Thursday, December 28, 2006

Myspace: Wanted Dead or Alive?

Probably dead actually. I have to say that for awhile there, I fell onto the Myspace bandwagon. But now? I think I'm over it.

I missed out on the whole Myspace thing to begin with... when I came back to the states, I had no idea what this internet social networking thing was. And it seemed a little creepy to me due to pedophiles, child predators, and just dirty people. Then I was little intrigued when you had to be a member to see people's myspace pictures, so I created an account just so I could see people's pictures (a little stalker-ish, but I wasn't hurting anyone). After that, I kind of felt obligated to create a myspace page, decorate it all fancy, and actually use it. I went a little crazy with the decorating for like 3 weeks-- wanting to change the background, the layout, and the music. And then, I stopped. I just lost interest. It wasn't fun anymore. Well, I can't really say that it was fun outside of the design part for me.

Myspace, I've now realized, is it's own world. You definitely have to be into it if you're in it... otherwise, you're really just wasting time. In the beginning of my myspace foray, I had people from my high school wanting to be my "friend," but really, I had a hard time figuring out who some of those people were! This whole farce of myspace friends is just weird to me. Which makes me think... if we weren't friends in high school, we probably wouldn't be friends now. I don't want to be mean, but as a self-proclaimed anti-social, I'm not really one to want to start random friendships with people. Sure there's people on there that I am actually friends with, but really, just because we went to the same school doesn't mean I knew you. My high school was kind of big (not in ideas, mind you, but in population), and I'm pretty sure I didn't like school in general, so there are definitely people I didn't know. It's the same with those people who are living in DC and who randomly ask me to add them. WHY? Because we live in DC? It's not like we live together. Last time I checked DC is a pretty big city.

So I've lost the interest in Myspace because I don't think it's a social network that's actually helping people come together. Though only speaking for myself, I found that Myspace just brings along a bunch of creepies looking for very unsavory things. However, my sister has found people from her high school class that she actually knew and wanted to get back in touch with... so maybe Myspace works for some. To me, though, myspace is dead. I'd rather contact my real friends through email. :)

To see some creepy stories about Myspace read these:

Myspace Murder Plot

Weirdos at Home


Monday, December 18, 2006

Is there LIFE after KIDS??

Something I've been wondering for awhile... as I love working with kids, but really don't want any of my own. Do parents get to do fun stuff after they have kids? I know all parents in the entire world think "oh, having a baby is one of the best things that I ever did... it changed my life." Well, of course, it changed your life-- you had to be responsible for another human being and you had to feed it and educate it and worry about it.

But my question is... can you still be selfish after you have kids?


I was at a concert this weekend-- annual Joy of Christmas choral concert at the National Cathedral (click here for a virtual tour)-- and saw something that made me wonder. There was a group of families-- maybe about 2 families, each with small toddler-ish kids. One of the moms showed up 30 minutes late (which at that point, do you really want to go to the concert at all??) with kid in tow. She sat down, the kid got antsy and she left. SERIOUSLY... they left. After sitting for about 20 minutes. Another kid in the group, after the choir (who weren't bad, definitely not Raffi... but at least it could have put a kid to sleep) finished a hymn, the kid yells, HE SUCKS. Yeah... that's pretty good raising of a kid if they are saying things suck at the age of 2. So after trying to quiet the tyke down to no avail... they left too. Pretty soon... the entire group was gone. Tickets wasted, parents without the concert they were hoping for.

So when you have kids and you have to watch them and entertain them... does that mean you don't get to do the fun stuff you always wanted to do? Does your life essentially stop once their's begins? Interesting, and just a little sad.

Is this why tons of families in DC and other metro areas have nannies (also, note, a lot of them here are filipina nannies)? Does having a nanny give you the time to be selfish again?

Awhile ago, there was a story of a woman who climbed Mount Everest. Her name was Alison Hargreaves and she was a mother of 2. She summitted Everest without oxygen (no small feat, in case you didn't know, considering Everest is 29,000+ ft. tall). Her husband, a climbing photographer, stayed home to watch the kids. The same climber summited K2 in Pakistan. Shortly after summitting, she died, along with 3 other climbers in a sudden storm. She was criticized (yes, after her death) for taking on such a dangerous sport while being a mother. Is that fair? She was a climber before the kids and a climber after the kids were born... did that make her a bad mother? Was she supposed to stop when she had the kids? Something to think about... FYI: her son has an interest in climbing now, too.


I like kids... but I also like being able to do what I want. Does that make me selfish? Yeah, I guess so. I like being able to sit through a concert, even a choral one-- which I've decided I don't like, if I want. I like the choice. If I had kids, I'd probably still sit through the concert... but my kids probably wouldn't be shouting that someone sucks in a very quiet cathedral.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Back in the saddle...

Hi ya'll. So I know... where the hell have I been lately? I leave you (all 3 of you) with rants about TomKat for like 3 weeks or something??? Sorry about that.

