Curses! Advent Update

Once again, my weekend Christmas plans were rudely disrupted by the weather. Sunday rained and rained and rained... I don't like walking around wet and cold, so I've postponed my Zoolights excursion. Not only that, but once we'd picked out the "perfect" (and my family always looks out for character as part of perfection) tree, we looked around the Christmas-y things on sale at the garden center, and stopped briefly to pick up lunch on the way home. Thus, the tree was by no means dry - in fact, it was too wet to contemplate stringing electrical lights on the damp branches. So instead of giggling and laughing and getting sticky everywhere while reaching around and hugging the tree did not happen - and my mom has plans to light and decorate the tree herself. :( Ah well.

In any case, I did bake cookies yesterday and last night. Mostly I played sous chef to my sister's master baker, but we had fun.

Tonight is a chores night (i.e. laundry) so it's not certain I'll get around to doing more than listening to holiday music, unless Netflix obligingly sends me The Christmas Carol, in which case I'll watch another holiday movie.

Advent, Days 11, 12 and 13

Today looks like another Christmas movie: A Christmas Story, this time - apparently the most-rented holiday movie on NetFlix. I've seen it before, but remember very little. I suppose I feel it's one of those classics I ought to know, because it's quoted so often. Also, I think quite possibly I'll find it amusing. And who doesn't need a little more laughter and fun in life?

This weekend will most likely resemble a holiday marathon. The family (at least, the women, who are all within less than two hours distant) have plans to congregate and bake, for friends, coworkers (and family, I do insist). Holiday cookies in my family come in at least four varieties - mostly because we love baking, decorating, and most especially (in my case) eating them.

Sunday equals Christmas Tree Day. Unfortunately we no longer drive out to a farm to cut the quote-unquote "best" tree. These days, we go in for much less exciting, but easier tree shopping. I.e., we go to the nearest garden center to pick one out. Then there's getting it home, setting it up in its little tray, and the funnest part of all - putting on the lights. That last is said only partly in jest...

Sunday I will also be going to the Zoolights at the National Zoo. Sunday is evidently "young professionals night" which should make things interesting. It's cheap, at $8 for a non FONZ member ticket. According to About.com, "Throughout ZooLights, the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat will be open for extended hours for those who wish to bid farewell to Tai Shan before he departs for China in early 2010." - so I guess it's also a good time to see the panda.

Zoolights Schedule:
December 4-13, 2009 (Friday through Sunday nights) and December 18-January 2 (every night except Dec. 24, 25, and 31) from 6-8:30 p.m.

Playing Catch-Up - Backwards

Yes, it does happen to be easier to remember things backwards sometimes. Thus:

Advent, Day 8: Christmas Dinner at La Cote D'Or, an excellent little French restaurant near East Falls Church Metro. The menu included escargot (I had one - I've had them before and feel ambivalent towards them), mushroom soup, lamb, "salmon in love with sea scallops" (the best, most excellent seafood I've had, maybe ever) and chocolate profiteroles (a little disappointing).

Advent, Day 7: This day gets as far as listening to Christmas music. Definitely more in line with opening a perforated door in a piece of reinforced paper and either taking a moment to look at a cute picture, or gobbling a tiny hunk of yummy chocolate.

Advent, Day 6: Christmas roll at Maneki Neko, a tiny, excellent (and reasonably-priced) sushi restaurant in Falls Church. Again, not much involved here.

Advent, Day 5: This was the day I was supposed to got to Scottish Christmas Weekend Walk, but it snowed. And snowed, and snowed, and snowed. So I stayed inside after some Christmas browsing and watched Jane Austen movies.

Washington DC Sober Ride

Sometimes working for the government is surprisingly useful... an email I just received, for your edification (especially if you live in the Washington, D.C. area):


*** FOR INFORMATION ONLY ***
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) 2009 Holiday SoberRide program will be offered from 2200 to 0600 each night, beginning Friday, 11 December 2009 and ending at 0600, Friday, 1 January 2010. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $50.00 fare), please call 800-200-8294 (TAXI) or #8294 (TAXI) on your AT&T wireless phone. You must be 21 years of age or older to use the SoberRide service.

Click here for more information: http://www.wrap.org/soberride/

Even if you don't live in this area, it might be worthwhile looking into other regional sober ride programs.

Advent, Day 4: With stories from Days 2 and 3

To "begin at the beginning and go on till [I] come to the end, then stop":

December 2 turned out to be cold, wet and rainy, and my determination to go to the US Botanic Gardens to see their Holiday Magic display wavered. I did go, however, and even though the walks to and from Metro stations were wet and dreary, it did not rain. Skip ahead to the foyer, whereupon entering I was given an unnecessary brochure (at the exit they have a basket to recycle brochures - how neat is that?).

The minute I walk into the first courtyard, with trees and flowering plants lining the edges and two pools in the middle on either side of the enormous Christmas tree (decorated with a train running round its base), I take a deep breath. I continually forget how relaxing botanical gardens are. I figure it's the higher oxygen content of the air, mixed wtih greenery all around and above...

To get back to the point, an artist has created miniature models of all the most important monuments and buildings on and around the Mall, including the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Smithsonian Castle, the Washington Monument, Jefferson and Lincoln memorials .. etc. out of resin and bark and flowers, leaves and mushrooms! Each one is burnished bronze in color, with amazing detail. Then I moved on to the West Gallery, which holds the trains. 45-foot train tracks, the scent of cedar and pine, fairies made out of twigs and leaves, and little villages - the three little pigs holding off the big bad wolf, little red riding hood walking unsuspecting into the forest, fairy homes, and Santa's Village. All in miniature. I walked around happy and wondering for awhile before heading out.

Yesterday, my efforts to create my own Advent calendar failed - or at least, what I did followed more along the lines of simply opening a paper door and either reaching inside for a tasty bite of chocolate or glancing at a picture. I listened to holiday music. Yep, that's it! No time for more because I had tickets to the hockey game. Even without Ovechkin, the game was a rout, Alexander Semin putting up 2 goals and at least one assist, and Fehr, Bradley and others contributing to the SIX goals scored by the Caps! I also rediscovered why I don't eat any but kosher hot dogs. It was Dollar Hot Dog Night, so I tried one. Bleh. Not an experience I need to repeat. On the way home we caught a glimpse of the National Christmas Tree, or whatever they're calling it... it looks slightly boring to me, but you didn't read that here.

Tonight, it's a movie called Merry Christmas, about international soldiers on the front on Christmas Eve during World War II.

Advent, Day 5: Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend

It's already 1 December (Happy Advent everyone!) and although I have a freebie tonight (per the Nutcracker ballet I saw last Friday), I'm already behind on planning my Advent Calendar Events.

So let's just get right down to it, shall we?

First big event: the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend, in downtown Alexandria, Va. Hosted by the Campagna Center, whose programs help young children in academics. This weekend is one of the largest fundraising opportunities for the non-profit organization. Events from the 3rd to the 5th of December include:

Christmas Marketplace (frustratingly only available on Friday, 9-5pm, leaving those of us with day jobs out of luck)
Heather and Greens Sale (Saturday at The Campagna Center, 418 South Washington Street, Alexandria)
Children's Tea Party (sold out)
Taste of Scotland ($100, it's really a scotch tasting)...

...and, most importantly of all (perhaps), is the parade: 11am-1pm Saturday morning, representing 100+ Scottish clans dressed in clan tartan. It will be followed by a massed band concert at King and Royal Streets.

Although I won't be attending this, for anyone interested in interior decorating/designer homes, the weekend includes a tour of select homes in Old Town, Alexandria, decorated for the holidays. It starts at 11, runs until 4pm in the afternoon on Saturday. Tickets in advance are $30, at the door are $35. So I'll be there on Saturday, I hope to see at least some of the parade and maybe stop by the band concert. And grab some Scottish munchies, if possible. Because that's the most important thing. ;)

Advent, Day 3: The National Christmas Tree

Okay, I know. Not only did I completely fail this past week to do anything seriously Christmas-related, I also failed to write.

