My Random Thoughts

BRAAAAAAC ATTACK!

2011-09-28T19:34:00.000-04:00

Everyone who commutes in northern Virginia has long been aware of the monolith that DOD planned to build in the Mark Center area to house 5,000 employees as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Personally, I've been dreading it, especially knowing that no measures have been taken to adjust the roads surrounding this monstrosity in order to BRAC-commodate the huge influx of traffic (or "Braffic," as I now refer to it).

Even though they're not dumping all 5,000 BRAC-ers on us at once, Braffic is already having an impact on my daily commute. Until a couple of weeks ago, I was able to leave my home in the City of Fairfax at 6a.m. and reach my office in Pentagon City in 30 minutes via Route 50 and Route 27. I purposely changed to an earlier work schedule to try to avoide arriving at work every day stressed out and pissed off because of the traffic. Now the commute has increased to 40 minutes. I'm either seeing BRAC-ers heading to the Mark Center via the back way, or I'm seeing folks who used to take I-395 and are now avoiding that Braffic cesspool all together. And it's just the beginning! I do not see myself ever becoming fully BRACclimated to this.

DING DONG, BIN LADEN'S DEAD

2011-05-02T08:49:00.002-04:00

May 1, 2011 goes into the history books as a momentous day for America and Americans: U.S. forces tracked and killed terrorist Osama bin Laden! The photo above captures people celebrating and chanting, "USA! USA! USA!" in front of the White House as soon as the news was released. Times Square also filled with revelers celebrating this happy news. My pride in being an American and my gratitude toward our U.S. troops has never been greater than today. Although we must remain vigilant, we must also mark this major event. God bless the USA!

Grandi Dolori Sono Muti

2010-10-17T21:39:00.003-04:00

MISSING YOU LOTS

2010-06-13T16:07:00.002-04:00

A Tragedy and a Travesty

2010-05-23T14:09:00.003-04:00

It has been more than a month now since Deep Water Horizon blew up, killed those people, sank and started vomiting copious amounts of oil into the Gulf. Why is it that BP, the government and other entities were not quicker to deal with this? And did no one think about the chemical disbursants turning the oil into sludge, causing it to sink into the ocean instead of floating on the surface? And what of the effects of the chemicals on marine life and other fragile ecosystems? I am not convinced that BP et al really tried everything they could from the start. I think they were chiefly concerned about finding ways to recoup the oil in order to somehow still make a profit from it. They have not been forthright about the volume of the spill, and have been very busy pointing fingers at anyone other than themselves.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal reportedly said that the state has lost 2,300 sq. mi. of land since the 1930s. Big oil cut canals for pipes and drilling rigs in the marshlands. As a result, salt water invaded estuaries, marsh grass died, and marshes became open water. In turn, barrier islands began to erode.

In a report I read on MSNBC.com, I read that Jindal has joined with Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser in a campaign to win a permit to dredge a new set of barrier islands as the first line of defense against the oil. But the Army Corps of Engineers has not granted the permit. Why?? What is the objection here? What's the hold-up? God forbid something constructive be done to try to protect the environment. Especially since officials say that the marsh grass cannot be cleaned of the oil. Cleaning it would kill the roots and push the oil into the muck.

Like many other American taxpayers, I feel extremely frustrated and helpless about this mess.

Reaching Back Into the Past

2010-05-21T18:00:00.000-04:00

I recently reconnected with someone who I knew 20 years ago.

Hmm. I just read that sentence above and I now feel rather OOOLLLLLDDDD. God, where does the time go? As I write this, I am 46 years old. But I don't FEEL that age at all. Oh, and he's now 51 years old. Holy cow!

In addition to reaching out to him, I have reached out to another old friend who is now...60!!!! None of this makes sense to me. I remember thinking that 40 was old. I mean, OOOOLLLLLLDDDDD! It's very strange, this aging thing, Do not even mention the word, "perspective" to me, okay? Just don't.

I am dismayed to realize how much time has gone by while I was living my life. I realize that this is not a novel thought, but its hitting me rather hard tonight. So, I had to "let it out" via the writen word.

SNOW-MAGEDDON!!

2010-03-14T21:35:00.010-04:00

Winter in Northern Virginia is usually rather mild. Sometimes we get ice storms, which are hard to deal with mainly because it makes the roads perilous to traverse. Once in a while, we get some snow. Small amounts. Manageable amounts. Well, THIS YEAR, we were OVERWHELMED. The FIRST storm hit around Christmas time and brought around 24" to my area. We all thought, "Wow. This is unusual, but we got a white Christmas, right?" Then came the second storm. Another 6" or so. Mind you, the area hadn't gotten around to completely dealing with the first storm, so this SECOND storm did not help things at all. Not even a week later, we were hit with a THIRD storm, this one bringing ANOTHER 20 INCHES. Holy CRAP! Now what? Well, the federal government closed, is one thing. Most stores were closed except for tiny mom-and-pop things like 7-Eleven. Metrorail was SHUT DOWN. Amtrak was SHUT DOWN. My car was BURIED in snow--snow up to the door handles, snow up to my thighs on the places near it. No one in the area could go ANYWHERE...except by ski, I guess. Then again, WHERE would one ski to? A friend's house, maybe. Dunno. All I know is that, between storms, I had to call upon my brother R to rescue me. He parks in an underground garage and has an SUV. I explained that I had run out of stuff and desperately needed to get to the store. Among other things, I was about to run out of my allergy medicine. Mind you, there were no SIDEWALKS on which to walk: you took your life in your hands because you could only walk in the street -- what there was of it - which was mainly populated by large trucks!

