Merry (fake) Christmas!!!

First of all, apparently the world didn't end at 6:12 this morning.  Phew.

In other news, today Dan and I will be celebrating Fake Christmas, and I couldn't be more excited!  I've been anxious to give him his gifts, and I can't wait for a night of Christmas revelry haha.

We have a reservation at Poste, and I am super psyched.  I have only ever been there for drinks, but we have talked about going for a while.  What better time to splurge a little bit than on Christmas, right?!  Their fall vegeatable entree sounds fabulous, as do their buckwheat vegetable crepes.  I think my belly will be happy tonight :) Dan was particularly intrigued by their Mr. and Mrs. Crunchy sandwiches {Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame, respectively}.  To be honest, I didn't know that that was the direct translation, so we've had some good chuckles about that one, since that's how they refer to them on their menu.

Depending on how much time we have, we will be going either before or after dinner to see the Capitol Christmas Tree.  Dan knows how much I love this tree, so has graciously agreed to indulge my Christmas whim of going to see it.  Afterward, we'll enjoy baked goods {of course} and exchange gifts at home, followed by a screening of Home Alone.  Seriously, it's not Christmas until you watch it!  I'm grateful to have tonight with my guy before he goes home for a few days for Christmas!

Tomorrow, I have a really fun day planned with a dear friend that includes the Georgetown basketball game and a trip to see Anna Karenina.  I'm so glad I get a bonus day with her before the holidays!  Oh, and I'm finally starting to feel less sore when I run, so I'm going to stick to the marathon training plan and do a 10-miler tomorrow for my off-weekend short run.  I'll be going home either on Saturday night or Sunday morning, depending on how long it takes me to get my act together and finish packing.

I'll leave you all with a little something.  I just couldn't help myself:

via Favim

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Ah, love, ain't it grand :)

In December, 'tis the season for Christmas trees, bargain shopping, hot chocolate, holiday movies, getting caught in the snow...and PROPOSALS!  Last night, some very close friends got engaged, and I just have to gush a little bit because my head is exploding with happiness for them!!!

In early December, James emailed me to ask me how I am at keeping secrets.  I immediately knew what he was referring to, and I was 100% on-board when he asked for my help in setting up his proposal to Lindsay.  Dan couldn't help but laugh at my enthusiasm, but hey, why should I suppress my inner wedding enthusiast?!  For the record, I am amazing at keeping secrets, mostly because I love nothing more than a good surprise!!!  The toughest part of this one was trying to wipe the knowing smile off my face in the several times I hung out with Lindsay from the time I got James' email to last night, the day of the blessed event.  For the record, I hung out with her the night he emailed me, and, after using the last half-hour of work to squeal and smile like an idiot and work my excitement out, I held it together, keeping the surprise intact.

In order to lure Lindsay to campus, where the proposal was to take place, I concocted a story that I needed her second opinion on a Christmas gift for Dan, and that I would be making the purchase in Georgetown.  As it turns out, she had a really busy schedule this week, so by far the toughest part was getting her to commit to a day!  Once we settled on yesterday, James and I were in constant communication, updating each other on the final location, time, and our respective communications with Lindsay.

Last night, she was running late as she rode the Circulator to Georgetown {which definitely made James sweat a little bit!}, so the surprise was slightly delayed.  She texted me when she was a block away, and I alerted James, in case he had passed out from frostbite while waiting for her in the cold.  She texted me when she got there, and then it was just a waiting game.  Dan and I both had the sound turned on on our phones and only half paid attention to How I Met Your Mother as we awaited the news of our friends' engagement.  Finally, James texted Dan to tell him that it was official, and a still-shocked and apparently teary Lindsay called me shortly afterward.  She had had NO idea, which only made the surprise that much better!  Go James for coming up with an awesome proposal plan!

I was so honored that James asked me to help out with the set-up for this proposal, and it was by far the best surprise that I have ever been a part of.  Every girl dreams of the day she gets engaged, so, however minimal my role, I was so happy to have had a hand in making Lindsay's proposal perfect.  Us girls have got to have each other's backs when it comes to things like this!!!!  They are a truly wonderful couple, and, from the time that Dan first introduced me to them when we first started dating, I knew that they were amazing people, and also so obviously in love.  It fills me up with happiness to see pictures of the newly engaged couple looking radiant and absolutely glowing, because they deserve all the happiness in the world!