At any rate. Thursday of last week I did unintentionally almost do something that I'll put on my advent calendar. I got a ride home from the hockey game (a unique experience, not taking the Metro), and as we drove down Constitution, we glimpsed the white lights and green ... I'd say foliage, but we weren't so close... of the National Christmas Tree. Of course, we had to look past all the white tents and trailors there for the celebration.

Advent, Day 2: U.S. Botanic Gardens Christmas Display

Okay, so this business of blogging about my plans (every day) for the next month or so, before the plans actually play out, takes more effort than I expected. And more time. Whoops!

So, briefly: Tomorrow I'm going to arrive at work just a bit early so I can leave a bit early, and go walk around the U.S. Botanic Gardens, that has put on a holiday display from November 26-January 10. Details here. If an hour's not enough, a repeat trip will at least make one day's planning much easier.

This weekend (or Monday) look for reviews of all the holiday activities I've been up to.

Confession # 38

Black Friday. The day of all days to avoid shopping. Shopping itself is not all bad - if the stars align, and there's no urgent feeling of "I-need-the-perfect-dress-by-next-weekend", it can be lots of fun! The crowds of people are what make shopping torture to be borne stoically (or not so stoically) rather than the pleasant outing it should be.

This year, for the first time ever, I went shopping on Black Friday. I didn't get trampled, I witnessed no crazed tug-of-wars between customers who eyed the last toy (or slippers, or cardigan, or iPod Touch) at the same time. There were no lines, no parking debacles (you know, the ones where you drive around the whole parking lot three times before finding some poor pedestrian to stalk back to his or her parking space). You might doubt my words. You really went shopping on Black Friday, in America? You might say. That can't be possible! Indeed, if I weren't the one telling the story, I might doubt them, too.

The story begins with a fit of cabin fever. I'd slept in that morning, after an intense food coma following Thanksgiving dinner. Having no plans until that evening, I watched some t.v., made some scones, and read a bit before becoming so bored I just had to leave the apartment. So I went for a walk. Didn't get very far before it started raining, so I ducked into the consignment shop down the next block for a bit of a reprieve. For half the time I spent browsing the few colorful racks, I was the only customer in the shop. I only saw three other customers the whole time I was there. Most importantly, I bought two items at a discount! (A discount completely unrelated to Black Friday, but it amounts to the same thing.)

And that's how I went shopping on Black Friday without losing my sanity. Not to mention, I helped the world by re-using unwanted (and lovely) clothes.

Advent: Day 1(ish)

I am aware that December has not yet arrived. However, my countdown must start early as I have a Christmas event scheduled for Black Friday. No, it is not shopping. I vow never to be in any location that might be termed a "mall", whether strip or the regular kind, nor shall I ever be found in any kind of store, on Black Friday. I have a large, fiercely defended personal space sphere, and crowds make me irritable. As in, step-on-toes and elbow-nudge irritable.

No, on Friday evening, I have plans to go to the ballet! The second ballet I've been to as an adult, and specifically, this time I have tickets to see the Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center (playing Nov 24-29). Though not the first time I'll have seen the Nutcracker, it will be the first in so many years I can't remember much about the last time, except that my father started snoring halfway through.

I look forward to it with a great deal of anticipation - I love Tchaikovsky, he was brilliant, and the Nutcraker is one of my favorite suites. Not to mention the costumes, and the story, and getting to sit in good seats, to dress up in fancy evening clothes, and to down a small, overpriced glass of wine at the intermission... I can't wait!

Happy (Almost) Advent!

I love advent calendars. Always have. The pretty pictures, the Scrooge stories (a really excellent one year I'll never forget told a very abridged version)... the more glitter, snow, trees, historical buildings and people, the better. My favorite was one I bought in a very out-of the way little shop in Verona, run by a little old friendly lady, who probably saw three people a day walk through her shop doors. It was glittery, and had snowy trees, and such pretty little pictures! I was so enamored I brought it home with me in my luggage just to open the last few days. Probably had glitter in my suitcase for weeks afterward...

Well, as most people know (or should know), paper advent calendars equal not so good for the environment. And those cloth ones you can put chocolate in, I've never really gotten into. So I've decided this year to do something hopefully a little more "green" (and no, the fact that I haven't had the time, energy or ability to find the perfect advent calendar this year (nobody makes them anymore!) had nothing to do with my decision..). Anyway, the plan is to do something Christmas-y every day from the first to the 24th. That's the plan. We'll see how well it works. Oh, and did I mention I also plan to document this attempt here? Well, that's part B of the plan. Some events I may have a chance to write about before they actually happen, so if anybody lives in or near DC, it might be helpful. I make no guarantees, however.

Thanksgiving Anticipation

I think it's funny that after Thanksgiving, everyone generally feels as stuffed as the turkey that got roasted full of good things like bread and apples or rice and raisins. Turkey's revenge, perhaps?

No matter, I'm still looking forward to the cooking and the wine and the feasting and the wine, and of course the good company and the wine... Seriously though, sometimes Thanksgiving is even better than Christmas. I say sometimes because I have had one perfect Christmas, and it didn't occur the same year I went to the perfect Thanksgiving.

This time of year always brings back good memories of hosting my own feast, sometimes with a chicken (oven too small), sometimes at a friend's apartment (kitchen too small) while in Scotland. For three years I organized Thanksgiving dinners, because I couldn't bear to be away from home and not celebrate one of my favorite holidays. This year I'll be making biscuits, squash and a pumpkin tart I can't wait to try, because I've never made a tart before. If any of the recipes are successful, I may just share them here, if anyone is interested.

What could be more enjoyable than good food, good company and good wine? Not much, in my humble opinion. Though maybe in three months it is possible that I'll rate a beach, a cocktail, and and an umbrella higher on my list of "best things ever".

World Car Free Day - It Does Exist!

So here's an article I meant to post ages ago (and if I have, and I've forgotten, I apologize for the repeat but really I'm too lazy to go back through all my other posts to check).

Written by a columnist at the Washington Post, who comes to some interesting and sometimes obvious conclusions. Well, obvious to someone who doesn't own a car, at least... Anyway, here it is.

The only thing I'm not sure about, at least in Washington, DC, is whether or not it's cheaper to commute via public transportation, or via personal vehicle. I know Boston's T costs less for commuters than our Metro, and that sort of variation can make an enormous difference in how affordable public transportation is. Furthermore, I suppose it would depend on what kind of car one drove, and whether it qualifies as "green machine" or alternatively as "gas-guzzling monster".

Maths

Today I discovered, yet again, while working on scrap paper that I keep around to re-purpose before throwing it in the recycling bin, that I still can't do math. I forget that I'm supposed to multiply and add instead. The simplest addition problems slip quickly into mire, and don't add up. Proportions don't even out. And let's not even discuss geometry.

That's okay, you might say. In life, math equals not such a hugely important skill. Plus, if it's wrong once, you can always redo it, or have someone check it.

I take the GRE tomorrow morning. Gulp.

if I Only Had a Bicycle... A Tale of Tweed

Good day to you!

An event occurred last weekend in DC that I wish I'd joined. They call it a "tweed ride", a phenomenon that began in London and has since been seen in cities across the US, including San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and even Washington (DC, that is). Notably, excluded is the fashion capital, New York City. The essence of the "tweed ride"? Dandies (often) in tweed, cycling through city streets. The fashion evokes a jumble of eras, with riding boots, suspenders, tweed skirts, bowties and tie clips, and hats of all styles.

Read all about it! In Monday's WaPo article.