Being the kind indivdual he is, he and P showed up in P's SUV. They had to park at the restaurant nearby because my parking lot was largely moguls where it wasn't sheer ice. We made it up to a grocery store and back in one piece, but it was dicey in places. I was so grateful to them for this HUGE favor! I spent a lot of time either cooking/baking, reading or sleeping or watching movies.

Finally, after the THIRD STORM had finished and a couple days of sunshine had occurred, I ventured out with tools to try to dig out my car. Holy cow. Between the major storms there had been just enough thawing/re-freezing that there was ICE under the newer snow. Fortunately, I found a young lad helping another lady out and paid him to help me shovel my vehicle out. This took 2 hours. NOT kidding.

As I write this, it is now the middle of March and we STILL have large, ugly piles of snow in shopping centers. I predict it will be the 3rd week of April before all of what's left finally melts.

I have never been MORE ready for Charleston, SC!!

M's Birthday

2010-03-14T20:44:00.002-04:00

My friend M had a birthday on March 1st. She's the one in red at the center of the pic. Her friend "I" decided that he would surprise her with a birthday dinner with a few friends the following Saturday night. He chose Chez Andree, a little French restaurant that has been in business for more than 40 years in the same location. I was excited about going there because I'd never been to it before and had heard only good things about it (courtesy of R of course).

I was the first to arrive (SHOCKING!!), and was seated by (I later learned) one of the owners. A waitress arrived almost immediatly to take my drink order. I decided to go with the flow and ordered a cocktail. A few minutes later, A arrived. I had heard about her but was meeting her for the first time. She's a lovely, lively, intelligent and gorgeous young lady. We conversed quietly while we awaited the rest of the party. M and "I" showed up and the look of surprise on M's face was genuine. A success in the surprise department -- YAY! They got refreshments and we talked while, shortly thereafter, G arrived full of apologies. We forgave her instantly: she had just moved into her new home that day and must have been exhausted.

Much good conversation ensued, and in the midst, we managed to order our appetizers and entrees. Kathy, our waitress, was wry, sweet and well-versed in the kitchen's offerings that evening. The food was superb -- everyone was delighted with what they'd ordered. The clientelle is such that we completely forgot there's a bar in the place -- until we retired there after stuffing ourselves with dinner and dessert. While we were chatting with Kathy and a bartender, the chef himself came out and we were introduced to him amid our high praise for his culinary talents that evening. After a while, we left. M and "I" would certainly grab a nightcap elsewhere while I headed home. What a lovely evening!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

New Year's Eve is a funny thing for a lot of people. On the one hand, you have those who are adamant about being out and about among throngs of people to share the revelry. On the other hand, you have some who insist on staying in -- either with the one(s) they love or alone. I have had experiences on both sides of the spectrum. I still cannot say which I truly prefer, because I have had both good and not-so-good experiences in both situations. For the closing of 2009, my wonderful brother R invited me to share in dinner at the Chart House with a handful of friends. I love the Chart House, I always have. I'm rarely disappointed by the food or service. I feel comfortable in the restaurant -- its open design and view of the Potomac are pleasing to me.

This night was not disappointing. I arrived around 8:30 because the reservation was for 9pm, and I was told the group would gather for drinks at the bar beforehand. The company was good, the conversations better and Chart House did not let me down, yet again. Oh, I forgot to mention the people-watching aspect -- always interesting, and moreso on such an evening -- especially the later it got! Ah, youth is truly wasted on the young, is it not? Anyway...

At around 11:30 we made our way out of the restaurant. Yes, I know: we left before the "magic hour." So what? When you're of a certain age, it really doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. This I have learned well. And a bonus for me: driving up the beltway at 11:45 meant NO TRAFFIC! A rartiy in this locale. I got home, got comfy, read for a bit, and slept the sleep of the innocent. Welcome, 2010, however quietly you arrived in my world.

Mount Vernon By Candlelight 2009

2009-12-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

R treated me to this year's "Mount Vernon by Candelight" tour. This is the only chance visitors get to tour the historic home at nighttime. They do such a wonderful job with this each year. When you arrive, you are given a tag to hang around your neck, which is how they group visitors for the tour. The tag has the name of a dignitary who visited Mt. Vernon over Christmas at some point in George Washington's time there. Once your group "name" is called, you proceed outside to the grounds of the house.

