Like every straight, twenty-somethin' girl in DC, I love me some military men. So when my friend--the Awesome Overachiever almost Jesus-like one-- mentioned that she was running the (in)famous Marine Corps Marathon I figured that this could be an interesting thing to see.
I would never in a bajillion years have guessed that this was an awesome spectator sport but my roommate and I had a blast cheering on our friend this Sunday. We headed first to the Mall to give A.O. some mid-race encouragement. Luckily, the weather was amazing and cooperative. We proudly cheered and screamed and held up our amazing signs.
The Mall had the advantage of allowing us to see AO twice and then gave us enough time to head up to Rosslyn and cheer her through the finish. Once again I was gobsmacked by the sheer masses of people that had gathered to cheer these people through the race. And it was definitely an infectious atmosphere with people all around you and the fun music and beautiful weather.
AO finished right around 3.5 hours--her goal, I believe. My roommate and I were able to keep track of her movements through the handy text-messaging tracker that we signed up for on the MCM website. Although, it told us about an hour after she finished that she had, indeed, made it. So, a little fail for the system at the end as it got overwhelmed.
A very fun and interesting way to spend your Sunday morning. Plus, boys in uniform being helpful. I am fully supportive of these types of things
Monday, October 27, 2008
DC News Rant
Metro to Conduct Random Bag Inspections
I saw this and I wanted to scream a little: I see metal detectors and security lines in the future of metro. I get enough of that when I fly, thanks.
Here's my question: has an explosive ever been found on metro with intent to blow the trains up? I know that it's not a predictor for future behaviour but...really? Metro? I barely believe that they enforce the "no eating" rule anymore so how exactly is this going to work?
The inspections will take place when transit police determine that circumstances -- such as an elevated threat level -- warrant heightened vigilance. They will not be announced ahead of time.
I saw this and I wanted to scream a little: I see metal detectors and security lines in the future of metro. I get enough of that when I fly, thanks.
Here's my question: has an explosive ever been found on metro with intent to blow the trains up? I know that it's not a predictor for future behaviour but...really? Metro? I barely believe that they enforce the "no eating" rule anymore so how exactly is this going to work?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pumpkin Pickin'
I had a fab day! It was totally juvenile and wholesome and fun: I went to a pumpkin farm!
I, my friend from abroad, and two of her sorority sisters drove out to the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (read: everything not DC, really) Maryland to the cutest little farm. It had fields and a silo and a barn. And was totally commercialized. There were tables for Kaplan colleges, some snowcone company, COSTCO--for heaven's sake-- and some bank. It was hilarious.
Anywho, there was a pony ride and some "Straw Mountain" and slides and water ducky races and--the best part of all--a MAIZE MAZE! So of course we had to do it all. I'm pretty sure all the Marylanders with their small children thought we were totally insane. It was awesome.
Except, hilariosity in the maze: we did the "Long Way" and the "Short Way" was a different maze in the same field. So we're wandering around this maze and have not a clue what we're doing. Now the paths in this maze are super narrow and the corn is bending over us and all that. So it's single file, Indian style. Anywho, we're wandering forever and we finally just start barreling through, "WTFery" abounding. And, somehow, somehow, we end up coming out of the "Short Way" entrance. God knows. Only we could have managed this.
After the maze, we are exhausted and kinda freezing (Fall has decided to hit--temps fell by about 20 degrees in one night) so we decided to go to the Barn BBQ or something. It was quaint, okay? I had the best fries ever. I mean, this includes Europe and Europe had awesome fries. These were simply amazing. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the chicken nuggets were Perdue or Tyson's.
The piece de resistance: pumpkin picking. They had a real pumpkin patch. I picked my pumpkin from a vine. Sure, I had to basically wrench it off but it was awesome.
All in all, fun all over. And I am freakin' exhausted so I am not planning on waking up 'til 10:30 tomorrow.
I, my friend from abroad, and two of her sorority sisters drove out to the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (read: everything not DC, really) Maryland to the cutest little farm. It had fields and a silo and a barn. And was totally commercialized. There were tables for Kaplan colleges, some snowcone company, COSTCO--for heaven's sake-- and some bank. It was hilarious.
Anywho, there was a pony ride and some "Straw Mountain" and slides and water ducky races and--the best part of all--a MAIZE MAZE! So of course we had to do it all. I'm pretty sure all the Marylanders with their small children thought we were totally insane. It was awesome.
Except, hilariosity in the maze: we did the "Long Way" and the "Short Way" was a different maze in the same field. So we're wandering around this maze and have not a clue what we're doing. Now the paths in this maze are super narrow and the corn is bending over us and all that. So it's single file, Indian style. Anywho, we're wandering forever and we finally just start barreling through, "WTFery" abounding. And, somehow, somehow, we end up coming out of the "Short Way" entrance. God knows. Only we could have managed this.
After the maze, we are exhausted and kinda freezing (Fall has decided to hit--temps fell by about 20 degrees in one night) so we decided to go to the Barn BBQ or something. It was quaint, okay? I had the best fries ever. I mean, this includes Europe and Europe had awesome fries. These were simply amazing. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the chicken nuggets were Perdue or Tyson's.
The piece de resistance: pumpkin picking. They had a real pumpkin patch. I picked my pumpkin from a vine. Sure, I had to basically wrench it off but it was awesome.
All in all, fun all over. And I am freakin' exhausted so I am not planning on waking up 'til 10:30 tomorrow.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On Reading
Sometimes I forget how much I love to read. I watch too much TV or have too much homework or drama in my life to remember how wonderful it feels to curl up with a good book and, basically, disappear for a day.
And sometimes I wander over to the other extreme where I just become obsessed. Because I will go to the National Book Festival, and finally get a Library of Congress card, and update my LibraryThing.