For those of you, like me, who missed the inaugural ride, and would love the opportunity to join in, there may be a next time! Look for news on the blogosphere before next spring and you may catch it. If I'm lucky, and remember, I'll put something up here before it happens.

Excuses, Excuses

Okay, a short confession. I haven't been writing recently because I've been unmotivated (surprise), but also because I've been trying desperately to focus on studying for that evil test, the GRE. So far, have had mixed results.

I have plans, but this is not the venue to mention them -except maybe the one where I win the lottery at 100+ million dollars...

To briefly update: The ghost ship was fun. One of my friends, very easily scared, had an excellent time, and made it more fun for me, going through with her. Everyone Metroed, so I guess that's green. Halloween night itself was one of the biggest nights I've had in a long time... there's something about having a DD (thanks J) that provides an excuse for drinking too much. Next time I think I'll offer to drive! The best highlights: "bloody" stumps of finger cookies with almonds for fingernails, flipping every cup on the first try, and the awesome deejaying of my friend.

Since then, my life has consisted of Emergency Margaritas, too much math, and getting beat up and returning the favor in my self-defense class. The first and last of which help keep me sane.

OUT: Haunted House. IN: Haunted Ship

Ladies and Gents, it's that time of year again. Time to get your spook (or fright) on. Time to eat too much yummy candy and dress up in too-revealing ridiculous costumes or wear unnerving face paint. Time to carry scythes and machetes, fairy wands and red tridents (the glorified fork, not the gum).

Historical Side Note: Tridents were used in gladiatorial contests in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire during the more ancient part of Western history. A retiarius traditionally carried a trident, as well as a net to "fish" for his opponents. Unfortunately for the poor fisherman gladiator, he also had less armor. He's the nearly-naked one bleeding from the calf.

(courtesy Brooklyn College Classics Department)

Okay, history lesson over.


Back to Halloween. There's the monster Nightmare on M Street pub crawl (bar crawl if you're from the States), which is good fun, and there're your generic haunted houses...

And then there's Ghost Ship Barry. Seriously, if you can make it down to the Navy Yard (Eastern Market or Navy Yard Metro stops) the day before Halloween (still a weekend, given the spooky holiday falls on a Saturday this year), the sailors really have too much fun with the decorations and the being-scary. Early in the evening is reserved for the little bitties, but later on the sailors are given free reign to scare older children and adults out of their wits. I went last year and had a ball. Note to those looking for a less-scary experience: contrary to popular belief, the front of the line is the least scary. Or so I found. More info can be uncovered here. In fact, the link provides other Washington Navy Yard/US Navy Museum events this month.

Just Say Yes - To Recycled Furniture

And no, I don't mean recycled as in that grotty, stained, lumpy old couch someone put on the curb to wait for a special trash pick-up.

I do mean Craigslist. After months and months (years even, if one counts the apartment-searching I did on that website) of using Craigslist to no avail, I finally met with success! In actuality quite a lot of success. In a very short period of time.

Last weekend, I purchased two beautiful charcoal grey, wool slipper chairs. Not exactly what I had in mind for my home decor, but neutral enough (as far as charcoal grey falls into the neutral category), simple, and oh-so-comfy. Plush, sink-just-a-little comfy. Sit-with-legs-crossed, OR whole-foot-flat-on-the-floor comfy. And that last one's special, given that my heels don't always touch the floor in every chair made by (tall) man. Only three days later, I picked up a steal of a table - solid mahogany, late 19th c. card table. It's beautiful. There's definitely some evidence of hard loving, but totally worth it.

So now my apartment doesn't look like my apartment, and I feel a special little swell of pride when I rest my eyes on my small but cozy (with furniture!) demesne. I especially enjoy knowing that my furniture has now lived at least two lives, and even though neither purchase was likely to end up in the landfill if I hadn't bought it, I did engage in "green" shopping. It's wonderfully satisfying to take one more small and so-rewarding step towards my goal. Not to mention I've finally gotten back on-topic on my blog!

Caution: Rock Climbing May Cause Shortness of Breath, Dizziness

Strangely enough, the most fun I had in LA also involved the scariest moment of my life.

Hanging in a seated position from a rope no thicker than my index finger, I look down to find another foothold. Instead, I see a hole under the rock my brother's standing on while he holds tight to that rope I don't really trust. I look left to see if there are any holds (hand, foot, elbow...) and have a fantastic view of the valley, the tops of the evergreens, and the mountains in the distance where the land meets the really big sky. I look up, to see the slightly curved top of the rock and the other rock, sharp and jutting out over the one I'm on, which is where the rope I don't trust is anchored. Above that, just sky - a beautiful clear blue I'd have appreciated from a different position and location.

I've been breathing fast and short for about half the climb by now, and I've convinced myself, muttering under my breath, to go just a little bit further at least three times. I've even blinked back tears. During the first part of the ascent, I was encouraged by my brother, and a stranger. She's very sweet, and she watched me as she belayed her Italian partner. I also still had a sense of humor. We joked for a bit about me using any excuse to get back down to the bottom, like when her partner asked to be lowered, and I said, "OK!".

And then, there's nowhere to go. Up until this point, the positioning of hands and feet has required thought but still had not reached "impossible". I look up at the rest of the rock remaining above me, and see absolutely no hand- or footholds. None. Look down again, try to find a lower handhold to move my right foot up a few more inches. Still, nothing.

I've already pushed myself way beyond my comfort level. In reality, I reached "outside the comfort zone" before I even started. I make one last attempt to find something, anything, reaching up and feeling the rock with my fingertips at arm's reach, and I slip.

The rope catches me before I fall an inch, and I sit quietly and hyperventilate while the harness, and the rope, hold me level. I look up one last time, and think, "I have absolutely no desire to reach the top of this rock. Why did I think I wanted to be there? Because I really don't. Want to be there, that is".

Now I have to get down off the rock, which means sitting back into open space and walking gently down the wall while my brother gives out a little bit of slack at a time. I take a moment to collect myself, wishing I didn't have to get down, because it's even worse that getting up, but knowing there's no other way. I reach the bottom, safe and sound, and try to pull myself back together while the strangers valiantly attempt to make me feel better.

Truthfully, I'm more proud of myself than I've ever been. Pushing myself beyond the edge of what's comfortable isn't something I do very often. I know my limits, and I stop when I reach them. Shoot, I never expected to climb one rock successfully, let alone start up a second one. I know why people love it. The puzzle, the physical workout, the mental workout... So I haven't crossed rock climbing off my to-do list forever, but it's definitely in last place.

Did I mention I have a phobia of heights?

LA Times Two

Just arrived in LA a few hours ago, and have already eaten a vegan garbanzo bean sandwich (think spicy egg salad with chickpeas instead), discussed sweatshops and how to avoid them - any suggestions? - and had a most excellent Korean (vegan) vodka with pomegranate and cardamom. Cardamom has to be one of my favorite spices ever. Yum.

Now I'm tipsy, it's 2am East Coast time and people are just arriving to play a strategy board game. Oh, dear.

When To Cut The Bride's Brother Off...

A funny story I forgot to tell a week or so ago, after I worked my second wedding.

The second was much more fun than the first. The wedding was Korean, and at the reception the crowd was mostly young. As in, I-should-probably-be-carding-you-but-it's-a-wedding, young.

So I made my first real Long Island iced teas. Without tequila. Still don't see the worthiness of that drink... I poured many, many shots. Of Jim Beam. And whiskey (shudder). All for the groomsmen, while my coworker poured an equal amount of kamikazes for the bridesmaids.