Your first stop is next to a bonfire, about which lurk "interpreters" in period costumes. While you wait, you are invited to enter a tent, where more "interpreters" serve you a cup of hot cider and homemade cookies made in the style and tradition of the 19th century. When your group is again called, you officialy begin the tour by walking the lantern-lit path that leads directly to the manor. Your costumed guide stops the group periodically and shares stories and other information about the manor and about George and Martha's life during the holidays at the manor.

Your first indoor stop is at the first building on the left of the manor. Inside you are greeted by another "interpreter." In this case, he portrays a footman of George Washington's at the time of Washington's return from Delaware, as his monologue describes. This is the same interpreter as last year, and he's pretty good at it.

Next, you're lead into the manor itself and greeted by "Martha Washington" in the home's dining room. (That's her at left.) This lady is amazing. She's been "Martha" for some years now and she does this so well that you can imagine it's actually Martha speaking to you! She talks of Washington's long absence and of her delight in finally having him home again. In my opinion, she's the highlight of the tour.

The tour continues through the home, both 1st and 2nd levels, with additional costumed "interpreters" speaking to you of other Christmases at Mt. Vernon in Washington's time. When you come to the kitchen, an interpreter hands you a printed recipe for a cake. This recipe was discovered in Martha's own handwriting. It appears as it was in her original recipe and again in "today's" measurements. The original recipe calls for something like 40 eggs, 4 pounds of sugar, and 4 pounds of butter, among other things!

This tour is very enjoyable, and I highly recommend you go when you have the chance.

Birthday Treats

2009-11-16T19:00:00.006-05:00

To help celebrate my birthday, my sister S met me in Boonsboro, MD to meet the author Nora Roberts at her bookstore. The book signing included 4 other authors, none of whom my sister and I were familiar with. S and I have been fans of Nora forever, so we were both excited to meet her for the first time. The bookstore (Turn the Page) is owned and operated by Nora's husband, Bruce Wilder. There was a huge turnout for the signing. We were in line for more than an hour just to get our ticket stub and know which letter of the alphabet group we would be in. With that done, we still had several hours before the actual signing would begin, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. Near the bookstore is a hole-in-the wall restaurant called Crawford's Restaurant, Guns and Ammo. I had to show the sign, as it's the first time I've had a meal at a place that "multitasks" like this. Yes, there were rifles mounted on the wall and ammo for sale behind the counter. Nonetheless, the food we were served was tasty and inexpensive -- always a great combination in my opinion! The menu offered something that S and I had never seen before: funnel cake fries. And that's exactly what they were -- french fry-shaped funnel cake dough, deep fried and served with a side of powdered sugar to sprinkle on top. They were delicious!

Right next door to the bookstore is a little gift shop/gallery called Gifts Inn BoonsBoro. The name ties the shop to the Inn BoonsBoro which is also owned by Nora and Bruce. The lotions, soaps and other toiletries provided for guests of the Inn are also available for sale a the gift shop. On this particular day, a local artist was making an appearance at the gift shop/gallery. She does amazing work with clay figures which she creates by hand. They're whimsical and extraordinarily detailed. She was just starting one while my sister and I were browsing the shop.

Finally, the time arrived to queue up for the book signing. The bookstore is not that big, and between all the bookshelves, special table displays and the people, it was a tight squeeze all the way up to the tables where the authors sat. All of the authors were pleasant and chatted as we made our way through and up to Nora. She was also very pleasant and obliged a photo with S and I behind her. Her son was next to her, helping her with the signing. He owns the only pizza joint in town, just a block from the bookstore.

With that done, it was time for lunch. We decided on the pizza joint. Upon entering, we were enveloped with the wonderful aromas of sauce and pizza dough. I all but drooled as we found ourselves a table! And what a bargain we got at this meal, too: 2 healthy slices of pizza PLUS a 20 oz. drink for $3.99. And worth every penny it was. This was some of the best pizza I have ever had. If it wasn't more than an hour's drive away, I'd become a regular customer! It was lovely to spend some one-on-one time with S, and I truly appreciated all the driving she did that day just to celebrate my birthday. Oh, and of course I'm grateful for an autographed copy of the latest J.D. Robb (a pen name of Nora's) book.

The following Sunday, R and P treated me to brunch at 219 Restaurant in Old Towne, Alexandria. The day was beautiful: sunny and very warm for November. 219 offers 2 menus on weekends: brunch and a smaller lunch menu. As I'd had breakfast that morning, I decided on a lunch dish. It was delicious and extremely filling. R baked me a birthday cake, which the waiter brought to the table complete with lit candles. It was yellow cake with dark chocolate icing, and both were laced with Kahlua. Yummy! It was really sweet of R and P to cut their NYC trip short a day just to help me celebrate.