I have to say it's because I've been busy. Busy gym-ing, watching tv, working, etc. A 10-second catch-up:

Thanksgiving was awe-some (she says in a sing-song-y voice). Had a lot of fun... and we convinced Joy to come down to surprise the parents. Good eatin' and fun NC times-- Tanglewood (the lights that Mom wants everyone to see every year) and Biltmore Estate. See pictures at the left.

Joined a gym and have a trainer for a few sessions. She's from NC, too. Been working out 3 times a week... and I still don't like gym-ing, but it needs to be done.

Took a day off from work and Gordon took a sick day (which we proclaimed as Senior Skip Day-- Gordon didn't have one in high school!) and we played around in Virginia. Visited the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and the new-ish Air and Space Museum out by Dulles airport. See pictures at left.

Movies I saw and liked: Casino Royale (not as cute 007, but more classic James Bond action), The Holiday (a cute romantic comedy where Jack Black shows that he can act normal-- sort of). Movies I didn't like and wasted my time with: Hoot (seriously, Jimmy Buffett can write better songs than those on the soundtrack-- right???)-- a conservation-y for kids flick that definitely has some homosexual undertones which was just out of place for the genre.

What's next? Keeping up with the blog better-- I promise! Seeing more movies-- looking forward to We Are Marshall (what day is it? game day!). More gym-ing. Holidays in NC again-- yay!

Monday, November 20, 2006

It needed to be said...

I'm so over TomKat. Honestly... I think Tom Cruise sold his soul to the devil to have everything he wants. And there goes Katie Holmes' "great" acting career. And their kid looks like they had it like a year and a half ago... Nicole Kidman got out while she could.

Headlines from "THE celebrity nuptials of the season":
Tom, Katie Cruise to Matrimony

Mr. and Mrs. TomKat off on honeymoon


Whatever... it's sad to say I'm more interested in Britney Spear's didn't-see-that-one-coming divorce from that dumb guy.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Maybe Amazing Race for me...

Well, folks-- I'm working on convincing Gordon to try out for the Amazing Race 12. Turns out that applicant entries for the next Amazing Race (11) was June 6, 2006. 2006! So we don't have a chance at getting on that one (besides, Jen says its an All-Stars one). So now they have applications up for Amazing Race 12 due Jan. 2007... that would shoot during the summer of next year. I could totally see Gordon and I doing it this summer! We would be the coolest team, too. We'd be competitive, smart, and ready to do anything. Except maybe not swim-- as we're both not good swimmers, but we can totally work on that! And Gordon can do all the eating the gross food challenges. And I can do all the climb-y ones. So come on... let's go already!

Not sure if anyone out there (like anyone reads this!) watches the Amazing Race this year... but the cute Asian team -- the Cho brothers-- got kicked off tonight. They were really nice... okay, a little too nice (I don't think I would've waited on the other team as much as they did), but they still ran a good race. But to get kicked off like that?? Having to stop to talk to Ukrainian police? Not fair! Also, really, having to put up with the Alabama team's constant complaining and coat-tail riding? The Alabama team should've gotten kicked off for me ungrateful and lazy for not running their own race. They'll be the next to get kicked off because who will do the race for them now that both the Chos and the Kentucky people are off.

On a completely different topic... going home this week for T-giving. Word. Can't wait! :)

Friday, November 10, 2006

Dear Metro Rider...





I'm one of those people. You know the ones. The ones that sigh in exasperation when you use your paper farecard and you hold up my morning and evening commute. The ones that curse under their breath when you stand on the left of the escalator I'm running up. The ones that give you the mean look when you and your tourist family are standing at the doors when the stop for the Smithsonian metro is five (5!) stops away. I'm the one who isn't talking on her cellphone on an otherwise quiet train... but is forced to listen to you talking about how you hooked up with that cute guy from work and nobody knows yet-- we do now. Yes, I'm talking to you. I know who you are. You're the one who takes up both seats on the metro-- one for yourself and the other for your jam-packed CVS bag, file folder laden backpack, and smelly gym bag.

However, I'm also the one that actually waits on the escalator and stands on the right (I'm allowed-- it's the rules) as you're rushing by with your clickety clack heels a-racing. On the weekends, I'm in no hurry... because it's the weekend. At Dupont Circle, I don't care if your running late meeting your friends (who are already drunk) at Cloud or Lucky Bar or whatever's the "cool" place to hang out.

I love Metro. I love the SmarTrip cards, the signs that tell you when the train is coming (when they are working), the non-smoking (when people follow the rules) in every station, and the coming-soon-to-a-station-near-you express lanes for only SmarTrip holders. Joy may like her NY subway with it's who-knows-when-the-train-is-coming platforms, station stops every 1.2 seconds, and flimsy, lose them in your bag Metrocards (at least they're not tokens anymore). I'll take my walking for 2 blocks to work even after taking the train 3 stops.