And finally, a pic from all of us {Nicole, Goran, James, Lindsay, me and Dan} from the Georgetown game on Saturday!  It's so hard to believe that James and Lindsay got engaged four days later!

But alas, the cold persists: My laryngitis-y weekend

As soon as I thought I was out of the woods...BAM, laryngitis.  I was feeling fine on Friday, and even helped make some calls to admitted students that morning {which was so much fun! I loved hearing their reactions!}, but, by the time I got home, my voice began to sound sort of hoarse.  By the time we got to dinner, I had not voice at all.  Bummer.  It was especially annoying since it was a really social weekend for us, so it was no fun to be voiceless all weekend and be a casual observer to all of the conversations going on around me.

After we grabbed dinner on Friday night, Dan and I met up with our "couple friends" James and Lindsay and Goran and Nicole {plus a few others}, and it was such a blast to finally reunite all six of us!  We think that the last time we all got together was back in May, so a reunion was long overdue.  There had been a pall over the day because of all of the tragic goings-on in Connecticut during the day on Friday.  My heart is broken for the families of the children and teachers killed in this unspeakable tragedy.  The lack of regard for human life, particularly that of innocent children, is what is most despicable about the rampage on that horrible day.  I wasn't thinking about it too much when I was busy, but as soon as we got home from going out and were getting ready to go to sleep, the floodgates open and I just cried for 15 or 20 minutes.  Dan, who had been very affected by what happened as well, just held me and rubbed my back while I cried, something that I was so grateful for.  Friday's massacre really just reaffirms for me the need to not take anything or anyone for granted, a lesson that I also learned all to well back when Dan was in the hospital.  I definitely hugged everyone a little tighter when I saw them this weekend.

On Saturday morning, we woke up and went for a run {the first time we had run together since our ill-fated race in September} before meeting up with the same friends we had hung out with on Friday night to go to the Georgetown game.  After some major Metro delays {curse you, Red line}, we finally made it, and had a nice time with our friends.  Once we got home, we finished watching Elf and then took a little nap- it was just one of those days when we both really needed it.  We went to mass and then hit up our new favorite Mexican place, Guapo's in Tenleytown {seriously, so good and SO cheap!} and went to a party that one of Dan's friends invited us to that was actually walking distance from my apartment...literally the one time I have been invited to something that I could walk to since I moved to my neighborhood haha.  It was a lot of fun {life-sized Jenga and s'mores by a backyard fire, anyone?}, and I enjoyed meeting Dan's friend {also Dan; my Dan is one of three Dans in his group of friends from home} for the first time.

On Sunday, we let ourselves sleep in a little bit, and then I headed to brunch at a friend's apartment with a lovely group of ladies for delicious food, mimosas and a Yankee Swap.  As always, so good to see my girlfriends and enjoy some good food and good conversation {well, those of us who could talk, that is!}.  Then, I metroed over to my parents' house to provide my dad with some supervision with his Christmas shopping.  Seriously, malls are not his friends, and he practically started shaking when we walked in to Target.  The man hates shopping and crowds, so Christmas shopping season is his biggest nightmare.  We were really quick though, because, if you've ever shopped with me, you'll know that I get in and get out without wasting my, or anyone else's, time.  Finally, I met up with Molly to see the stage production of Les Mis at National Theatre.  It was such a full-circle moment, because we saw it for the first time in London with our friend Mary Kathryn almost four years ago.  Also, let's take a moment and think about the fact that I studied abroad four years ago.  Holy crow, does that make me feel old!  It feels like it was just yesterday!  It was a revival production, so there were definitely things I liked about the original version better {and also things that I liked better about the revival}, but I was reminded of how much I adore Les Mis.  Had I been able to sing, I would have been singing along quietly to myself.  You can bet that I am jumping-off-the-walls excited about the movie {despite Anne Hathaway}, and I'm making Dan go see it with me after Christmas {which is not too much of a sacrifice for him, since he has seen, and also loves, Les Mis}.

In the meantime, there are 4 DAYS standing between me and Christmas vacation, and I am so excited that I can barely stand it!  I can't wait to actually have time to go on my runs later than 5 a.m. {which also means more sleep for me!}, read lots of books, watch lots of good movies, and spend quality time with family, friends, and my love :)  And maybe do some serious Pinterest work...