Wedding in North Carolina

2009-11-02T18:11:00.002-05:00

My nephew, G, got married on October 24th in Greensboro. The bride and groom chose a "Halloween" theme, so party favors included "eyeballs" that were bubbles to blow. The weather cooperated (just barely) and the reception was fun. G's sister B got married at the same event facility 2 years ago. It's a good venue for a small-ish wedding. It was great to get together with family -- especially those who came from much farther away.

Pumpkin Wedding Cakes!

2009-11-02T17:22:00.000-05:00

The bride requested "pumkins" for wedding cake. My brother R was the baker, and I give him MAJOR props for accomplishing this feat! He outdoes himself with each cake he does. He did G's sister B's wedding cake in 2007:

which also blew me away! I'm very proud of R's talent and his generosity of spirit and time and effort when he does things like this.

Goodbye, Summer

2009-09-18T10:47:00.008-04:00

Summer is my favorite time of year. The warm temperatures, the sunshine, the R&R time I spend at my pool...the trees have all their leaves, the grass is beautfiully green. I swear, I go into a funk for the first few weeks every September once the pool is closed for the season.

Fall isn't so bad around here. But Winter? Blech. Can't stand it. The climate here tends to give us cold temperatures with the additional insult of humidity that turns it into a bone-chilling type of cold. And ice? Please. The snow I can handle, but it tends to be more icy than snowy here and it can be really treacherous to navigate the roads when it's like that.

I should really be living farther south. Like Charleston, SC. I even have "my townhouse" all picked out! See? It's in North Charleston.

It's perfect for me: 3 BR, 2.5 BA, lots of light. Master suite on the first floor. LOVE it! I just need a friggin' JOB there first. Or maybe I can hit the PowerBall for a ton of money...then this would be my Primary Residence, of course. Others to follow...(sigh).

MY NEW FAVORITE WORD

2009-06-03T09:03:00.003-04:00

I just got a call from my sister, S a few minutes ago. She just received the news that her leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma are in remission!! What a gift. what a blessing, what a miracle. And not too shabby as an early birthday gift to her, too!

A Girl's Weekend!

2009-06-01T10:43:00.006-04:00

I "got outta Dodge" this weekend and visited my sister, S, in Bedford. We were sorely in need of a "girls weekend."

Driving up I-70, I left behind the concrete and high rise buildings and feasted my eyes on rolling green hills and blue skies. I actually felt myself relax as I gazed around at the countryside sliding by. The weather was perfect as I rolled into Bedford.

After I arrived, our first order of business was a trip out to a place called The Furniture Barn. It's a mixture of flea market, antiques and used furniture. Fate smiled on my sister as she discovered an antique white wicker planter that was just the thing she'd been wanting for her front porch. This meant, of course, a trip back to the green house she frequents so she could pick out more flowers! S doesn't have just a green thumb--all her digits are green! Her front and back gardens are absolutely beautiful. All of her time, expense and effort really pay off each spring and summer.

I had a pedicure scheduled in the afternoon, and S got her toenails painted at the same time. Beauty stuff and shopping are essential elements for a true "girls weekend!"

On Saturday evening, I made us both a dinner of chicken marsala, oven-roasted asparagus and a garden salad (the green house she goes to is also a produce stand). It was pretty tasty and she raved about the chicken! We watched "Fried Green Tomatoes" over dinner. I couldn't believe S handn't seen this movie before. I knew she would enjoy it, and she did.

Sunday morning dawned with more gorgeous weather, along with the 8a.m. service at Bedford United Methodist. It was Pentecostal Sunday, and the whole service was centered on the meaning of this special Sunday: where "church" got its start. The pastor is really good. It's obvious he was born to be a minister. I especially appreciate how he sprinkles humor throughout his messages.

After church, we ran a couple of errands and came back to her house for a while. My Aunt K invited us to Sunday dinner at her place, so I packed my vehicle and we headed on over. What a delicious meal! Oven-baked chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, broccoli, cauliflower...I pigged out and enjoyed every bite!

I was truly sorry to have to leave. I would have been content to stay another day -- or the rest of the week, for that matter! This was a fabulous "girls weekend." I hope we repeat it soon!

It's Raining Pictures!

2009-05-21T10:35:00.008-04:00

Question: where is one place in your house that you don't want to be when you hear a loud crash?

Answer: The shower. With conditioner on your hair.

So began my morning today. There I am, happily conditioning away, when out of nowhere comes a loud, prolonged crash. Loud enough and close enough that I thought my wall cabinet in the bathroom had taken a header. I cautiously opened the shower curtain and peered around my teeny, tiny bathroom. Nothing on the floor, and the cabinet was still in it's rightful place on the wall. Hmm....

