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.