Just Kidding: My 48-hour cold

While lack of sleep and lots of long training runs may be weakening my little immune system, the good news about me is that I'm rarely sick for very long.  I'm not the type of person to get a cold that lasts for three weeks, and, luckily for me, mine are usually gone in more like three days.  Obviously a relieft for someone who refuses to let sickness get in the way of her routine :)  I am feeling significantly better today, which obviously makes me happy as I head into what promises to be a very busy weekend.

I was definitely feeling pretty crummy on Wednesday.  There were points when I was starting to fall asleep at my desk because I was exhausted and didn't feel well.  Thankfully, a Photoshop project perked me up in the afternoon, as did the promise of an evening spent baking at home.  I spent the night baking, which never ceases to bring me joy.  I will post a photo of my festive creation soon!  Let's just say that Pinterest never lets me down :)

Yesterday, I took advantage of my remaining comp time from our bumper crop of events and took another day off.  It couldn't have come at a perfect time, what with that pesky little cold threatening to turn into a larger cold.  The day started off great, because I slept for 10 hours.  10 HOURS, people!  I don't remember the last time I got 8 hours of sleep, much less 10!  I had another 13-miler that I was thinking of doing this week, but, with how crummy I was feeling, I didn't want to push it.  However, those 10 hours of sleep made enough of a difference that I felt fine during my run.  I'm still kind of in disbelief that my body was able to handle two half-marathon runs in six days, but it turns out that the human body is a pretty amazing thing.  I was so stiff and sore for the rest of the day, though, that I looked like a 90 year-old as I limped around at a snail's pace haha!

Once I got home and ate something, I finished off my baking, finished wrapping Christmas presents and writing cards, did laundry, shipped presents to out-of-town friends, and bought a Yankee Swap gift.  So, as is usually the case for me, my day off was not just a day to be lazy!  Then, Dan and I went to my parents' house for dinner, which was nice as usual.  I'll be heading over there again this weekend to help my dad with his Christmas shopping; he typically asks for my moral support and shopping expertise any time he needs to set foot near a store!

This weekend is going to be JAM PACKED with fun activities!  Tonight, Dan and I are getting together with two sets of our "couple friends," which I am so excited for.  We haven't all been together in ages!  Tomorrow, we are going to the Georgetown basketball game with those same friends, and are then going to a Christmas party that one of Dan's friends from home is having.  On Sunday, I have a brunch/Yankee Swap with some lovely girlfriends, and then am helping my dad with Christmas shopping.  It will be a busy weekend, but you all know that I wouldn't have it any other way!  One week from today, things will be winding down in the office, and I can't wait for my Christmas vacation!

I think my body's telling me it's vacation time...

It would appear as though I'm sick again :(  So much for having the immune system of a horse. I literally usually get sick once a year, but this is my second bout with a cold this month.  Long days at work, more of a lack of sleep than usual, and lots of running are probably all contributing factors. Luckily, I had already planned to take tomorrow off {I still have a bunch of comp time from all of the events I have been working}, so I'm looking forward to taking it easy.  I had hoped to do my long run tomorrow, so as to free up my weekend for all of the exciting things we have going on, but I'm going to have to see how I feel.  Cold + hip pain + foot pain = me limping around and feeling like my head is full.  Blargh.  Is it Christmas vacation yet?

A Much-Needed Lazy Friday

Okay, I lied, it wasn't so lazy...or, at least, part of it wasn't.  I feel like the last several weeks have been a marathon at work, so I was beyond happy to be able to take a little break in the action on Friday and have some time to myself. 

I started my day at the late, late hour of 8:00 a.m. {seriously, with a normal 4:55 a.m. wakeup call, it was such a luxury to "sleep in"}, and was pounding the pavement by 8:45 for my 13.1-mile training run.  Since I knew I had a lot going on over the weekend, I wanted to knock my long run out on Friday, and I was really glad that I did!  It was overcast/had just finished raining when I stepped outside, so my chest was a little bit tight at first, but, other than that, it was a great run, and it was nice to be outside exercising while everyone was sitting at their desks...I'm sorry, I promise I'm not gloating! 

