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! :)

I heart Fluffernutter!!!

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

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...

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???

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.

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.)