I stepped out of the shower and opened the bathroom door. There, in the hallway, are two pictures that were hanging on the hallway wall. They are surrounded by seashells. The picture that had been hung the highest is a photo of The Weather Girls, formerly known as Two Tons of Fun. This photo is addressed to me and is autographed by Martha and Azora, the sisters who make up the singing duo who had a hit back in the day called "It's Raining Men." That is why I framed and hung it. Below that hung a photo of my father in the trombone section of a dance band back in the 50s. Peering up to the spots where they used to hang, I surmised what must have happened: Two Tons of Fun suddenly became too heavy for the hook. The hook let go, sending Martha and Azora sliding down to my dad. With my dad in tow, they made a detour to check out my basket of seashells that had been perched on a table directly below them, took the shells along for a ride, and then managed to come to some sort of gentle landing on the hardwood floor. Yeah, I said "gentle" because BOTH pieces of glass from the pictures were completely IN TACT. How weird (and cool) is that? I mean, usually falling glass meeting hardwood floor equals many shards of perile for bare feet! But it didn't happen in this case. Perhaps it was the benefit of the cushiony flesh provided by the singing sisters? Who knows.

Geese as Pedestrians

2009-05-13T09:48:00.002-04:00

The other day, I was about 6th in a line of cars waiting out a red light to make a right turn onto a very busy thoroughfare. As I neared the intersection, I noticed a pair of Canadian geese standing SMACK IN THE MIDDLE of this intersection. I observed their behavior and couldn't help making a comparison to that of human pedestrians, impatiently waiting to cross a street. The geese shuffled from side to side, occasionally turned and took a few steps in the opposite direction, and turned and stepped again in the direction they wanted to go. Then it hit me: WHY??? What would possess a creature with the ability to fly to decide to put it's little avian life on the line by attempting to traverse such a busy channel of traffic on it's little webbed feet when all it needed to do is lift its wings and FLY THE HELL OVER IT?! Could this kind of behavior have been the inspiration behind the phrase "bird brain?"

Another Loss

2009-05-08T17:30:00.006-04:00

On May 5, my uncle Bob passed away. He was my last remaining uncle. He was also my favorite. I remember him as upbeat, personable and funny. Oh--and musical, too! He used to play drums. My mom (his sister) and my grandmother (Nana -- his mother) told me stories of his compulsion to "drum" on any surface, any time when he was growing up. Nana used to admonish him for occasionally breaking her dishes with this drumming habit! He was also a whistler. Residents of the small town of Bedford, PA (where he lived his entire life) always knew when Bob was in the vicinity: they'd hear him cheerfully whistling as he walked. When Bob was a little boy, he met a cute little girl named Kay. They were sweet on eachother, and Kay used to make Bob mud pies. They stayed sweet on eachother all through school. They got married after graduating. They were together until Bob's passing. I think that's wonderful, don't you? I know that Kay is struggling with this huge loss of her one and only true love. I and the rest of the family intend to do whatever we can to see her through all of this.

My mom always referred to Bob as her "baby brother." But Bob wasn't technically the youngest sibling. There was Johnny, who died as a toddler. Now, all the siblings have passed on. I take pleasure and comfort in knowing that my mom is reuinted with Bob and that he is reunited with all his brothers, sisters, and his mother whom he loved so much.

A Special Weekend

2008-11-17T09:40:00.005-05:00

This weekend was my birthday. The big 4-5. Ugh! My first treat was coming home Friday night to a huge bouquet of flowers at my door courtesy of my wonderful brother, R.

On Saturday my sister, S, treated me to an overnight stay at the Bavarian Inn in historic Shepherdstown, WV. What a neat little town it is. And what a beautiful drive to get there and back! The Inn was super easy to find, thanks to the good directions on the Web site (http://www.bavarianinnwv.com). Once I entered West Virginia on Saturday morning, it began raining rather heavily. Combine that with twisting 2-lane roads and your power of concentration really gets a workout! We met up at the Inn, checked in, and then hopped into her Jeep to go see the shops in Shepherdstown and have lunch. The top photo is of the Yellow Brick Bank, which is the restaurant where we ate. It used to be a bank, and what was the vault is now the wine cellar. It's a neat place with funky decor and good food. We enjoyed salad, wine and good conversation. The middle photo is of one of the lodges at the Inn, which is situated on the Potomac River. The bridge in the photo is the Potomac River Bridge. The bottom photo is a view of part of the "downtown" area of Shepherdstown. There are some cool shops in the area and we visited nearly all of them! What else can you do when it's pouring buckets outside? At least temperatures were in the low 60's, so we didn't need coats.

Once we'd had enough of that, it was back to our room to freshen up and change for dinner. We dined at the Inn and the food was excellent. The server and other staff were all very friendly. When our server brought the dessert tray to us, we selected a slice of double-chocolate cake. My sister let it slip that it was my birthday, and the slice of cake arrived with a lit candle on a plate on which was written "Happy Birthday" in chocolate icing. Tasty!

We were so full and sleepy that we just went back to the room and watched movies for the evening. The next morning it was FREEZING outside. A cold front had moved in overnight and it was windy and overcast. We went to breakfast at the Inn, which was also delicious. There was a trio of people sitting a table behind me: a couple and a middle-aged guy were having a rather intense discussion about the disintegration of the guy's marriage thanks to is wife's chronic alcoholism. The man actually broke down in tears as he explained what had been going on with both her and his children. When we left the restaurant, S and I were discussing what we'd overheard and discovered that we'd both felt like walking over and giving the guy a hug. We felt so sorry for him in his predicament.