After showering and changing following my run, I baked some cookies and watched TV/wrote Christmas cards, in the hopes of mailing Christmas cards and gifts this week.  Then, I met up with Dan and we went out to dinner with his wonderful parents.  Before dinner, though, we stopped at their new condo to get the grand tour, and my, is it beautiful!  They're in the West End, so location-wise, it is great, and the condo itself is beautiful.  Definitely more modern than is typically my taste, but I really loved it.  And...I shrieked when Leslie showed me the ENORMOUS walk-in closet.  Every girl's dream, and she knew that it would be my favorite part of the condo!  I'll be excited to see it once it is furnished, as the furniture hasn't arrived yet.  We then walked to dinner at Unum in Georgetown, which is so tiny and tucked away on M Street that I would never have noticed it, but it was delicious!  Pete is a major wine afficionado, too, so it didn't hurt that he was pairing our respective meals with delicious wine.  It was a great evening with wonderful company, and I can't even tell you all how excited I am to have Dan's parents moving down here.  I am excited to spend more time with them, and even introduce them to my parents!

As we waited for the bus to head home, I faced the buildings and Dan faced the street.  Out of the corner of my eye, who did I see but...Conan O'Brien!  I could hardly believe my eyes!  We made eye contact and I think he expected me to freak out, but, sorry to disappoint, folks, I played it cool and let him go about his day.  Of course, by the time I saw him, he was too close to us for me to non-awkwardly tell Dan that Conan O'Brien was behind him, so I had to settle for filling him in right after he passed, so the poor guy had to settle for seeing him behind.  And so, after my six years of living in DC, I have finally had my first celebrity sighting!

We attempted to watch Elf when we got home from dinner, but the best-laid plans...well, you know.  We both conked out not very far in to the movie.  Fail.  I have no excuse, since I had a day off, but I guess we'll have to find another time to watch it haha. 

In other news, only TWO WORK WEEKS left until Christmas break!  Not even attempting to contain my excitement! I need some R&R SO.FREAKING.BADLY.

A Much-Needed Short Week

After working myself to the bone last week and unsuccessfully warding off a cold, I knew that I needed a break this week to recharge.  Luckily I am going to take tomorrow off, which means that today is fake Friday!

What am I planning to do with my extra day?  Well, I first have to knock out a 13-miler, the longest run of marathon training thus far.  My foot has been bothering me {damn tendonitis} for the past few weeks, but I am hoping that it will hold up, because I NEED this run.  There has been far too much food sitting around my office this week, and I am feeling it!

After my run, I am planning on reversing all of my hard work and baking something {seriously, I don't know why I do this to myself} and maybe kicking back to do some Christmas card writing and gift wrapping.

Dan's parents are in town for the next couple days, so I'm really excited to get together for dinner tomorrow night.  And then, Dan and I have already planned to watch Elf {because really, it's not Christmas season until you've watched it}  It should be a great way to close out my day off!

Lots to Give Thanks For

My little family had a really nice, somewhat relaxing Thanksgiving break.  It was so nice to recharge, especially right before an incredibly hectic period at work for me.

I spent Wednesday through Sunday at my parents' house, which was a nice change of scenery.  Although I certainly don't get the "going home" feeling when I go home for the holidays {being that "home" is not the home I grew up in, and the absence of travel doesn't really make it feel like a holiday.  Gone are the 10-hour car rides at Thanksgiving and Christmas}, it is always nice  to spend time at their place.  We drove out to the Shenandoahs to see my grandparents on Thanksgiving morning, and, being that it was a gorgeous day, Tim and I hit the links at teh resort there.  Meaning that Tim let me drive the cart a bit and let me take a few swings haha.  We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, complete with two types of pumpkin cheesecake and a pumpkin pie that were simply divine, and it was such a treat to spend the day with my grandparents.

We drove home on Black Friday morning, since my cousin Kelly, her husband Alec, and their two kids, Kaitlin {age 7} and Alexzander {age 4} drove down from New York for the weekend.  With a baby girl due in February, Kelly knew that it was going to be now or never for them to come visit, so I'm glad that they did.  It was really neat to see DC through the kids' eyes, since they had never been here before.  On Friday night, we went to Cactus Cantina, one of Alec's favorite restaurants from when he was a college student in DC, and then saw the monuments by night, which is always nice.  On Saturday, I had my 11-miler for marathon training, and then we went to the Alexandria Farmer's Market and the Air and Space Museum, followed by lunch at Tombs and a quick tour of the university.  We got dinner at Cafe Milano on Saturday night, and I left to go home early on Sunday morning, as I had a lot of work that I needed to do leading into last week.