What I don't like about Metro (besides the above mentioned Metro don'ts)? 3 years ago, Metro was strict about their rules about no food or drink on the train or in the station. Remember in 2000-- they arrested that little kid for eating french fries in the station? I don't think we should go back to that. There are other crimes-- drugs, drive-bys, and school shootings-- to deal with instead of Metro riders that can't get on the metro when they're done eating. I think it's sad that there even has to be a rule about eating or drinking. Honestly... do YOU want gross gigantic rats running around in the stations and across your feet? Do YOU want someone's left over apple core or Starbucks latte sitting in the only open seat on a packed train with 6 more stops until you get off? No thanks.

It's a love/hate relationship I have with Metro... but not with the Metro workers or Metro in general. It's with the people who don't even care that other people would rather not have a disgusting train to get on. And I think we could all get along. To you, Metro Rider, I say... I won't get annoyed if you stop acting annoying. And everybody wins!

See you on the Red Line--

Julie


Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Vote or Not Vote?

While the polls have closed... ever wonder if you are informed? Wonder if you should have voted? Would you have voted for Bart Simpson had he been on the ballot? Check out two tests below:

http://www.dontvote.org/

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/special/issues/caucus/quiz.html


Other good websites to check out:

Project Vote Smart (shout out to my old non-profit!)

Open Secrets

Michelle Malkin (beware: she's conservative)

Daily Kos (liberal)

FYI: I love watching the guys on NBC get all punchy during election coverage. Tim Russert-- bring out the white board. :)

Monday, October 30, 2006

3 concerts... 5 days

No, I'm not a Deadhead. I only like some of their music.

So last week, Jen made me go to a concert-- she lured me with the promise of everything paid-- to go see The Duhks (new grass/country band from Canada). I didn't think I'd like it-- not because I don't like bluegrass, but just because I don't like their name (in case you're wondering, you say it like the animal-- ducks). Anyway, so Jen and I went to the Birchmere in Alexandria. I think the Birchmere is my favorite concert venue for many reasons.

1- it's non-smoking so I didn't have to worry about smelling like someone's nasty ash tray.
2- it's a sit-down place where they serve you food... so I didn't have to stand so long and try to see.
3- they serve food-- and it's not that bad.

The concert was cool. The Duhks, despite their not so cool name, are actually very entertaining and their songs are actually cool. It's a little Allison Krauss, a little Nickel Creek, and a little Riverdance all in one band. And the bands opening for them weren't too shabby either. A man-and-his-guitar singer/songwriter, Rex Moroux opened the show. A an all-women band named Fruit opened for the Duhks. Both were very good bands. I ended up buying the Fruit CD-- because their music is fun. It's very Ani DiFranco and Indigo Girls, but happy.

Second concert-- National Symphony Orchestra playing Halloween-y tunes on Sunday afternoon at the Kennedy Center. Played stuff from Harry Potter (my main reason for wanting to go), Psycho, and other scary-like music. It was a great concert. It was a kids concert where they could go and where their Halloween costumes and the orchestra also dressed up. It was really cute! My problem was with the parents. This family in front of us were UNBELIEVEABLE. The kids were fine-- well-behaved, even. The parents were antsy and talking and just annoying. I finally had to just stand up so I could see without their head in my view or their whispering in my face. Crazy.

Finally, the last concert was on Monday after work at Iota in Arlington. We went and saw this band called The Veltz Family (formerly Cecilia). I have a history with this band. When I first saw them a few years back when they opened for a band I was seeing, I really liked their sound. I even went to their website and ordered not 1 but 3 of their CDs. So I waited and waited... and no CDs ever came. So I emailed the band and actually got a response back where they apologized and sent the CDs again. Again, no CDs in my mailbox. I gave up on them eventually, but when I heard they were coming back to DC on Monday (I'd missed the last few times they were around here), I thought I'd give them another try. It was a great show-- not crowded at all, only problem was the tall people in front of me-- but I went for the music and not for the sights, I suppose. Jenny bought their newest CD and it's really good. Lesson: Buy indie music at the concert and not from their cheapo website.

I think I'm done with concerts for now... I hadn't been to a live concert in awhile (I think Nickel Creek was the last one... they're breaking up by the way at the end of 2007). It was nice to go out and hear live music again and hear something new for a change. Oh, something interesting: Turns out that on Monday, Beck had a surprise midnight show at another club in the DC area. Didn't make it to that one. Maybe next time Beck...

Friday, October 27, 2006





Monday, October 23, 2006

A muddy slip-n-slide weekend

So this weekend, I spent a lot of time out in the country... an office party at a farm in WV and then a day visiting farms in MD. The office party was pretty cool. Got in a hayride and brought home some fresh apple cider. It was weird to see people from work... not at work. Also, it was a little weird as it was very much an "All-American" scene-- guys throwing around a football, little kids rolling around in the grass, dogs and puppies everywhere. Almost like a Kennedy affair-- not that I've been, but what I'd imagine a Kennedy affair would be like.

