a swanky part of town. Her top floor apartment has a loft with an outdoor patio. I cannot imagine the cost, but I love visiting for dinner. I noticed that the walking traffic in DuPont, downtown, was far heavier than in my quaint Capital Hill neighborhood. My friend and I walked the dog to Logan Circle, and I chased the dog around the park. The dog preferred to chew on the lease or meet other dogs.

Having a dog downtown makes me feel like Paris Hilton - too much money to care about anything but my domestic pet. Now I love animals; grew up on a hobby farm. However, I wonder about the meaning of life walking my dog and eating organic vegetables. When I cross town to my neighborhood, there are a few homeless people gathered around the 7-Eleven on my walk home. Where is the balance between the dog walkers and the homeless who need a hot dog? These are the urban living questions I hope to find a peace with in my own life - where do I fit? In what scenario do the dog lovers and people living in poverty win?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Take me out to the crowd! Buy me a brewer hat and Wisconsin Society tailgate ticket. I don't care if I never get back. Let me root root root for the Brewers (in DC). If they don't win it's a shame. For it's a new stadium in DC, lots of Brewers fans, and Memorial Day weekend at the old ball game.


Pictured here at the new Washington National's Stadium: The President's Race (in lieu of sausage races) & Screech the team bald eagle.

Travel to Argentina

This weekend embassies around Washington DC opened their doors for visitors. They hosted cultural events, movies, food, and exhibits. I traveled to the embassy of Argentina in DuPont neighborhood and listened to the traditional music of tango. Amazingly, the musicians asked if anyone in the crowd wanted to tango. Individuals raised their hands then danced together. This intimate dance was performed by complete strangers. Beautiful and a great idea for a sunny Saturday afternoon.

This art weekend kicked off with a trip to an event in DC called "Art-o-matic." At art-o-matic, artists display their work on nine or so floors of a new building. Performances occur simultaneously, anything from comedy to music or fire throwing. Friday I enjoyed art by a law school friend's daughter who lives in DC. She named her mother as one of her inspirations. I agree! The fire throwers remind me of Guatemala and the beaches of Thailand. Alas, it can also be found on the beaches of the Potomac.

Art weekend stirred the question: What life do I want to lead as a professional? What are my hobbies? Volunteer focuses? Educational pursuits? Relaxing activities? Tango fits into my spanish language theme . . . I may have to look into dance classes. Or more classes, meet-up groups, volunteering in the Spanish-speaking community...so many possibilities in DC but I have to choose. Time flies by and here I've been living as a professional for eight months. Art weekend may inspire me to set more volunteer or education dates with organizations and activities around town.

Unrelated, I would also like to own a bicycle. Any good ideas for places to look for used bikes?

Home Where the Buffalo Roam

This past weekend the sweet Wisconsin pavement passed under me. I saw road signs that said "Next Exit, Wisconsin Fun." It was tough to resist taking each and every exit. Among the many beautiful views, the one that takes the cake is the one of Lake Mendota's waves crashing on the student union's terrace of colorful chairs.

LA, Atlanta, Reunions, Oh My!

April Showers bring May Flowers...


so I've been showering myself in the love of friends. First stop: Los Angeles for a possible job hunting mission near the Union Station (pictured with palm trees). Can't beat the Getty Center's free art and gardens. Love the BOP staffers, beaches, and public transportation ain't so bad.




Second stop: Atlanta, aka Hotlanta. Met with my two best girlfriends from high school for a weekend of crafting, eating, and general merriment. We caught a Braves v. LA Dodgers game. My LA team lost. Loved the aquarium. Learned to knit. My friend lives in Cabbagetown, a cozy hub similar to my capital hill but built around an old cotton mill gone condo instead of the US Capitol. Hospitality and friendship was bar-none.

