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...