The farms in Maryland were very cool. Our main reason for driving all the way out to Maryland (almost PA)-- a corn maze. Actually, 4 mazes in 1 GIANT maze. See picture below in my last post. It had a Civil War theme (naturally-- we are in the south). They warned us before that it would be muddy... little did I know, they were NOT kidding. Unlucky for me, I wore my current favorite sneakers instead of my old beat up gore-tex shoes. Here's my shoes when all the mazing was done... how will I get them clean???





The maze was really cool. Lots of twists and turns... and more corn than I would know what to do with. I'm not really sure when we got into mazes... but this year alone, I think I've been through like like 3 or 4. Weird, I know. It reminds me a little of Labrinyth... the creepy David Bowie and young Jennifer Connelly movie... with the puppets.


Anyway, we had a great time at the maze farm. We got to shoot pumpkins from a pumpkin cannon. Seriously... a pumpkin cannon... kind of like a salad shooter, except it shoots out pumpkins! And they had targets to aim at-- an old boat, some broken tractors, tires, barrels, etc. What did I hit? Not a single thing... but I like to see the pumpkins go splat on the ground. Jenny didn't hit anything either. Gordon, however, hit the boat (the highest target) and broke a tractor even more.



Saw 15,000 turkeys that will be market sized (meaning... ready to sell and eat) in a few weeks-- just in time for Thanksgiving. Turkeys... are surprisingly white... and they smell... like poop. But interesting to see that many turkeys. And only now have I thought about how they were treated! It was in a pretty long and open barn... but maybe they trap them in cages after everyone goes home. OH NO! Jeez... maybe I can't eat turkey anymore.



All in all... some fun times in the Maryland countryside. I never realized how much I missed fall! Uzbekistan doesn't have seasons so much as just cold and hot. Yay, it's fall! FINALLY!


Check out the pictures from this weekend on the side under Newest Pics...



Saturday, October 21, 2006

Who's got a new TV?

That's right, folks. Jenny and I have said goodbye to our sad, blurry TV. Hello, Sharpie-- our new flat screen Sharp tv! Gone are the days of the screen blurring whenever red or yellow is on the screen. Yay for HDTV. Amazing thing, that HD. I never thought it would be that great of a deal... but ESPN in HD makes it look like you're actually at the game (so it's kind of like I could have been at Game 7-- GO CARDS!), The Lion King looks like Africa-- for real, and Little Mermaid? Well... not the greatest "remastered" Disney DVD, but still a great movie. And... on the Today Show Meredith Vieira, not the prettiest in HD, but Anne Curry, still pretty.


Who knew TV could look this good? Oh, I guess all of you people that have had HD for like 2 years or something already. Then again, I also didn't know what a DVR was when I came back to the states.




Tonight, Jenny, Gordon and I saw Flags of Our Fathers. You should see it. It's very good... and if you can look past the fact that Jesse Bradford (yes, the guy in Bring It On) is a jerk, you'll enjoy it. Ryan Phillippe did a pretty good job. And you'll recognize a lot of the war buddies too (my favorite-- Jamie Bell, Mr. Billy Elliot himself!). Anyway, I think it's good... and very interesting since I had to take gaggles of children to the Marine Corps Memorial here in the DC area (actually in Arlington). A little disillusioning, but good.

Things I'm looking forward to in the coming weekend? A corn maze in Maryland, an office party (the cider squeeze) at the big boss' farm in WV, watching the new TV, and possible sunshine so I can finally wear the new sunglasses after a gross and rainy week. Word.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

awww-- bunnies!

I never had a bunny when I was growing up... but lately I love them! I wish I had a bunny! Check out this cute disapproving bunny:

http://www.birdchick.com/adventures/rabbit/index3.html

Can't Get You Out of My Head...




Do you ever walk to work and out of NOWHERE... all of a sudden you're singing some song in your head and you have no idea where it came from?? It happens to me all the time! This morning on my rainy walk to work, I had that song... you know that song... by Suzanne Vega??
Tom's Diner. It's so catchy that it gets stuck in your head... even though I didn't even like that song growing up or now. Apparently, the song has some really interesting background:

Did you know the exterior shots of the diner on Seinfeld are actually the same diner from the music video?

Maybe it was the rain that made me think of the song... as I vaguely remember it talking about raining in the music video, who knows.

Anyway, interestingly enough, there's a list of songs that get stuck in your head. And if it's posted on WebMD, it must be right... right? And another one for all you hoarders of all things pop culture.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

yay for new glasses!



So apparently, my eyes have gotten better... which means I'm now 5 steps from blindness instead of 3. And finally with insurance and a great vision plan, I decided to get a pair of perscription sunglasses too! Word. So now I can see and wear sunglasses without having to wear contacts and touch my eye. :)




Other things happening this weekend... went to a Russian church bazaar here in the city. It was really cool! Got to have some food that I haven't had since UZ and bought some cool Russian gifts. I guess it makes up for never going to Russia while I was in Uzbekistan.


Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Lasting effects of movies...

I love movies... you kind of have to if you want to hang out with my sisters. We quote movies and know where the quotes come from. Gordon and I do that, too... but our quoteable movies are very different as in he doesn't think that Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a classic for our generation! But there are two movies that have had negative lasting effects on me... I say they traumatized me...


As a doctor's kid... we saw some pretty gross stuff. All the infectious diseases journals with disfigured body parts and nasty symptoms (think the grossest episdoe of House and multiply it times 10). Also, my mom made us watch "The Miracle of Life"-- the old documentary that follows the life of a fetus-- from conception to birth. Yeah, that was pretty bad. It'll put anyone off making babies for sure. Even now, it makes me shudder. Seeing that as a young kid scared the hell out of me. EW. What I remember most from that documentary? The birth at the end. The #1 reason for why I don't want to have kids. You can still get that documentary-- done by PBS and Nova back in 1983-- at Amazon if you'd like to scare someone into NOT making babies. They did an updated version that everyone STILL loves-- adults watch it and think it is beautiful (silly). Another memory of that movie was me thinking about hiding the video when we moved to our new (current) house so that Mom could never make me watch it again.


Another movie that I have to say I remember TO THIS DAY... "The Day After." There was some discussion about this movie between Jenny and me. With the new show Jericho being about a post-nuclear attack on middle America, we both thought back to when we saw this movie that showed the aftereffectsnof a nuclear attack on middle America. We couldn't remember what it was called but we remembered sepia tone coloring and a general fear of nuclear attacks (and general dislike of mushrooms-- because they can grow in basements even during nuclear attacks is what Mom told us). And then this weekend what is the Sci-Fi channel showing but THE DAY AFTER! So we taped it... and watched it in two parts because . Have to say, still one of the creepiest movies ever! It was very scary and just disturbing. Also disturbing is that in the end they say that the movie's events are less severe than what would happen in an ACTUAL nuclear attack. Great. So it'll be worse than Steve Guttenberg's hair falling out, the military guy's skin and teeth falling out, and the squatters killing the farmer and eating him.


So while I enjoy Little Miss Sunshine and The Departed (if you haven't seen it yet, you should-- I heart Matt Damon even when he's evil)... it's the movies that freak me out that I'll remember the most. Kind of scary because now I don't want to have kids and I'm afraid of a nuclear attack.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Rats, Little Mermaid, and Beck







Ew. Today after work, the gang of 3 went to Borders to use our handy Borders Rewards coupons to buy some new stuff. While looking at books and whatnot, all of a sudden there was a ruckus in the Borders Cafe. What the hell is going on...?? There was a RAT in the cafe... scurrying around and going BEHIND the food counter!!!! EEEEEEEWWWWWW. So everyone was all yellin' and screamin'. The best part?? This big dude was standing on his chair when he saw the rat yelling just like a girl!


Meanwhile, I bought the new Beck CD-- buy it in stores, yo. You get to make your own CD cover! So Gordon and I decorated my new Beck CD cover. Gordon used to look like Beck-- back when Gordon's hair was long, and Beck's hair was shorter. Also, bought The Little Mermaid-- straight from the Disney vaults. The Little Mermaid is the best Disney flick.


So be careful out there when you're browsing the local Borders.




It's like a new blog... every day!

So for those few of you that read my blog... maybe you noticed a couple of changes (every time you look at my blog). I've found that I've become almost obsessive with re-doing my blog. Last month, I was on myspace all the time, redecorating my page and this month? It is my blog.

I've been trying to learn some basic coding stuff which puts me on the road to computer geek-dom. Great. However, it is just because I covet other people's design savvy and want their blog. So I had to make do with what I had-- the blogger templates-- and came up with this one with my own photo. So the photo up above is actually not from any cool or exotic place. It's not Uzbekistan, London, or anywhere in Italy. It's Salisbury!

Growing up, I passed by this statue ALL the time. It's right in the center of town (so like a mile from each end... I exaggerate-- a little). Even now, I have to ask Jenny what the statue is for. Turns out that it's for confederate soldiers. With Salisbury, NC being in the south, it makes sense. I never really thought about the statue, except for when the town made a huge deal about it being taken down for awhile to get clean-- it was copper and like the Statue of Liberty and the nasty penny in your pocket, it turned green. But on a recent trip home and my new cool digital camera at the ready, I got this nice shot of something so ordinary.

Lesson of the day: Sometimes the cool stuff is where you least expect it-- like back home instead of in some exotic locale.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the blog... we'll see how long it takes before I take it down and substitute another picture.

word.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

A reply to Katie's post...




In Katie's last post she talked about things she wanted to do before she was 30... My list is a little different. I don't want to be SMART goalsetter (shout out to JrNYLC!) and give myself a deadline because I'll end up changing the deadline anyway... so why fight it?