Although all of us in our nuclear family are currently living in DC {I anticipate that this will change as soon as Tim graduates}, it is so seldom that we are all able to get together, so I enjoyed having everyone in one place for the extended weekend.  It was really hard, though, not to be with Dan for Thanksgiving.  First of all, it seemed like he was gone for forever, but it is also tough to spend the holidays away from the person you love most.  He has already promised that he'll be gone for less time at Christmas so that we can romp around DC in the days leading up to the New Year.

I have said in past years that I really do have so much to be thankful for.  I have to echo that same sentiment this year.  2012 has certainly brought its challenges, first among them Dan's harrowing health scare following our race and subsequent stay in the hospital.  Although I would care to forget that experience {as I know he would too}, I think that it did make us stronger.  Not that I would ever wish that situation on anyone, but the severity of his injuries definitely reaffirmed for me how much I love him, and I think that, even in the short-term, it has made us stronger as a couple.  Of course, I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends, and the relative good health of those people.  I am grateful for the roof over my head, my job and my good health.  I especially like reflecting on all of the things I have to be thankful for leading into the Christmas season.  I'm looking forward to spending the next few weeks gearing up for the holidays with family, friends, and my love.

My Pennsylvania Adventure

Okay, people, major fail on my part.  My life has been so hectic lately that blogging about my PA trip...and Thanksgiving...and last week... didn't happen.  Let's start with the PA trip.

I can't say enough how fantastic an experience I had on my very first recruiting trip.  I met some great prospective students, got to catch up with an old boss, spent some quality time with Dan's wonderful mom, and got to tour two great cities!  What more could a gal ask for?!

My train to Philly got in mid-afternoon on Monday, and I quickly checked in, did some work {I had been able to work on the train on the way up- thank you, Amtrak- but I still had some work that I wanted to get done}, and re-packed my bag to do a few minutes of exploring in the waning daylight.  I hit my main objectives, walking all the way around the beautiful City Hall and finding the Brotherly Love sculpture, so I was happy.  I walked around for far too long looking for a place to grab a quick dinner before the event, and ended up settling on getting some appetizers at McCormick & Scmick's.  I was reminded of the episode of How I Met Your Mother where post-breakup Marshall {back when he and Lily were on a break} and his equally pathetic guy friend decide to grab brunch together, because obviously brunching by yourself is just sad.  Well, as I thought in McCormick & Scmick's by myself, I thought that, although I was occupied with my book, I did not want to repeat my solo performance anytime soon.

At the event, I was able to set up at the table next to my old boss.  It was great to see her and catch up, as well as talk with some really qualified prospective students.  I returned to my hotel afterward and did some more work before nodding off to sleep.

I had a relatively early flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning, so decided to take that as one of my days off from marathon training.  When I got in, I discovered that Dan really wasn't lying when he described how far the airport is from the city.  I wasn't expecting it to be a $45 cab ride away- eek!  I think I did a fairly convincing job of sounding halfway intelligent about the 'burgh when I was chatting with my cab driver, so that was a major win.  Once I got to my hotel, I met up with Dan's mom, Leslie, for what ended up being a fantastic afternoon. 

We went to a delicious restaurant near Market Square called Harvest, where we both ordered Butternut Squash Soup and Beet Salad.  Divine, simply divine.  Not to mention, the company was great.  I think I've said it before, but I can't overstate how much I lucked out with my boyfriend's family.  I absolutely adore them {at least, his immediate family, the only family members I've met so far haha} and it was so nice to have some girl time with Leslie.  She showed me all of the more cultural parts of the city, particularly where they go to the theater {Dan is not included in the theatergoing group haha!}.  I ended up needing to go back to my hotel for a few hours to do some work, but, since Pete was out of town, I think she was looking for entertainment as much as I was, so we agreed to meet up for dinner after my event, which suited me just fine!!  Before the event, I walked from my hotel {conveniently situation between Heinz Field and PNC Park on the North Shore} across Roberto Clemente Bridge, snapping pictures left and right, of course. After the event, which, although small, went well, I met up with Leslie again for dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant.  I just loved my day with such a sweet, thoughful lady.  I really think she and I are so similar in so many ways, so, even from the first time I met her, we didn't need to have Dan in the room to have something to talk about.  In fact, I think we largely ignored him the first time we met because we were so busy chatting!