Last stop: A University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Student Senate Reunion in D.C. These are my people!! A critical mass of personalities live in D.C. and we finally reunited after months of waiting. My empty threat of moving to LA spurred us into action planning the reunion. I erroneously made this threat after falling in love with John Vanderslice all over again. You may recall that John sings the song "Dear Sarah Shu," and you may recall that John swooped me into his D.C. concert a few weeks ago for free. For the foregoing reasons, I wanted to move to LA -anything for John. And, it just so happens there's a great BOP crowd in LA, too. Regardless, relax because I am jolly in DC after a month of adventure.

Clever Tourism

In the past few days, I have learned a few new clever tricks for tourists. They all involve buses.

It all began when my cousins visited and mentioned taking the actual tourist bus, the one that costs $28 and allows you to hop on and off at will. As a local, I feel compelled to guide (midwest) visitors myself. While I cannot offer the same historic perspective over a microphone, I can offer cheap, way cheap prices.

Tip 1: Circulate around town for $1 for hours. This bus offers three simple routes. One from Georgetown to Union Station, one north and south from Union Station to Southwest, and one around the National Mall. Don't forget to get your transfer ticket for a free pass for hours. Look for the giant red buses near the red bus stations. What can the circulator offer you? Great views of the key parts of town. Plus, you can say you circulated around DC. (Not to be confused with a great dance move, the perculator.)

Tip 2: Take the Dulles Bus for an unintended purpose. For $3, you can take the Dulles airport 5A bus from Rosslyn metro stop to L'Enfant metro stop, or visa versa. This route goes past the Tidal Basin with beautiful views. For those who prefer to leave their walking shoes in the tent, wear your heals and still feel as if you've circled the most popular DC destination in Spring. For $3, I vote to take the bus twice! From Rossyln you could walk to Georgetown; Or from L'Enfant you could walk the Hirshorn Smithsonian and see my favorite modern art video about simple machines.

After a tough day on the bus, don't forget to keep your transfer so you can bus it up Independence and into Eastern Market for some Tunicliffs or Finn McCools.

Just two tips for those with DC in their dreams.

Cherry Blossom Season

Spring - the season of new beginnings. It could just be that Cool Hand Luke (see previous post) is so cute, but there was a girl in a cherry tree that gave him a run for his money.

With family in town, I spent much of my weekend enjoying the sweet scent of cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, sweat of runners on the cherry blossom 10 miler, and tourists in the Smithsonian museums.

Can you guess where these tourists were located in our Nation's Capital?
1. A tourist on the phone said to someone on the other line, "I'm coming out of the Universe."
2. A tourist on the phone said to someone on the other line, "I'm near the calcitrates."
3. "We're Circulating."
4. "I love Ballarina stationary."
5. Which way does the arrow go? Where is my card? You don't need to put the card in to exit!

When you've given up, here are the answers
1. Air & Space Museum
2. Natural History Museum
3. Circulator bus - the best bus invention for tourists, ever.
4. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Gift Shop
5. Metro. And you do need to put the card in to exit.

Returning to my roots as a DC tourist made me appreciate this great city all over again. Spring is great.

One Day Anniversary

In the year 2008, I have wireless internet at home. Today is my one day anniversary. My wireless and I shared a beautiful day together so far. What a wonderful world.

DC by night

My Baby: Cool Hand Luke

Since I do not have Internet at home I do not stalk my friends on Facebook like a proper friend should in the year of 2008. Tonight I took a look and noticed that somehow so many of my friends have married or had the question popped to them with a huge heirloom diamond. Instead of participating in the institution of marriage (for now), I've decided to move straight into motherhood.

A baby was born on Fat Tuesday, 2008. Born is defined as found in a cake. My baby was inside the Fat Tuesday Cake, under the purple frosting. That is where I found him. The color purple is the color for justice. My baby is supposed to bring me justice this year. I named him Cool Hand Luke after inspiration from my office/cubicle neighbor. Luke enjoys getting his picture taken. I think he is starting to look like me already.

Finer Things in DC - in the spring!

My one-of-a-kind IKEA shelf. Thank you to my neighbor, Mr. Rogers, for that. Also pictured, the Library of Congress with spring tree, and the Jefferson.