Late into the evening, the bride's brother sidles up to the bar, arm around the shoulders of his friend. Orders another shot of Jim Beam. I hold up my index finger in the age-old, "gimme one minute" gesture, sneak over to my coworker, who's been bartending as long as I've been alive. "How do you know when to cut someone off", I ask, not having done it ... ever, actually. His answer: "Use your best judgement..." Well, really, that didn't help. I talk to him a bit more, asking more detailed questions, until he suggests "you could tell him it's his last one." Ah! It's perfect.

So I put the glass up on the bar mat, look him in the eye, and say, "This is your last one". "Wha'?" he slurs. I repeat myself; he repeats himself. The friend says nothing, until they walk away, when he reminds the bride's brother that he's been cut off.

My coworker and I watch him weave and stumble his way off. He turns to me, says, with a little bit of a twinkle, "You made the right decision". I heartily agreed.

Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro, Cinque, Sei...

In light of this past weekend being Labor Day Weekend, and because my restlessness has not so slowly been increasing lately, I invited a couple girlfriends to go to a wine tasting in horse country yesterday.

The usual happened: saw great views of the hills, drank lots of nice wine, got tipsy, chatted... and then something unusual happened. As we were in the middle of tasting, and the table was right by a path, this couple walked by on the path. The lady was speaking, and it took me a moment to choose between Spanish and Italian, but the consonants were too hard for the former. She just about craned her neck to look at us, and after I mentioned to my friends (and within earshot of my tasting neighbor, who was standing about three inches from my elbow) that she was speaking Italian, I noticed that she was counting. Counting us. "Uno, due, tre, quattro..." I forget how many she counted before she would've had to completely turn around and walk backward as she passed us, but she never finished. We were a group of at least twenty.

In other news, I know vacation season is over, and most people (all people?) have already been on holiday, but some advice from the experts on visiting archaeological sites. I figure it goes well with the topic of my blog, which I've admittedly been ignoring lately, as being green really is all about preservation. Preservation of our planet, our lifestyle (those of us who are fortunate), and our heritage. Read it, and view it, here.

What's With Today, Today? - Lucas. Or, An Exercise In Catharsis

(On a side note - never thought I'd like teriyaki but have now determined to go to Chinatown in LA to try real Chinese for probably the second time in my life, and the first in a decade or so.)

Episode 1:
(She sits in her empty office, reading notes amid a desk piled high with unfinished filing. Enter an email, complete with "you've got mail" beep.)
Got an email from one of my two supervisors today, forwarded from my other supervisor, asking about the status on an official document of which I had physical possession. (It was sitting on my desk, gathering dust). Well, it turns out, unbeknownst to me, the status was a big Incomplete. Long story short, I had to draft a piece of official Navy correspondence, which I'd never done before, and do it quickly. Fortuitously, I had, months ago, cleverly printed out the SECNAV Instruction on Correspondence. The task itself, not so complicated, with a sample layout right in front of me. So I'm pretty pleased that I managed to pull an official correspondence I'd never written before out of thin air in about 20 minutes. It appears work well under pressure.

Episode 2:
(Two coworkers, female, walking up the street to the row of restaurants commonly used for lunching purposes. A third, male, runs up and begins to walk alongside.)
As a friend and coworker and I were walking to lunch, another coworker, who had already eaten and was on his way back to work, turned around and ran back to join us. Even though he'd already eaten, and was unwelcome company, he followed us for at least three blocks. I'm not one to be super nice to people I don't like (it's just who I am - I don't have that virtue they call patience), so I didn't say a lot, while my other coworker chatted with him. She finally, and pretty tactfully, told him we were on our way to a girls' lunch, which he didn't believe at first. Finally he got the hint, and turned around and left.

Really, it was too much.

Episode 3:
(An employee in the logo-ed polo shirt worn by all concession employees walks into her least favorite stand, already expecting a repeat of the slow and decidedly poor evening two nights past)
So I ran late today getting to my second job, because I needed an emergency milkshake, which temporarily replaced the Emergency Margarita, because I can't drink & drive/drink & work. Legally. I can't. I told my supervisor (enough with the supervisors already!) as much. I get there, and the only concession stand I work in during the season is closed, because there aren't enough spectators to see High School Musical. Surprise. I walk over to the other one, and ask the stand manager what registers are open. I'm a cashier/bartender, you see. I've been working here for five years now, and I haven't run (job description: get food for cashier) in probably three of them. The stand manager told me I was running tonight. I exclaimed, to which she said patronizingly (and this is her first season) "You were late, dear".

Here's where, if there are parallel words, like in that old show Sliders (anybody remember that one?), two worlds would have diverged. In an alternate universe, would have been thinking clearly instead of reacting to a Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, I would have explained the situation to the stand manager. Now, after the whole incident is over, I know exactly what I'd say. Well, instead, I went over her head. She didn't like that, and though there wasn't anything she could do about it, she did question our supervisor. Figured out after he asked a couple more questions that somebody extra had showed up, and that's why there were extra cashiers, so I decided to go home, as I wasn't needed.

Now I'm off to make myself a morale-boosting gin and tonic, and hopefully a healthy dinner. Though that depends on what's in the fridge...

The end.

Continuing a Hands-On Education

Found an article this morning on Preservation Nation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website, which gives hope for the future of skilled craftspeople and the building arts. In fact, I'm personally interested in the American College of the Building Arts, and if I hadn't already received a bachelor's degree and thought I had some (any) talent working with building materials, sketching and mathematics, I'd want to attend classes there.

Because the opposite is true, I'll just pass on the article for others to enjoy:

http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/september-october/hands-on-education.html

Five Morning Must-Haves

1. coffee
2. keys
3. book
4. tissues
5. tide pen

Okay, so I thought this was going to be more interesting than it actually is. Anyway, here are the reasons for my pick-5 picks.

1. There have been times in my life when I have not needed coffee every morning. These past couple of seasons have definitely not qualified. Recently I bought a coffee maker so I can economize a little, and stop buying coffee as I do, even though I know it comes in styrofoam cups (what, that's not reason enough?). This morning, the coffee woke me up, my nose twitching at its delightful scent. Well, that's an exaggeration. But when I finally did wake up, I noticed the faint aroma of brewed coffee. Delicious.

2. Have you ever locked yourself out of your house/apartment? I haven't, not since I was young, agile and desperate enough (what child wants to face a frustrated father the upteenth time she forgot her keys in the morning?) to break into my bedroom window, shimmy up the outside of my bunk bed, climb down and open the door for my partner in crime (a.k.a. my twin brother), without forgetting to replace the screen. However. It does occasionally happen that I switch purses and not all of the day-to-day necessities make it into the chosen one. It is, thankfully, not impossible to get into my office without keys, but it takes more effort. I almost switched purses this morning, but stayed with the usual in the end. Otherwise, my office keys might still be sitting useless in my apartment, 15 miles away.

3. There is always the possibility that a book will come in handy. In fact, I'll amend that to "probability". This may not be true for everyone, but I'm one of those people... a reader. Besides, you never know when it won't be possible to read the Express over someone else's shoulder on the train. Today's choice: The Cloudspotter's Guide, by Gavin Pretor-Pinney.

4. This one needs little explaining for those who know me. I have allergies, therefore I always need tissues. Not to mention they make acceptable replacements for napkins.

5. For awhile now I've had a coffee maker in my office. Much cheaper than buying coffee everyday (in styrofoam cups), and easier on the environment because I have my own special work coffee mug in which I drink said coffee. It was given me as a "morale-boosting" gift last Christmas. It's useful. It didn't boost my morale. So, I'm on my second cup of coffee, and before I know it, it's happened. Yes, that's right. I spilled coffee. Again. On my very light, grey-blue linen dress. Which brings me to my final Must-Have of the morning: a Tide pen. Now, instead of an embarrassing brown splotch front and center, it's "What stain, sir?" Okay, the commercial exaggerates a little. It's not perfect. The stain is still visible from a foot away. But (I hope) nobody will be peering that closely at the front of my skirt. I've tried the Shout wipes, too, and they're just not as magical.