We went back to the room, gathered our things and went to our cars to head back to our respective homes. The time just flew, but it was so nice to have that one-on-one time with S. She's such a wonderful sister!

Once I got home, I had just enough time to unpack, run errands, put groceries away, and get freshened up and changed to go to dinner at R's. At my request, he'd made roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans with Black Forest Cherry cake as my birthday cake! He'd done the roast in a crock pot and it had simmered away for 10 hours, so it pretty much fell apart on the serving platter. OMG, it was so good, I strong-armed him into giving me some of the roast to take home!

Now it's the start of a new work week. Yuck. At least we have Thanksgiving to shorten next week!

Fun in the City

2008-10-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

My friend Marie and I hopped on Metro Saturday and rode into D.C. to visit the Newseum. Cool place. I like the way they display the newspapers of different states and of different countries both outside and inside the place. Checking those out can take up a large chunk of time, though! It was very eerie for me to see the car that the 2 "D.C. Snipers" used during their terror spree in 2002. The car is located in the "G-Men and Journalism" exhibit section.

After we finished at the museum, we walked around and eventually started heading to our Metro stop. We'd both been commenting on our hunger levels when we happened upon a neat looking restaurant on the corner not far from our Metro stop. It was called Oyamel and was a Mexican tapas style place. Marie convinced me to try it, so in we went. I love the decor, but am not fond of the tiny "2-top" tables that leave maybe 12" between each one. They make guacamole right there at your table if you order it. Can't get any fresher than that! Also, they hired a "juice guy," whose sole job is to juice fruit all day long. I ordered a glass of fresh mango juice and, boy, was that tasty! I liked the food I ordered and I think I would come back again at some point.

After that, it was back on the Metro and back home. It's fun to "play tourist" sometimes -- especially when you do it with someone new to the area.

SATC: Saw It, Loved It!

2008-06-22T11:34:00.002-04:00

My friend Marie and I did finally get around to seeing SATC and we both really liked it. I missed that series when it ended. We ended up grabbing some food at Hops afterward and rehashing the flick.

Someday I want a clothes/shoe closet like the one in that apartment. Too fabulous!

Movie Time!

2008-06-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

My brother and I, in keeping with a long-held tradition, went to see the latest Indiana Jones movie together. I think we both enjoyed this one as much as the others. Sure, it's a predictable plot, but I think most fans suspend their disbelief and just sit back and enjoy the ride. I can't believe Harrison Ford is in his 60s now!

I wonder if Shia LaBeouf will take over the reins (or WHIP, I guess) and become the next lead for Indiana Jones films? I think it might be kind of cool to keep the character appearing in theaters from time to time.

I am now looking foward to the "Sex and the City" film. I have heard nothing but great things about it and I am sure that I will love every minute of it's 2.5 hour length. Of course, the plan is to go with a couple of g'friends and OF COURSE the we'll have to go for cocktails afterward. I mean, that's a given, right?

Field Trip Sunday

2008-04-08T12:14:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, two friends and I hopped on Metro and went to D.C. to (mainly) see the cherry blossoms. It wasn't the best day for it in terms of weather, but that made for a smaller crowd -- always a good thing in my book! We exited at the Smithsonian station and our walk took us right by the World War II Memorial, so we visited it first. It's a beautiful memorial. I never managed to find the fabled "Kilroy was here" inscription that is depicted in a photo on the Memorial's Web site.

We traveled onward to the Tidal Basin to view the cherry blossoms. We'd all brought umbrellas, and they came in very handy as it started to drizzle and mist on us. We saw a bride and groom having photos taken just at the edge of the Basin, under the beautiful trees. She wore a strapless gown and must have been FREEZING, because I was even chilly in my layers. I hope their photos turn out beautifully and make the trek well worth the effort!

We walked ALL the way around the Tidal Basin and discovered that the side opposite from where we'd arrived was the WINDY side. Man, we were cold! Fortunately, we stumbled upon the FDR Memorial which has a lot of stone walls and (thank you, Eleanor) REAL restrooms! It was nice to get out of the wind and rain and actually be able to wash our hands in warm water, even!

We came across the Korean War Veteran's Memorial and checked it out. That is one spooky wall they created. The images are faces of those who fought the war and supported the troops, and they've been lasered/sandblasted onto Academy Black Granite. The effect is amazing: the farther away you walk from the wall, the more "ghostly" images appear on it. I don't know how they accomplished that, but KUDOS to them! The 7-foot-plus-tall statues of the soldiers are made from stainless steel and are bottom-lit, so that they also appear ghostly at nighttime.

Three and a half hours later, we trudged back to the Metro to head home. My dogs were barking and my lower back was screaming, but I'm glad we did the tour.

If you have never seen these monuments, plan to do so. They're well worth seeing, and they're all my favorite price of admission: FREE!