On Wednesday morning, I did a little bit of work before going for a run around the city. I went about as far as I could have in the downtown area and got a six-miler out of it, so I was happy.  Boy, was it cold, though!!  I was telling Dan that I think that this marathon training is really going to toughen me up, because I'll HAVE to run when it's freezing outside {because, really, when it comes time to do my 20-mile training run, I'm not going to want to do that on the treadmill!}. On my way through the Pittsburgh airport, I stopped and bought myself a Pens shirt, because I was feeling like I needed some Pittsburgh sports apparel.  I was really happy to get back home and see Dan after my trip.  Even though I had only been gone for two days, it was so strange to be in his hometown and not have him there.  As I said, though, I had a wonderful time with his sweet mom!

Some pics from my trip:

Ah, love, ain't it grand

Downtown Philly

Market Square, Pittsburgh

Downtown Pittsburgh, as seen from the North Shore

I'm On A Train!!

I am writing this using the (less than) stellar wireless connection on the Amtrak train, en route to Philly for my very first business trip!  I have an event in Philly tonight (an MBA fair, where I'll talk to prospective students about the program) and another in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.  I'm especially excited because, tomorrow afternoon, I'll get to spend some time with Dan's wonderful mom, and then I'm meeting up with my old boss post-event for drinks/dinner.  I'm looking forward to going back to the 'burgh, because, as I only learned since dating Dan, Pittsburghers' undying love for their city is infectious!

First, though, I have to recap our weekend because, unlike last weekend, we actually did some things haha.  On Friday night, we went out to dinner at Hill Country for a friend's birthday (which, unbeknownst to me, has ridiculously delicious food).  My one downfall of the night was my decision to get a $10 piece of red velvet cake for two, which Dan dutifully agreed to share with me.  Well, we were no match for the five (yes, FIVE) layers of cake and rich cream cheese frosting, and only ate about half of it. Clearly, a classic case of my eyes being too big for my stomach!  From there, we went bowling at Lucky Strike, which I had never been to (a friend had a reservation there for her birthday last year, but they lost her reservation, thus preventing us from bowling).  It was SO fun, definitely a lot fancier than your typical grungy neighborhood bowling alley.  At nine, Dan and I powerwalked to Iron Horse, where we wanted in on the official Hoya gamewatch (that's right, college basketball is back!  And I am officially in my happy place!).  The others followed, and we proceeded to be antisocial and watch the game (or, rather, half-game, since condensation on the court shut the game down, lest any of the players fall prey to the increasingly dangerous conditions) while they drank and socialized. After the game was called, we headed home in an exhausted heap.

On Saturday morning, I went for a nice 7-miler (seriously, there is no better way to start a Saturday morning than with a nice run!) and then we went to the same bagel shop that we went to last weekend.  And, yet again, Dan ran into someone he knew (seriously, I'm beginning to think that this is the most popular bagel shop in the DMV area, because we always see someone that we either know or recognize).  Afterward, we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some cheese and crackers, and drove to Pearmund Cellar Winery, which was seriously wonderful.  We did a tasting, enjoyed our little picnic, and bought a bottle to take home.  My goal is to develop more refined wine palates so that Dan's wine afficionado dad isn't ashamed of us haha. 

On Saturday night, we went to Guapo's in Tenleytown for dinner.  Every time I drive or run by it, it is absolutely packed, and, since we were in the mood for Mexican food, we decided to try it out.  AND...I loved everything about the place!  The wait was minimal, the food was delicious and inexpensive, AND they had frozen raspberry margaritas.  Hello.  We then went to a late showing of Skyfall.  I didn't quite know what to expect after our last Bond attempt was a bust, but both of us really enjoyed it. 