Guess which extreme I am at right now?
I really, really can't buy any books right now. I don't have the money. I don't have the time to read them. But I want to so. Badly. I've promised myself, however, that I must first read five of the unread books on my bookshelf. There are more than that, obviously.
I have this problem where I buy really interesting books because they were at the cutest little used bookstore and they sound all cute and literary. But, guess what, picking up something unknown is also scary. It's so easy to keep an eye out for your favorite authors or genres but starting an absolutely unknown book can be scary: what if you don't like it? What if it's stupid? What if you don't understand the fuss? No, it's better to stick to the fifth in a series or a romance novel (predictable to a fault).
Then there's this issue: I always want to talk about my books. But if I think about it too much then I think to myself "what right do I have to judge? What have I done that's comparable to getting a book published? Or, more basically, have I ever written a book?" No, is obviously the answer here. And then I feel unqualified to even talk about disliking a book: "well, it seemed a bit silly. No, I don't really know if it was the style or the syntax or the use of an obscure literary device and really, what's the difference? It just wasn't my thing."
I happen to have a minor fault from the very beginning: I don't really like "adult" books. You know, Oprah stuff. No, I like my Garth Nix and Ella Enchanted and Harry Potter. They're more fun. Adult books are pretty depressing. Seems to me someone always has to die or suffer some sort of loss to make it meaningful. No thanks--I read to escape not hear more about the real world.
Long story short: went to the national book festival. Got a poster and bag. Neil Gaiman is awesome.
And sometimes I wander over to the other extreme where I just become obsessed. Because I will go to the National Book Festival, and finally get a Library of Congress card, and update my LibraryThing.
Guess which extreme I am at right now?
I really, really can't buy any books right now. I don't have the money. I don't have the time to read them. But I want to so. Badly. I've promised myself, however, that I must first read five of the unread books on my bookshelf. There are more than that, obviously.
I have this problem where I buy really interesting books because they were at the cutest little used bookstore and they sound all cute and literary. But, guess what, picking up something unknown is also scary. It's so easy to keep an eye out for your favorite authors or genres but starting an absolutely unknown book can be scary: what if you don't like it? What if it's stupid? What if you don't understand the fuss? No, it's better to stick to the fifth in a series or a romance novel (predictable to a fault).
Then there's this issue: I always want to talk about my books. But if I think about it too much then I think to myself "what right do I have to judge? What have I done that's comparable to getting a book published? Or, more basically, have I ever written a book?" No, is obviously the answer here. And then I feel unqualified to even talk about disliking a book: "well, it seemed a bit silly. No, I don't really know if it was the style or the syntax or the use of an obscure literary device and really, what's the difference? It just wasn't my thing."
I happen to have a minor fault from the very beginning: I don't really like "adult" books. You know, Oprah stuff. No, I like my Garth Nix and Ella Enchanted and Harry Potter. They're more fun. Adult books are pretty depressing. Seems to me someone always has to die or suffer some sort of loss to make it meaningful. No thanks--I read to escape not hear more about the real world.
Long story short: went to the national book festival. Got a poster and bag. Neil Gaiman is awesome.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday's Confessional
Secrets on Thursday:
This may not be an actual secret since most of my friends would agree if you asked them: I love, love, love children’s television. This goes past just the classic Disney movies, the retro Nickelodeon that it’s cool to like: PBS kids, the Disney channel, I watch it all. And if you asked me what my absolute favorite shows are, they tend to be those for preschoolers: Arthur is AWESOME, and I don’t know if this one is still on but I loved PB&J on Playhouse Disney, and I will stop on Charlie and Lola if it’s on.
It’s not that I am incapable of watching “serious” television (although it’s still pretty silly overall): the West Wing, History Channel documentaries, all that. I just find children’s television somehow less…pretentious. I mean, okay, Spongebob is horrendous. But Arthur is hilarious. And Charlie and Lola has great voices. There’s something a little bit more genuine about these shows.
Arthur:
PB&J:
Charlie and Lola:
Oh, and this is a true secret: I LOVE the Barbie movies. They are my crappy day, comfort movies.
Alrighty, spill your Thursday secret.
This may not be an actual secret since most of my friends would agree if you asked them: I love, love, love children’s television. This goes past just the classic Disney movies, the retro Nickelodeon that it’s cool to like: PBS kids, the Disney channel, I watch it all. And if you asked me what my absolute favorite shows are, they tend to be those for preschoolers: Arthur is AWESOME, and I don’t know if this one is still on but I loved PB&J on Playhouse Disney, and I will stop on Charlie and Lola if it’s on.
It’s not that I am incapable of watching “serious” television (although it’s still pretty silly overall): the West Wing, History Channel documentaries, all that. I just find children’s television somehow less…pretentious. I mean, okay, Spongebob is horrendous. But Arthur is hilarious. And Charlie and Lola has great voices. There’s something a little bit more genuine about these shows.
Arthur:
PB&J:
Charlie and Lola:
Oh, and this is a true secret: I LOVE the Barbie movies. They are my crappy day, comfort movies.
Alrighty, spill your Thursday secret.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Blue! Blue like the sky!
It is actually nice outside! Cool, almost crisp. I wore jeans--yay, casual Friday--and may actually walk part of the ways home.
Incidentally, this is perfect sipping drinks on a patio with your best friends weather. However, since the going outage is scheduled for tomorrow night, I will be sitting at home with my dirty laundry, baking biscotti, and watching the opening ceremonies. Because I am just that cool.
Well, I may make a gin and tonic.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Incidentally, this is perfect sipping drinks on a patio with your best friends weather. However, since the going outage is scheduled for tomorrow night, I will be sitting at home with my dirty laundry, baking biscotti, and watching the opening ceremonies. Because I am just that cool.
Well, I may make a gin and tonic.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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