So here's a list of things I want to do... eventually:

Travel to Nepal (finally!) and at least see Everest.

Buy a house and restore it-- a la Save Our History (the Salisbury, NC episode)

Shave my head to see what it looks like.

Do Peace Corps again (because the language training is the best there is) probably in Africa or the Pacific.

Learn Arabic and/or Chinese.

Visit every National Park in the US.

Travel around the world like this girl Megan (I came across her blog and LOVE it).

Start a non-profit to help women get involved in the democratic process-- possibly in the EAME or Asia.

Get back into climbing and kayaking.

Volunteer or work with pandas!

What's on your list?

Monday, September 25, 2006

There be pirates, matey










So this weekend, the gang of three decided to go back in time-- to a time of ladies, knights, kings, queens, jousts, knife throwing... wenches and pirates?? Ah, yes, the Renaissance Festival. A place of good eatin' and random people dressed in doublets, tights, feathered caps, and puffy sleeves.

We drove to nearby Annapolis to experience the Maryland Renaissance Festival where it was Pirates weekend. From a non-costumed perspective, I would say that Renn Fests are both interesting and weird. There's so much to see (especially at this one just because it's HUGE!). We saw King Henry VIII, picking up ladies to be wives. We saw this old lady with a goose... turns out that she was Mother Goose! There were knights and jousts-- that part was really cool because they also had a part where they beat each other over the head with clubs! Who doesn't want to say Huzzah when people get beat over the head???

Gordon threw battle axes, with a funny hat to boot-- however, the hat didn't help make the axes stick into the target! Jenny, Gordon and I threw knives and some of them actually stuck! And we got cool prizes. We ate and ate and ate. There's just SOOO much food! Enough to make you want to puke. We saw magic shows-- why are there always magic shows at renaissance festivals?? There was this lady that was all bend-y and playing a recorder-- how that's renaissance-y, I don't know, but I couldn't look (ew).

What I DIDN'T get about the Renn Fest is... why pirates? The Renaissance was from about the 15th to the late 16th centuries. Pirates (as most of us know it-- the Johnny Depp kind, I'm guessing) didn't really show up in history until about the 17th century. However, there were some pirates attracted to the trade between Asia and Europe in the 16th century, it wasn't really part of the Renaissance. So my best guess is that pirates are the new trend-- thanks to Johnny Depp and his wonderful friends at Disney. Also... maybe the people at the Renn Fest (the ones who dress up) wanted to include their friends in the dress up madness and created Pirates weekend.

Either way, the Renn Fest was cool to see even though I wasn't dressed up as a lady, wench, manimal, or pirate. Good people watching there, too... the Renn Fest draws ALL sorts of people. Never thought I'd see an Asian fairy, pirate, or wench. And it was funny to see a full-on period dressed Pirate... talking on his cell phone.

I think that renaissance festivals aren't so much about the Renaissance as they are about the pop culture perspective of the time period. When people think Renaissance, I guess most people don't think about great art and literature, the plague, exploration, and the reformation. Nowadays, they think about incense, beersteins, tight corsets that make you pop out of dresses, fanatical people dressed as anything from wood nymphs to manimals to full on fairies, and tights. Maybe they just really like that "renaissance" style...






Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Great Falls Park... not so great?

So after visiting the Pope-Leighey house, we drove to Great Falls Park-- not really that close to the Pope-Leighey, but we figured we had a car, might as well drive it somewhere. I've always heard about Great Falls Park in Virginia. I heard about great climbing, great kayaking, and it's a park, so I thought that I would love it.



Here's what the NPS has to say about Great Falls Park:


Great Falls Park, a site that is part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway,
is an 800 acre park located along the Potomac River 14 miles upriver from
Washington D.C. The park is known for two things, its scenic beauty at the head
of Potomac River fall line and the historic Patowmack Canal.


Here's what I have to say about Great Falls Park:

It was kind of like Jellystone Park-- you know, from Yogi the Bear cartoons. Tons of people, tons of trash (it kinda smelled like it too), concessions stands, and 2 minute "trails" that led to the Falls. The Falls? Kind of cool-- a little foamy (like the gross, marshmallow-y foam that you find in rivers and lakes), some trash (Hey, look at that trash nest!), but it looked like it had some good rapids. There were some kayakers, but they didn't really do much while I was watching.

There were SO many people at the park! It was weird. It wasn't like being in any national park that I've been to. Like at Glacier, you only really see people on the really popular hikes, or at the hotels. In Great Falls, there were people everywhere. And it was such a crowded space that it was very claustrophbic. They have straight level trails (thanks to some wooden planks and boards) that lead you right to an overlook of the Falls. It wasn't like Glacier where you have to hike for at least half an hour to see something a cool.

I guess Great Falls is good for that "weekend warrior" who wants to get outside (outside being out of their offices and straight into a picnic area). I think I was expecting too much. Maybe next time I should try out the rock climbing-- I've heard it's actually pretty good.