On Sunday, I met up with some girlfriends for brunch at the Dupont farmer's market, meaning that we got pastries and fruit.  Seriously, perfection.  A pain au chocolat can surely cure all ills!  It was so nice to sit in the circle and catch up with them, and also to make a run to a second-hand store in the Dupont area that we love.  Afterward, I went over to Dan's and watched Red Zone with he and his roommates for a few hours (I think my eyes probably had a glazed-over look after that much football haha).  Then, he and I went to our very first Hoya game of the season, the home opener against Duquesne!  It was an ugly game for sure, and our boys have SO many things to work on, but I am hopeful that we'll be able to make it to a good number of games this season, particularly once we start playing Big East opponents.

I promise I will post pictures, both from my weekend and from this little trip, once I get back!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

My Belated Take on THE ELECTION



via The Feminine Mystique

 

Aside from Barack winning last week (HOORAY! Although, I was pretty nervous early on, which poor Dan can attest to), last night was a VERY exciting night for America, in my opinion.

 

The highlights:

• 12 Hoyas elected to the U.S. Congress in the 2012 election (SO PROUD!)
• There will be at least 19 female senators in the new Congress
• Sen. Claire McAskill defended her Missouri Senate seat against the evil Todd Akin
• Joe Donnelly defeated the equally evil Richard Mourdock for the Indiana Senate seat

Basically, I think we showed in this election that female voters will not stand for attacks on our liberties.  Female votes are an asset to whoever wins them, and I'm glad that so many female voters were able to resist the urge to vote for candidates who waged a war on women.  I was a very happy gal indeed!  However, my attitude the day after the election was not that our president should be taking some time off (however well-deserved) after a rigorous and grueling race), but, rather, should jump right in to trying to get this country back on track, directly responding to serious reservations that voters voiced about him.

Let's do this, America! 

 



Rock the Vote!

Okay, 'murica, let's get out and vote today!  If you are privileged enough to live in a state {rather than the darn District of Columbia, where my vote for the presidential election doesn't count}, GO VOTE, especially if you live in a battleground state!!! 

I do not expect to sway your vote if you have not yet voted, and it is very likely that no amount of Facebook posts and political TV ads will change your mind at this point, but let me tell you a little bit about why I voted Obama:

Before this election, I think it is safe to say that I was pretty apolitical.  I had absolutely no interest in politics.  The combination of living in the nation's capital, where it is impossible to escape the political fervor, and continually learning more about what it means to be a woman in the 21st century have really helped shape the way I think about our government, and, as you have seen in past political posts, I can get pretty rabid about my beliefs. 

I am the first to admit that Obama could have done better over the past four years, especially in regards to economic recovery.  I think that there really is something to what the Republicans are advocating, a strategy of fiscal responsibility.  I think that we need to be fiscally responsible as individuals, but also as a nation, so it would be a lot easier for Americans to stop living beyond our means if the government were setting that example for us.  I am not convinced that Obama has the best plan for cutting the deficit, and, however poorly-articulated Romney's plan is, I think that Republicans generally have the right idea in wanting to balance the budget and make this country more fiscally responsible.

However, I do not agree, in any way, shape or form, with the overarching social policies of the Republican Party.  I do not condone the way Joe Biden behaved during the Vice Presidential debate a few weeks ago, but one thing he said really made me think that the Dems get it:  when asked about his personal stance on abortion, he said something to the effect that he accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church and, in his personal life, is pro-life.  At the same time, he understands that he does not have the right to push that viewpoint on the general population.  Amen, Joe.  You may be slightly insane and poor Barack probably has nightmares about the many gaffes that you make, but darn it, you had a point.  The government should not have the right to push the personal social beliefs of a few onto the populace.  The end.  That goes for same-sex marriage as well.  It makes my blood boil that Republicans try to push their bigoted, backward social views on the general population.  In all seriousness, I refuse to side with a party whose archaic views on women, immigrants and same-sex couples are so blatantly intolerant and off-the-mark.  Frankly, to so many Republicans, if you are not a heterosexual white male with a college education, you are not worth representing (Mittens himself alluded to this in his 47% speech). 

So, when I voted this morning, I thought of all of the rights that, as a woman, I would like to see preserved.  I thought of same-sex couples who would like the right to marry in states where it is not currently allowed, and would like to retain that right in states where it is.  I thought of the children of illegal immigrants who would like the chance to study in the United States and build lives for themselves here. I thought of active-duty service members, too many of whom make the ultimate sacrifice, who should be a top consideration when determining whether or not to enter into an armed conflict.  As a DC resident, my vote may not count, but today, I proudly voted Dem!