"Raise"-ing My Spirits

2008-02-22T17:33:00.002-05:00

Something really good happened this week: I got my performance review. All elements are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being "excellent." Well, I got ALL 5's! I was told that I'm a real asset to the company, and my boss said he is keeping his eyes open for more challenging opportunities for me. It also came with a nice raise, so WOO-HOO for me!

Now, if everything we all have to buy would just quit jumping in price on a regular basis (y'know -- things like groceries and gas), maybe I'd actually have a little disposable income for a change. Yeesh! It's nice that I'm appreciated, at least!

The Price of Being $ingle

2008-02-06T23:46:00.001-05:00

So, it's Wednesday evening and I'm home from having met the guy from the singles group. Yes, that's right, it's 8:30pm and I have been home long enough to have changed clothes, checked messages, etc., and am here writing about it. Oy. Bottom line? He's crass and cheap. And about 100 lbs. overweight, but he carries it sort-of well. But what I discovered about his personality is that he gave his "best," apparently, during our phone conversations. I have to say that I wasn't captivated by anything he said this evening. (And I had WANTED to be.)

He waits until we're 3 hours into the meet to ask for the check, receive it, and then look at me and say "Do you want to go half?" How shitty is that? I mean, we didn't go crazy or anything--shared 2 appetizers and each had several glasses of wine. I decided to try a new variation on a Cosmo, but that was it. Period. No actual "dinner." And he waits until the check to say this, about going "halvsies?" Eeeeewwwwww. What could I have said, but "yeah, ok.' And inwardly groan. THEN, after having "gifted" me with that little bomb, he proceeds to go to the loo and then comes out and spends about 10 minutes chatting with the blonde, female member of the "trio" that is apparently going to play at this place. Niiiiiice, n'estce pas?

Well, we're done. I'm disappointed (and insulted re: the whole check thing) but not damaged. Just...DONE. C'est tout. C'est finis. And BUH-BYE.

I Nearly Forgot...

2008-01-31T21:30:00.001-05:00

The meet-up last Sunday evening was good. Met some really nice people, both male and female. I was hoping to meet this one member who recently moved to this area. We'd e-mailed, and this was to be his first meet-up event, too. There had to be 40 or 50 people there -- it was jammed. And dark. Didn't see him. He later e-mailed that he didn't see me, either. But we're continuing to e-mail and are probably going to meet in person soon. I look forward to future gatherings, especially when the weather warms up.

Monday, Monday

2008-01-21T19:20:00.001-05:00

It was another very cold day today--ugh. At least the sun shone brightly. I started out with the intention of slogging through all the laundry I needed to do, only to discover I had enough quarters to wash and dry ONE load. And it's a federal holiday, so all banks were closed. Crap. I'd planned a trip to the grocery store and car wash, but was intending to go AFTER laundry. Switch-'em, change-'em. Threw a baseball cap on my head, grabbed my warmest coat and off I went on my errands.

HGTV was doing a marathon of their "international house hunters" show, so that droned on in the background while I dumped, switched over, took out, hung/folded what turned out to be 4 loads of laundry. Ick. I should never have fired that maid (ha ha). At least I could visually "escape" to tropical climes courtesy of the TV. All the shows were taking place in areas like Santa Domingo, Honduras, and Cabo San Lucas. Hey! Maybe I'll become an ex-pat one day...

Meanwhile, there was more drudgery to get through here in freezing friggin' Virginia.

BRRRRRR! When's Summer Coming?

2008-01-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

As I write this, it is about 20 degrees with a wind chill of 8 outside. This is NUTS! Yeah, I know it's January and not June. But I just really don't enjoy frigid temperatures. Inside of me beats the heart of a beach bum. Give me a balmy breeze off the ocean and sand between my toes. Shoot, add an umbrella drink and it's nirvana for sure!

I'm not a *complete* party-pooper when it comes to certain aspects of winter, though. For example, two days ago we had a very pretty snowfall with a lot of flakes the size of 50 cent pieces. It just coated the trees, grass and shrubs like a mantle and it was postcard perfect. I can appreciate the beauty in that--even more if I'm inside my home, dry and warm and sipping hot chocolate!

By and large, though, a day this cold makes me think of Jimmy Buffett's music. Lines like "I gotta fly to St. Somewhere" and "I gotta go where it's WARM!" come to mind.

I recently found out that one of my "Florida cousins" wants to spend her 50th birthday celebrating at a beach house. Now, there's woman after my own heart. Her birthday is on March 4 and I very much plan to be there with bells on. I can hardly wait!

Meanwhile, I'd best get into the rain locker and then wrap myself in nice, warm layers to brave these awful temps outside. I've got a manicure and pedicure on my agenda today--woo hoo!