Here's what the NPS has to say about Glacier National Park:

Come and experience Glacier National Park's pristine forests, alpine
meadows, rugged mountains, and lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is
a hiker's paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude.
Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, transportation, and
stories of Native Americans. Explore Glacier National Park and discover what
awaits you.


I know, I know... I'm not being fair to Great Falls, but I can't help it. Glacier is the best park there is-- and I'm not biased at all!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

I have a car... not really


So I finally joined the car-sharing revolution here in DC. I have to say, it sounds like a great idea! I just recently joined ZipCar because I wanted my sister and BF to have a chance to drive wherever we wanted in the city. It is kind of nice to not have to ask for a ride or wait until someone else is headed in the direction we want/need.

And today, we're using our very first ZipCar. We're going to Great Falls (finally!) to see a more nature-y side of suburb VA. And we're going to the Frank Lloyd Wright house nearby - the Pope-Leighey. It is a very cool house, that Jen and I have been to before. Gordon hasn't seen it... and neither Jen nor I mind seeing it again. I wish I could live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house! He has some really interesting architectural designs.

Anyway, so ZipCars seem like a pretty good idea-- I pay as much as I drive, they pay for gas, and ZipCars are at almost all the metros that I always at- which makes it even easier to get to places.

To all you metro-bound people out there, I suggest looking into a car-sharing progam (there are lots). I also like that I can now use ZipCar in Chapel Hill (why didn't they have it when I was there???), Boston (good to know for next year), and NY (in case I ever want to live on the edge and drive in that yucky city).

I'll post more after our first car-sharing adventure.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

What about Bindi and Bob-Bob?



I'm sad that the Crocodile Hunter died! Pretty random that it was by a sting-ray. I hope they never release the video of his death... 'cause that's just weird! Who wants to see someone die like that??? Or at all?

I think it is really sad because have you seen his kids???? Bindi and Bob-Bob are the cutest little Australian-American kids! Now they don't have a dad. :( Animal Planet is doing a lot for his family and in his memory-- renaming a garden in Silver Spring, MD in his honor, starting a fund for Bindi and Bob-Bob's education, showing a lot a lot of his shows on Animal Planet (everyone should really check out the one where Steve Irwin and his family go to different National Parks in America! The one in with National Parks in Australia is also very cool.).

Anyway, I hope everyone will watch Animal Planet and watch out for the animals (because I like animals) and think about the great things Steve Irwin did for conservation and the environment.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Presidential tours... I am a history geek

So for the weekend before my birthday (yay, I'm 25 now!), I decided to round up my 2 sisters and boyfriend for a weekend in western Virginia. 4 Presidents, 1 weekend. Only my family would be interested in seeing houses of old dead Presidents... well, my family and Gordon as it would seem.

So we left DC early early early on Saturday in a SW, no W, no SW direction towards Charlottesville and Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and Woodrow Wilson. First up... James Monroe. Monroe was better known by people outside of the states than by his own countrymen. Odd... but there you go. A statue commissioned by Venezuela is on the property. What you might know about Monroe: helped out with the Louisana Purchase, the Monroe Doctrine, and Monrovia, Liberia named after him (apparently Joy didn't know this). What you don't know about Monroe: Played chess with Thomas Jefferson-- they were like BFF, his house, while cute... isn't very "presidential."

TJ!!!! Ah yes, Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, POTUS, founder of UVA (boo cavs)... and slave owner. Couldn't keep it in his pants kind of slave owner... but no one at Monticello (his estate) wants to talk about it. His house, unlike Monroe's was over the top and full of crazy inventions that he really just stole from other inventors. But everyone loves TJ!!

James Madison, our 3rd president of our roadtrip had an estate nearby as well. Sadly, the DuPonts (yes... THOSE DuPonts) became owners after JM died and added 33 (count 'em... 33!) rooms to his cute little house. And now since the DuPont lady died, they're trying to bring it back to its original state. The BEST tour of the trip. It wasn't about seeing an old house with old smelly furniture. The tour was about restoring a house back to its original condition and finding cool things... like a letter lost in a wall, the original driveway, a lost archway.

Last president: Woodrow Wilson. We didn't tour his house because it was EARLY EARLY (again) and honestly, I think his house here in DC is much cooler. But Staunton, VA is ALSO home to a GIANT watering can and other GIANT gardening tools. And one of the best breakfasts ever (though London was still the best).

A short (but really a long) drive on Skyline Drive with lots of vista views and stops for pictures and a bear search with no bear.

To cap of the trip, something for Gordon-- a visit to Luray Caverns. The tour guides are 15-year-olds with no clue as to how a cave is formed and they are all up-talkers. Some cool formations in the cavern, some VERY weird tourists (I think I heard some Russian, too!) and the best part? A garden maze. Again, I am a big dork, but who wouldn't like a garden maze??