So there you have it. The most important five things I need just about every morning.

A 7:45am Change of Heart

Disclaimer: I'm feeling optimistic and sentimental this morning, so if you're not interested in reading about warm fuzzy feelings and the like, Read No Further. Seriously. If you're okay with all that, by all means, continue.

This morning started out in the same way as usual (except that I now have an incredible, wonderful, dear programmable coffee-maker), with too little sleep the night before, getting up way too early - as in, before 6am, which is generally an unbreakable rule I have - and napping instead of eating breakfast.

And yet somehow, I feel different. It's not that last night was particularly good night, or that yesterday was a particularly good day. In fact, a recurring old problem of mine reared its ugly head again yesterday, putting me in a terrible frame of mind. I don't say mood because it was more than a mood.

Recently I came to realize that the past year has probably been the worst I've ever experienced, not counting the year I turned 17. Bored and frustrated at work, I found no solace in going (or being at) home. Quite the opposite, my life at home stressed me out more than anything else. Where do you go when you can't go home?

To get to the point, at some time on my walk to work this morning, my heart turned over. Or grew. I wonder if that's how the Grinch felt when he had his revelation. I can't describe it precisely, only I have my armour back, and nothing can pierce it. I feel the proverbial great weight has been lifted from my broad-but-slender shoulders. Now I have a metaphorical gorget with matching spaulders. I've been trying to convince myself for the past few months at least that life is too short to "sweat the little things" as it were. I sincerely don't want to spend my days fretting over the past year. Having a worrying personality complicates matters, but today just may have changed all that.

So starting today, I'm not going to let anything upset me that isn't entirely worthy of feeling unhappy. Not my knees, not long lines in a hot Dunkin' Donuts, and certainly not rude, obnoxious - make that Toxic - people.

I'm going to enjoy my morning coffee and the light breeze.

Can I See Your ID, Please? And Then Can I See Another?

Not sure I mentioned in my last bartending post that I worked last Friday at a full bar, only the oh, second time in my entire life, and the first time since graduating from bartending school. The whole night I had "steam coming out my ears" in concentration, as my boss told me - mostly because he was figuratively looking over my shoulder the entire night. And by figuratively I mean he stood about two feet away. Watching me. Correcting me. So I was pleasantly surprised (well, sort of surprised - I'm not that dense) when my other boss, who also works for the one who supervised my "first" foray into real bartending, told me that I'd done well enough on Friday to please Boss #1, and there'll be more shifts coming my way in future.

But I digress.

Last night I worked at the concession stand bar again, which has some of your basic rail drinks and about six cordials and liqueurs. So this little man comes up to me, about my height and just about as wide as he is tall, with a young'un who looks like his son. Orders a Heineken Light for himself, turns to his son, asks what he wants. The young man orders the same thing, and because his cheeks are smooth and he's still pretty, like he hasn't grown into his bones yet, I card him. He hands me a godforsaken Alabama ID. If you've never seen one, they don't look as fake as those from New York, but they're not as ... fake-proof as the new Virginia licenses. I can't remember why, maybe the picture didn't look like him, but I ask for a second one, or a credit card, to check his name. He hands me another (old?) ID - that has a different birthdate!! Understandably confused, I point it out to him. Also confused, he hands me his scuba diving card (scuba diving?) ... after looking at all three (three) IDs he's graciously given me, I finally hand him the beer. At some point during this exchange, his dad looks at me and says, "I'm buying" and I had to point out that he asked his son what the latter wanted to drink, as in, his son was clearly going to drink that Heineken Light.

Green Furniture Update

Success! Just proved the old adage that begins "If at first you don't succeed..."

On a whim, and because I was in "furniture-buying" mode, I decided to go to the local antiques store, just on the off-chance I might find a table/sofa/chairs that I liked. Well, I did! I found a 19th century primitive country table - made to last 200 years, I suppose. Though scratched and beat up, it's still in excellent shape. At any rate, I can't afford it. What I could afford, however, were two 50s diner-style chairs from Royal Manufacturing Co. They're teal green with light yellow upholstered seats, metal frame with vertical slats in the back - and surprisingly comfy! Definitely an impulse buy - they're not going to "go" with any of my (admittedly few pieces of) other furniture.

I can't find any images online that even remotely resemble the chairs I bought today, but the next time someone comes over with a digital camera I'll have them take photos to put up.

Green Furniture

I haven't written about anything "green" in a very long while. I suppose that goal of mine got shoved to the back burner while I was going through some stressful challenges over the past three months. It looks as though I'm on the climb back up to good days however (knock on wood), so I'll devote just a second here to get back to my "green" choices.

Unfortunately I consider my plans for today to have resulted in an epic fail. I meant to go to Upscale Resale, a consignment furniture store in the area, and actually purchase something. I need furniture with seats for butts, tables for drinks and coasters, and possibly a TV stand. Basically, I have no furniture.

It's lucky for me that my two interests related to furnishings align. I love historical ... well, anything, really, including furniture ... so you'd think this would work out great, because most secondhand furniture is usually from some sort of historical period (whether it be the art deco of the '20s or more traditional Colonial style). Sadly, no dice. Not today.

Flirting on the Job

Last month, I decided to invest in my future career. I signed up for bartending class. Five weeks and much hesitation later, I received my bartending certification (still awaiting TAM certification). This required a test on Techniques of Alcohol Management, a written test on how to make tdrinks, different brands of liquor, etc, and a speed test. I passed all with flying colors, of course!

Three weeks after completing the course, I still haven't really started looking for a bartending job - because I already have one (sort of). Well, I work with other bartenders and have been falling far behind in accumulation of tips. Which, as everyone knows, is the reason to bartend. If one doesn't do the work for the flexible hours, the contact with people, or the opportunity to flirt, etc.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I sagely asked one of the more experienced (read 10 years +) bartenders for some advice on increasing the amount of tips I make in an evening.

Boiled down, the short answer is: Flirt.

Well. That's easy for some, I suppose. I, however, was not born with a gift for flirtation. Don't get me wrong, I can, and do, and I enjoy it ... it just doesn't always naturally occur to me to do so. Especially if I'm trying to remember how to make a drink, or putting an order on the computer at the same time. My "concentration" face does not include a smile. So you can bet I'll be practicing tonight at my second shift as a real bartender with a full bar. I have a couple new tips up my sleeve, and we'll see how they work out.

If You Play In Mud, You're Going to Get Dirty...

... So how dirty do you want to get?

Well, I've been back from Utah for a whole sad week now. And by "sad", you may infer I had an excellent time camping on the river with sand, mosquitos, scorpions, snakes and strange creatures called "sand bears". Is there a wikipedia entry for that last one yet, I wonder?"

14 people, seven canoes, and no serious injuries! Even I only had bruises and mosquito bites to contend with - I, who have apparently become accident-prone in the past two years. Not only that, there weren't any public tiffs or unpleasantness between parties. That I noticed. I can't speak for everyone, but I for one had a marvelous time.

Highlights would include the death-defying leap off a cliff into the river thirty feet below. Okay, not death-defying but certainly pee-in-your-pants frightening! Not that I did, just for clarification. As afraid of heights as I am, it took a looooot of thinking before I leapt off that cliff. I was okay standing on the edge until my cousin got to "three!" when it became clear I would actually have to move from the edge to the empty air... I will admit it was the most exciting part of the entire trip.

The other major highlight is the view from the top of the middle canyon over the river to both sides and canyons occupying all four corners of horizon. Even the scramble down was fun, requiring as it did careful thought to the placement of one's feet (avoid the pebbles, test this large rock for wobblies, put a hand out to steady a small jump down, okay we're good).