Life is Richer With Friends

2008-01-20T09:59:00.001-05:00

This weekend was off to a great start! I discovered a "care package" in my mailbox on Friday when I got home from work. It was from my best friend, Beth, who relocated back to Alabama last year. She is too funny! She well knows my penchant for dark chocolate and had sent 4 small bags of M&Ms (both the plain and the peanut kind). Also included were a couple of sticky note pads in the shapes of flip-flops and she put this little stuffed frog in there. What a hoot: you squeeze it's little "hand," and it plays "I like to move it, move it." I had quite a good laugh out loud over this. Beth, you're too good to me! She knows I'd been feeling kind of low over Chris' passing, and so decided I could use "a little happy," as she wrote in the card she included.

On Friday evening, I met 3 of my girlfriends for dinner at the Firehouse Grill. It really did used to be a firehouse back in the day. It's just a little place -- there are maybe 6 or 8 tables in the "dining room." I think the place survives on bar business. The food is inexpensive and adequate -- nothing to write home about, for sure. Now, the girls and I try to get together for dinner 1 night a month. I hadn't been able to make it when they got together last time, and what with the holidays and all, it had been quite a while since we'd had a chance to get all caught up with each other. So, I'd really looked forward to Friday. It was fun! We had cocktails, dinner, then moved to the bar (they were setting up for live music in that li'l ole dining room) for more cocktails. It was great to relax and talk and laugh the way that we always do when we get together. I have known Karen and Shelley since the early 80's, and Debbie I've known since the 90's, so we go back a ways, the 4 of us. Karen, bless her heart, is working to get her master's degree -- I say "you, go, girl!" Unfortunately, once she's done with that, she and her husband and 2 kids will be moving to Pennsylvania (in 2009). I'll be sad to see her leave the area, but I'm happy that they'll have a house they've had built and in an area that's probably much better for the kids to grow up in. God knows I won't miss this area when I finally move away!

On Saturday evening, my friend Marie made me a fabulous meal at her place and we had a really fun visit. I got to meet Tiffany (her Yorkie) and Gabriella (her cat) and fell in love with both on the spot!

Life is richer with friends like I've got. I wouldn't trade them for the world, and may God bless each and every one of them!

Go Figure

2008-01-15T19:27:00.003-05:00

I'm gonna rant a little bit here. Today, a male acquaintance at work took me to lunch. During said lunch, I had to disabuse him of the notion that our friendship was going to progress to a "friends with benefits" level. The guy is married, firstly. He's out of my dating age range, secondly. He's not my type, thirdly. The first point renders the other two points moot in my book.
I find it just about impossible to have respect for men who stray in their marriage. It's a sore spot for me, as it is with most of the females I know.
I must say that I was proud of the way that I handled the situation. I didn't yell at him, I didn't sit there and chastise him, either. I simply pointed out the very important fact that he's married. And that our friendship was not at THAT level! He told me that he appreciated my being direct and honest with him. I hope he means that. I seriously doubt there will be future lunches. I don't want to send mixed signals!

Christmas in Greensboro, NC 2007

2008-01-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

I spent this past Christmas with my sister, Marsi in Greensboro,NC.

You can read her blog at http://marsimumbles.blogspot.com/.

She'd mentioned to me quite a few times the neighborhood near her that decorates with "light balls." Now, these are not the store-bought version you might think of. These are homemade out of chicken wire, mostly in a ball shape but some in square or rectangular shape, around which one wraps strings of lights. These are then attached to phenomenally long extension cords and hoisted (God only knows how) into trees. These trees, mind you, are sometimes as high as 2 stories! When you have the participation of every single house on the same street, it's quite an impressive sight! I actually gasped out loud when we drove onto the street and saw what appeared to be hundreds of colored light balls/shapes seemingly suspended in mid-air (obviously you get this effect only when it's dark out). These pictures don't really do justice, but at least in the close-up you can tell what they do to get the effect.

If you go to Marsi' blog, you will read her recounting of Christmas day. It was quite funny. I had a great visit with her and it was the first Christmas we'd spent together in years. She's blessed with 2 sons and a daughter (all young adults) and it was a treat to get to see them also.

Got the photos up--good!

2008-01-13T17:19:00.001-05:00

Well, I see that the Chris-related photos posted okay -- that's good. I'm brand new to this whole blog thing.

I ancitipate more upbeat future postings, rest assured.

Starting the New Year With A Loss

2008-01-13T16:39:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is the start of a new year...and I lost a friend. Chris passed away on January 5th from cancer. We'd just begun our friendship around the beginning of last year. I'd met her at work. She was an intelligent, talented and witty lady and I enjoyed her company a lot.

I have lost plenty of family over the years, which is rough, but this is the first friend whom I'd met on my own that I've lost. Obviously it's having quite an impact on me.

I find myself reflecting on what a talented artist she was, and wishing that she had continued with it. Her specialty was the "stippling" method. One of the things she and I had in common was a love of the beach and all things "beachy," especially seashells. You should see the incredible renderings of all kinds of seashells she stippled. Some of this work was actually sold, but that was quite a few years ago and not here in this area.

I'll attempt to post a few images that relate to this installment.