And then back to DC. All in all, a great roadtrip. This weekend? A roadtrip through a tropical storm to get to NC to visit the parents. Word.


Thanks for all the birthday wishes! :)

DRIVING PROVIDED BY: GORDON! Thanks Gordon! :)

Friday, August 25, 2006


I heart Fluffernutter!!!

He's not my bunny. I WISH. Check out other cutie animals.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Take it to the chorus...





What does Justin Timberlake's song mean? And why is Sexyback ONE WORD? The song makes no sense. He's "bringing sexy back... go ahead be gone with it. Get your sexy out. Take it to the chorus." How exactly does one get their "sexy" out?

A very strange turn for JT, indeed. It sounds nothing like him. Kind of like a robot. And can Timbaland have ANY MORE songs out on the radio. Have you seen this video? It seems like JT sees himself as James Bond... except there's like 2 of him... and 2 girls (I think) that look very much alike. I have NO idea what's going on in the video.

Anyway... as much as none of it makes sense, Sexyback is (you read it here first, folks!) THE song of the summer. It shouldn't be that Crazy song by Gnarls Barkley (that song makes even LESS sense... and JT is cuter). Sexyback is a cute pop song that's catchy and gets in your head (whether or not you like it). And I play it everyday. Seriously. Justin Timberlake has come a long way from his mouseketeer days... and though, he's not far from his *nsync time-- hey, at least he's not gay.

And I'm bringing sexyback!


Whatever that means...

Monday, August 14, 2006

Why? They can't hear you...


So I went to the movies yesterday to see Little Miss Sunshine for the second time. STILL a funny movie in the second viewing. I go to the movies... probably every week... and if not, at least 2 weekends out of the month.

Out of all the movies I've been to, I'd have to say that at least 90% of the movies end with the audience clapping. Honestly... why clap? Was the movie so enjoyable that you feel that clapping will make it all come true? Will the clapping somehow prolong your movie-going enjoyment? Can the actors (and they are actors...) really hear you through that big screen and oh wait... NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU CLAPPING... but the rest of us in the movie theater.

I don't want to tell you to NOT enjoy your movie watching experience. By all means, laugh at the funny parts, I know I will. I'll probably be the loudest one there laughing-- especially if it involves someone falling onscreen. Have a good laugh, even cry if you really want to. Clapping you save for the real theater-- that long lost entertainment where real live people are in front of you acting. Clap for them because they'll actually appreciate it. Somehow I think that Steve Carrell and Johnny Depp and Will Ferrell will somehow appreciate the money you paid to watch their films. And another question for you clappers out there... Do you clap when you're watching at home sitting on the couch in your PJs with your NetFlix???

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Truly Outrageous...


Remember the show Jem? Like... Jem and the Holograms? I think it was only on for like 3 or 4 seasons back in the '80s. It was about this rich girl (Jerrica) who led a double life as a pink-haired rock star (Jem). And she would press on her cool star earring and say, "Showtime, Synergy" and she would become Jem-- with the crazy pink hair, geometric patterned clothes, and tons of eye makeup. They don't make cool shows like that for kids. Animation is dead-- giving way for CGI (like Pixar movies).

How truly outrageous is this... because animation is dead and because there must be TONS of mid-twenties women who watched Jem as a kid... Seasons 1 and 2 of Jem on DVD are like $88.00!?!? That's highway robbery! But I want it. :( I would consider buying Jem on DVD if it were like 30... maybe even 40 dollars, but not 88. Thank goodness for NetFlix! We're watching Season 3 now-- Season 1 and 2 are still very very hard to get on NetFlix even. It's good! Very cheesy writing, and now that I think about it-- Jem kind of had horrendous clothes (but then again, didn't we all back in the '80s?) and her eye makeup was more bozo the clown than punk rocker. The songs, though, are still cool-- as I've been able to remember them for like the last 20 years. And it was a cool concept for a kids show. Even dealing with some hard themes like losing a father, hate crimes, and winning and losing friends. See... they just don't make them like they used to.

Show's over, Synergy.

I'd much rather have a baby panda than a kid...




WHO DOESN'T LOVE TAI SHAN-- the DC BABY PANDA.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Only the beginning...

So I've never had a blog before. To be honest, I had no idea what a blog was when I first came back from Uzbekistan. Online journal? Random rants and raves? Who knew. I guess I'll have to see where this takes me.

What does one write about in their first blog entry?

I live in DC for the moment. I don't want to feel like I'm tied down to any one place. I like to keep moving because I get bored really easily. I guess that's why I volunteered overseas for awhile. Can't get bored when you starting fresh in a completely random and foreign place. But now I live in DC and I guess you could say it is getting boring. I've been here a year so far-- living with my sister and finally working at a paying "normal" job. Luckily, I'm going to grad school next year (in keeping with my never settle in one place rule).

By the way... the title of this post is the same as the first episode of Jem (the '80s cartoon with the songs that I can still remember even like 20 years later.)