Ah yes, and that one point where most of us were treading water almost on top of each other and laughing for, well, I never knew what was going on, just heard the yelps and shrieks and giggles.

Steering a canoe = challenging and fun, but not my favorite part. Maybe when I get all the tricks down. I especially liked the part of not steering, where my brother told me to put down my paddle and let him do all the work ;). With pleasure! I replied.

The lowlights probably include trying to jump in the river from a steep bank and climb over three canoes, where the feet sink into four inches of mud and the water immediately rises up to the hips - all just to pee! And the mosquitos. Did I mention the mosquitos? My legs still itch. Never saw the scorpions, though we did run into some menacing bees, wasps and spider webs.

Oh! And I forgot the episode of the runaway canoes! last minute decision to eat lunch on an island created havoc when the rafted-together boats couldn't be untied in time, and some boats sped past while another two (I won't mention that one of them was the one I was in), still joined together bow to stern careened and jacknifed ashore with help from our Fearless Leader. Were there not two other Heroes along on the trip, we might have had a smaller table for lunch. I'll leave those stories to them, however.

Most of the trip involved lazy rafting and floating punctuated by frantic attempts to move away from either bank the "raft" had started drifting towards, excellent meals and good companionship. Some beer-drinking on the river, some evenings spent in the company of a box or two of red wine... one of which included a lengthy discussion about, oh, satelites, black holes, constellations and programming languages! I suppose I should have expected it, more than half of the group being either a computer scientist or an aerospace engineer of some kind or another.

It all ended with a hose-off shower in the back yard of the outfitters and a comfortable 6-hour drive with fantastic music ;), pizza and a too-large brunch the next day, the purchase of my first graphic novels ever, and a mortally dead phone.

Now I can say I've been to the Utah desert. And what a trip it was.

Wherein the Author Gets Back on the Proverbial Horse After A Month of Unexcused Absence

So it's been about a month since my last entry. Not that I've really done anything noteworthy in that time, but there's always something to write about, right?

In a few quick sentences, the skinny on the past month of my life:

1. I moved out of my shared apartment into my very own place. Still haven't unpacked most of the boxes, but at least I've got organized closets!!

2. I've been skipping Krav Maga lately so my triceps and quads have lost much of their muscle-tone (though there wasn't much there to begin with...). This is disappointing, especially as I'm about to spend a week virtually living in a swimsuit of one kind or another (more on that later).

3. The reason my boxes are still unpacked: for the last five weeks I've been studying and taking classes all day every Saturday to be a bartender. Last Saturday, on the Fourth of July, I passed the written test and the speed test, and am now officially a certified bartender! Next step, real bartending job.

4. I've been (sort of) getting ready for a badly-needed week's vacation in Utah. Will be canoeing and camping on a river there. Hence the aforementioned swimsuits. Backwoods-type camping, so no showers, no toilets ... it will definitely be an interesting, adventurous trip. Oh, and it's the desert, so we'll have to watch out for scorpions - YIKES. Aside from those ugly little details, I'm looking forward to a week of sun, water, and fun.

Well, that's about it! I'm sure I'll have tons of fun stories to tell when I return... check in in a week or so.

P.S. the fingers have more or less healed... more on one finger, less on the other... I'm not actively worrying about the extra swelling around the latter... well, I'm sure I can spare you the gritty details.

Big Oops

I've told this story so many times I feel like my memory of the event and its subsequent consequences have been juxtaposed with the tale.

The headline: Concession Stand Bartender Requires Nine Stitches in Two Fingers

The story goes like this:
Only an hour and a half into my bartending shift on Sunday evening (this is a good thing - more on that later), as I was unscrewing the cap of a glass-sized bottle of wine, disaster struck. Instead if the cap twisting off, the top half of the neck broke off in my right hand. Naturally, when the tension released... well, it's like when you're playing tug-of-war and the opponent's tugging really hard, and you just let go, and you get that recoil... so my hand slipped right across the broken edge of the bottle that I was holding in my left hand.

I looked down, and the first thing I noticed was that I had two pieces of glass, one in each hand. Only after that did I see the blood well up from my knuckles. Holding my fingers in my other hand, I wrapped a towel around them while the stand manager called our supervisor, who took me to the ranger station. The ranger on duty wrapped my fingers in gauze and tape to await the Fire & Rescue crew, who always attend concerts, thank goodness!

Got a ride in the back of the ambulance (first time for that) to the hospital, approved for worker's comp by my employer, which is very important. I got to skip the lobby because I rode the ambulance, and sat on a cot in the "sub-waiting area". Chatted with the Fire & Rescue team while they completed their paperwork and I waited for the doctor.

The doctor stitched me up pretty quickly, but I can't say I enjoyed the process. Surprise, right? Actually the worst part was watching my fingers swell with the local anaesthetic - he put so much in my finger that it looked almost twice its normal size (aside from being mangled and bloody). After that, the actual sewing of flesh was not so bad. I read a little, because my fingers looked disturbingly gross. Anyways, what with the ambulance and getting into the hospital ahead of a rush, I spent tops 3 hours total there.

Not much pain yet - I attribute that to shock, then anaesthetic, and now... a high tolerance of pain? Though admittedly banging the stitches on my desk does hurt. And I feel handicapped. Typing with eight fingers, especially for the generations that learned "Home Keys" is intensely frustrating, and I have to put things down before I open doors. Oh yeah, and I have this huge white bandage in place of my index and middle fingers. It's hard to hide, that.

Ten days from now the stitches come out and hopefully I can go back to my normal routines.

America Runs on Dunkin' Freebies

So a new Dunkin' Donuts (really, the reincarnation of the old Dunkin' Donuts) opened up on base today. And of course, to promote the new location (as though we haven't missed it desperately since the old one got demolished) they gave away free donuts, coffee, and, as we discovered to our surprise when we arrived, free travel mugs!!! They replicate the yucky plastic or styrofoam one-use cups you get everyday, and apparently they're so original there's a patent pending on the design. Go figure.

Being the conscientious, preoccupied organic/Green freak, I almost immediately flipped the cup over and checked the number. My memory failed, but happily I found out that #5 is one of the best plastics to buy. Or get for free. Check out the breakdown-by-number here.

Memorial Day

Many people, myself included, forget that Memorial Day is not just another federal holiday - albeit one with parades, festivals, flags and flowers - but is also a day to remember the soldiers, sailors and pilots who fought and perished in our nation's wars. Here's the government's official version on the origins of Memorial Day and other interesting tidbits, covering "Confederate Memorial Day" observances, the "Moment of Remembrance" established in 2000, and even Pericles. (Pericles??)

Incidentally, the poppies in Britain, her colonies and even elsewhere in Europe are ... disturbingly evocative, once you know the story. The short version is that after the Napoleonic Wars, the first flowers to grow in the grave fields of Flanders.

Demonstrating my distressing lack of cultural awareness, the Women's Military Memorial (Women in Military Service for America Memorial, for long) has been holding "one of the major Memorial Day programs in the nation's capital" for 12 years, and I've only discovered it for the first time today. Interestingly enough, the memorial has been on my radar for awhile now, because I've been planning a visit to find records of my maternal grandmother, who was a Lt. Nurse in the Army in World War II. Who deployed to South East Asia. Which is rather exciting!

So. As I prepare for my holiday, I'll take a moment to remember the fallen. And the poppies. And the survivors.

The Missing Link In Your Family Tree

If humans have souls, and if the lemur is an ancestor of humans, does that mean lemurs have souls?

Meet Ida. She's from Germany. You could be related.

I actually find this fascinating. Not that that's surprising in any way... Try this, to learn more about Ida's time period (she lived in the Eocene Era, apparently).

A Weekend of Festivals

May is apparently Festival Month in DC. I didn't know about it until this year, but there's already been a Flower Mart at the National Cathedral, and yesterday Saint Sophia Cathedral held a Greek Festival. Not to mention there were at least two "Taste of" festivals going on in the region. Next weekend, Memorial Day will be celebrated just about everywhere, including my home town, which, although only two square miles small, holds its own Memorial Day Festival and Parade.

I first woke up yesterday, sort of, to the clang of long metal tubes dropping in the street. After falling back asleep for a few more hours, and finally deciding to start my day, I looked out the window and noticed several white tents in the street. I spent a few minutes deliberating over whether I'd seen them last night before actually getting out of bed.

I'd planned on going to Hagia Sophia for the Greek Festival, but walked around my block at the Taste of Arlington first. The setting-up of the festival accounted for the early-morning noises. We passed on the tastes, though some of them looked really good, in order to hit the Greek Festival.

The drive to Saint Sophia Cathedral in NW, DC was certainly eventful. We had directions that said, take ramp "X" off the Rock Creek Parkway to street "A" and turn left. Well, we saw street "A" but figured there must be a ramp "X" somewhere, so we kept going. All the way to the end of the parkway, which was not included in the directions. So we turned around, drove back - all the way back, practically into Virginia again, before we found a spot to turn around (again) and try again. This time we took the exit for street "A" - and discovered the sign meant, "this exit to eventually reach street "A" via ramp "X"! Although it didn't explain in so many words. The ramp, we found, was ramp "X" and the traffic light at the end of it intersected with street "A". So we did a lot of driving we didn't have to do, but saw some very pretty national park in the process! Perhaps next time we'll take the Metro and walk... if there are no delays.

The Festival was small, with Greek music, Greek crafts and jewelry for sale. There was one tent whose merchandise looked "Greek" only becuase it had currently resided in a Greek person's home. Yard sale, anyone?

Almost every jewelry seller had some charms against the evil eye - apotropaic charms, which "turn away" the evil eye curse, presumably back to the one who sent it.

My favorite part of the festival: the gyros!! Mm, they were so tasty. I've recently discovered a love for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. I've known for a long time that I like Greek and Italian food, (though gyros weren't included in that category for some reason..) but Lebanese, Greek, Turkish, and even further afield (and not included in the categories above) is Indian. And Bangladeshi. There's this amazing Bangladeshi restaurant in St Andrews, Scotland, which is how I know I like it. Also, baklava has been a favorite of mine since childhood. And I had one of those yesterday, too.

We took a tour of the Cathedral, and the most memorable aspect: the gilding. The whole ceiling and much of the walls are gilded and tiled. It took 30 years to tile the dome, ceiling and walls, apparently. Images of Jesus, saints and angels abound. I've been in cathedrals before, but I don't remember any that looked this ... gold. Even the windows were paned in yellow glass. It was all rather soothing, actually. And beautiful, though I hear St Nicholas is even more pleasing to the eye.

Catholicism is still an unknown to me, but I learned a little about it yesterday. Some of the practices seemed a little strange, some a little more familiar... all in all, I don't imagine I'll convert.

Image courtesy Curious Expeditions.

A Mid-Day Cultural Experience - Would You Skip Lunch?

So this is interesting. WaPo's Going Out Guide has put out a list of 5 things to do during lunch hour - they call it "Power Lunch", aptly named for this most powerful city.

If you can skip your sandwhich + chips any day of the week (one day? all days? It only depends on how centrally you're located and how much time you have), there are multitudinous opportunities for cultural enlightenment and just plain fun.

How many of us would rather stay in the office/cubicle for lunch when there are so many reasons to leave during lunch?

One of my favorites is Ford's Theatre's mid-day offering: two one-act history plays focusing on the era just after President Lincoln's assassination.

I wonder how many other cities have cultural events during the day, not only accessible to tourists but also locals who need a break from the work day. It could be well worth the time to check out your favorite cultural institutions, or to find the closest SmartBike rack to the office to take a short ride. Once the idea has been presented (or maybe you knew about it all along), how could you not be interested? There must be nearly endless possibilities.

If The Bike Fits...

How to make sure a bike fits correctly (yes, bikes are not one-size-fits-all):

http://tinyurl.com/5m5gyy

Courtesy, REI.

The Heart Bleeds Red

Well, no fan can feel as bad as any of the Capitals players after last night's ... breakdown, that's for darn sure. Having watched the game, I can't even imagine how it felt to be playing it. My heart bleeds for the players, and the fans, and the franchise... that once again fell short of our goal to get to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Had I been at the Phone Booth last night, I would have stood with the rest for the ovation, and would have appreciated the salute given in return.

Without becoming too sentimental, thanks to the team and franchise for a great run this season, and I for one will be looking forward to October. Rock the red! (though maybe not all summer long)

P.S. I still heart Varlamov.

Future Vacation Destination: Vancouver Island

Next time I make it out to the West Coast, you can bet I'll make time for Vancouver Island. Read this article to find out why.

If, beyond the article, you have any more suggestions for places to go and things to see on Vancouver Island, what would they be? Any favorites not listed here?

Philadelphia, Revisited

The truth is, I'm finally reading through my WaPo and NYTimes emails, and am coming across some very interesting articles in the WaPo travel section.

The second one comes mighty close - geographically and ideologically - to my recent trip to Philadelphia - while there, I visited Penn Manor, and the question of Quakers came up in a chat with one of my coworkers. It's also, might I add, related to this year's bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth (you know, the tall guy, with the tall hat and beard, who abolished slavery in the (just) United States).

Getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains

Is anyone else eager to get away for a weekend vacation? I know, I know, I just came back from L.A., and before that, Philadelphia, but this article here makes me want to get away again - more cheaply, this time.

A weekend getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains would roll several of my interests into one vacation: a bit of a road trip, wildlife, outdoors (particularly hiking) and history - I love the idea that visitors can just walk through peoples' former homes! Although it does feel a little intrusive, the article describes the remains of houses still in nearly the same condition in which they were left, 70-odd years ago. With the addition of a few more layers of dust and some decay, I'm sure.

And that's only one National Park.

NoVa's Screen On The Green

In place of the District's Screen-On-The-Green program (on the National Mall between the impressive, phallic Washington Monument and the equally-impressive-but-less-phallic Capitol, which doesn't appear to be on this year, Northern Virginia hosts its own: the Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival. Bring on the 80s this summer!

Every Friday evening at dusk (make that 8-9pm), at Gateway Park, 1 May - 4 September. And don't forget the blanket or the picnic basket!

It's going to be totally tubular.

The One Disadvantage to Vacation

Well, now that I think of it, there are actually at least two - when one is a sports fan whose team has gone to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The original thought I had relates to food. Having two days in between trips (any combination of business and vacation you prefer) really doesn't leave enough time for grocery shopping. Not that there's much to buy when one is away again for four days. The problem here can be summed up with one question: What do I eat?

Last month was a pretty frugal month for me, for which I pat myself on the back. Even though I didn't spend much while I was on vacation, and May is not even two weeks old, this month I appear to be reverting to my old pattern of going out to eat too frequently. Throw in a couple hockey games, a few meetings with friends, and self-defense classes and before I know it, it will be the weekend and I haven't eaten at home once in a whole week.

Which leaves me with coffee, donuts and the occasional sandwhich during the day, in an effort to save some cash.

The Capitals forced Game 7 last night!!! Which is very exciting and thrilling and anxiety-producing all at once (they MUST defeat the Penguins again tomorrow night)... and also means one more night without time to grocery shop and one more meal out.

But hey, for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, I'm definitely not going to complain. I might have mentioned this before, but I'm a little addicted. So much so in fact, that I cancelled a previous engagement for Wednesday, in order to watch... ahem. GO CAPS!!!

Los Angeles in May Part 2

My brother lives like a prince on top of a mountain. Overlooking a valley, and in the distance, downtown L.A.

Five minutes away, The Coffee Table in Pasadena serves excellent brunch as well as very good coffee. There's a famous pizzeria nearby, called Casa Bianca Pizza Pie, where I would definitely recommend the sausage and garlic and Hawaiian pizzas. From what I saw, the pizzas are not pricey, especially for an extra large shared among four. The chianti is perhaps not worth it, but they do have a corkage fee so you'd be better off bringing your own bottle anyway. Has anyone tried this recently? How did it work out? Was the restaurant friendly and open about allowing brought wine?

Back to the pizzas: They even come on whole wheat crust, for which I must admit I harbor ambivalent feelings. Or is it that I just can't decide? At any rate, the pizza was very enjoyable. Buona, you might say.

One morning we spent walking around the Fashion district in downtown L.A., the Menswear district and Santee Alley in particular, where (surprisingly) I was not the one to make any purchases. I especially wanted to hear vendors hawking their wares in different languages, but when it came down to it, I was too distracted by all the merchandise (my brother calls me "magpie") to remember I was listening for them. I was a little disappointed to find that, in the section of the alley we saw at least, much of the style was punk, but I wasn't in a purchasing mood anyway. Mostly I enjoyed people watching, and for once in my life, didn't mind the crowds.

For any of those outdoorsy-types, the hike to Switzer Falls in Angeles National Forest is both beautiful and challenging (though I haven't hiked in months and quite possibly am out of shape - read: I am out of shape). And for anyone who might start later than planned (i.e. my whole family), this is a great hike to do on a hot summer midafternoon, as much of the walk follows a forested stream. If you ever liked to hop on rocks across streams as a chiled, this could be your hike; there are plenty of stream-crossings on the trail. It also offers great views of the surrounding mountains. When we got to the waterfall, I was less impressed than I'd supposed, because it was much smaller than I'd imagined. Not to worry, though, we had fun climbing up the rocks to one side of it, where we saw another, higher, pool.

Overall, I left L.A. with a much broader, more realistic idea about Los Angeles, California. The impression we get over here on the East Coast doesn't do it justice, I've found. More than just a landing-place for celebrity, it includes beautiful natural scenery, a wide variety of outdoor activities, and a very diverse, large population.

Though I did also see the traffic, Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards... which easily fit the Eastern idea of L.A.

Los Angeles and Laughter in May

I giggled, guffawed and just plain cracked up more times in the past four days than I have in the past four months combined.

That's probably the most memorable thing about my short vacation in Los Angeles, California.

There was the beach (Hermosa) volleyball hilarity of team members getting hit in the face, hitting opposing team members on various upper body parts, people getting knocked over, falling down, tripping over each other and most especially calls of "I've got it! - nevermind" and "Not mine!".

Then there's Star Trek. I love love love this film, by the way. In part the love is due to the fact that I just about died of laughter near the beginning. I haven't laughed that hard in a movie theater, oh perhaps since I was a kid.

As for the rest of the laughter, I have to give the credit to my brother, who could be a comedian without very much effort at all.

Entertainment: Post-Philadelphia Notes

I thought about detailing some of the seminars I went to and some of the things I learned in each, but suffice it tosay that the topics covered in the seminars were myriad and many contained very useful information for an emerging professional.

Instead, I'll write about the more interesting entertainment aspect of the conference.

Firstly, I'd say the best experience I had at the conference that is related to entertainment (receptions count, yes?) was the International Attendees Reception. Many of those who attended were/are affiliated with ICOM (International Council of Museums) which I plan on checking out as soon as I remember to do so.

This is where I met a man who'd followed a speech by Jane Goodall, who convinced him to make wolf howls after she'd made chimpanzee calls, and a founder of the National Museum of the American Indian, a very dapper and intelligent gentleman. Also a Russian immigrant who directs a museum of food in Philadelphia and a former professor-turned-auction house employee.

One of the other evening events was somewhat of a disappointment: a scavenger hunt at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, with wine and nibbles. Though interesting, I perhaps did not make the most of the opportunity to run around the museum solving riddles. I suppose I got too interested in the artifacts, for one...

Outside the conference itself, my favorite place is the Market right across the street, where one can find dozens of vendors selling Turkish, Greek, Mexican and Amish fare, among others. Seafood vendors and butchers, candy and chocolate vendors... all present. Yumm.

I confess I didn't spend my evenings out on the town, learning more about Philadelphia's nightlife, etc. But I enjoy bottles of wine and conversation shared in hotel rooms just as much, if not more. ;)

Networking: Post-Philadelphia Notes

The itinerary for the annual AAM conferenc reads like a lecture series, with seminars here, there, and everywhere.

One thing I learned about conferences is: the main purpose of going is not to attend seminars or lectures, but to meet people. How unusual. But no, I'm being facetious. In fact, more than one panelist mentioned the importance of networking and one even said the best experience she'd ever had at an AAM conference occurred when she did the most networking and meeting people. This is something I don't find comes naturally to me - meeting new people, that is. I've always thought that's been one of the more difficult social skills. Or maybe I'm just lazy. At any rate, I'm happy to report that I found it quite easy after all to start up conversations.

I met some very, very interesting people. A professor who changed careers to work at an auction house, a Russian immigrant who directs a museum on food, a founder of the National Museum of the American Indian, the director of an historic house outside Philadelphia... They all had many interesting things to say, and experiences and stories to relate. Some I will be contacting in the near future for advice or their expertise in one area or another.

One of the best tips I learned about networking while at the conference: Don't just exchange business cards. Write on the back - where you met that person, what conversation you had, etc. Any pertinent details that might help remind them who you are, and you who they are. Makes contacting them that much easier.

Transportation: Post-Philadelphia Notes

I really imagined that I would have (free) internet access during my stay in Philadelphia for the American Association of Museums annual conference. Because I despise the corporate Man, I decided to snub the $12-something fee at the hotel to use the internet. Just think, if everyone at the hotel paid for internet use, what percentage of profit would the hotel make?? The answer: a disgusting percentage.

So, the belated transportation highlights:

I'm so used to long travelling days (think Boston, New Hampshire, Scotland, Nashville...) that a trip to Philadelphia even via train felt like no trip at all. Typically, the one day I need to be at my destination On Time in the morning, the Metro fails. Perhaps I started a bit late, but even so, two trains were offloaded in front of me. One as I prepared to board. Pretty frantic, because I was running late and had less time than I'd thought to get to Union Station and board the train, I trekked back up to the surface to call for a Rescue. Managed to obtain a ride to the station, but with traffic and the already late time, nearly missed the train! From getting on at the last minute, it was a very relaxing and short ride to 30th Street in downtown Philadelphia.

Downtown Philly is not as attractive as I'd remembered it from the last time I was there, but that may be because we drove down the Franklin Parkway the first time, which is one of the prettier sections of the city. The historic district has some pretty parks and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier (did you know burials started in 1706? Not just a war memorial...) One of the most startling things about Philadelphia is the walkability of it.

One evening we went to Pat's King of Steaks, the origin of the Philly Cheesesteak. On Passyunk Ave, we took a taxi from downtown, thinking it would be a very long walk. Instead of trying to call a cab from there when we finished (the cheesesteaks were great, by the way - but I don't think I'd be going frequently even if I did live in Philly), we decided to walk North for a little while in hopes of coming to a more taxi-trafficked area. Much to our surprise, we walked all the way to the historic district in twenty minutes or so!

The rest of our stay definitely did not involve much walking at all, as our hotel was situated across the street from the Convention Center. Even avoided most of the rain by using the covered walkway! Hurray for covered walkways.

That about covers transportation in Philadelphia. Remember, trains are easy, spacious, and relatively cheaper than travelling by air! No checked luggage fees, for one thing...