In other news, today would have been my Pop Pop's 103rd birthday.  Even though I was still relatively young when he passed away, I still think of him, and the incredible man that he was, very often.  Happy Birthday Pop Pop, and, in honor of your birthday, may the best man win! 

No Shame November

Guys have No Shave November {which, if you're doing it because you're lazy, I cringe at the sight of your unruly facial hair, but, if you're supporting Movember and prostate cancer research, I wholeheartedly applaud, while still thinking that your facial hair is gross}, so, inspired by a blog that the lovely Stacey recommended to me {okay, while you're at it, you can check out her wonderful blog too}, I am launching No Shame November on my blog!  Us ladies need something in November too!  So here, I will bare my soul and tell you about my guiltiest pleasures {if you know me well, you've already probably caught on to most of them}.

Here goes...no shame, right?

~ People Mag.  Obviously.  Those of you who know me can attest to the fact that, although I fully understand that life in LaLa Land is about as far away from real life as you can get, I devour each issue of People.  I especially love ogling over celebrity weddings and adorable celebrity children {Harper Beckham.  Seriously.  I think I find her adorable because I was that roly-poly as a child, and, thus, am predisposed to have roly-poly children of my own}.  I have subscribed to The Mag since I was 12, and, with a 2014 expiration of my subscription looming, I know I should just rip the Band-Aid and move on, but I don't know if I can...

~ Cookie dough.  If any of you have ever lived with me {I'm looking at you A, A, C, K, K, K and M...damn, I have a lot of friends whose names start with K!} you will know that I make egg-free cookie dough for myself and freeze it for when I want a snack...which is pretty much every day.  In the spirit of full disclosure, because there is no shame, I will even provide you with the recipe that I use:

1 stick butter

12 tbsp. brown sugar

dash vanilla

2 cups flour

1 can fat-free condensed milk**

1 bag Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips {yes, I go for the heavy-hitting chocolate. Go big or go home}

 

**The fact that it is fat-free {but not calorie free, mind you} makes me judge myself slightly less.  Also, in terms of directions, I don't know, just stir it all together.  Like how professional my recipe sounds?

 

There, that wasn't so bad, was it?  I know you're all judging, but, for this post, and this post only, I'm immune to judgment.  Onward, comrades...

 

~ Gossip Girl.  Okay, this one I actually judge myself for.  For God knows what reason, I actually used to watch this show religiously, but have fallen off the bandwagon {but why? you may ask yourself}. Lately, when I have been lounging around at home with nothing better to do or have just needed background noise for whatever activity I am working on, I turn on an episode.  Why, I have no idea.  The show is so terrible.  But it falls under the header of a guilty pleasure.

 

~ Wedding blogs.  Again, to those of you who know me and my dream of being a wedding planner, this will come as no surprise.  I have had my own wedding planned out for, oh, I don't know, a few years {poor Dan, even though he knows of my desire to plan weddings, he only just recently just figured this particular fact out...oops?}, but I am constantly finding new inspiration for my own wedding, as well as friends' big days in the future.  Also, Pinterest is a fantastic way to get sucked into Wedding Land.

 

~ Running. Okay y'all {first of all, did I just say y'all?}, I am officially addicted to running.  If you had met me, oh, three years ago, I would have turned up my nose at running.  Part of that was due to apparently poorly-managed exercise-induced asthma {I always like to tell people how I always struggeld during the Presidential Fitness Test during elementary school because, without fail,  I always had an asthma attack during the Mile Run}, but part of it was perhaps a slight laziness.  It is just so much easier to go on the stationary bike or the elliptical, where there is virtually no risk of injury or being picked off by a car.  Now, I'm drinking the juice.  With two half-marathons under my belt, I'm setting my sights on my first marathon, which I begin training for in about a week.  Holy moly, there is nothing like a runner's high.  I run through pain just so I can get it {I think I tweaked my ankle a little bit this morning, and, while the logical part of my brain tells me to stay off of it and ice it, the less rational part of my brain might run on it anyway....or, might compromise by going on the elliptical.  Yes, I know it's insane, and I have been privy to my boyfriend's disapproving headshakes enough times to know that it's insane, but even going a day without it makes me grumpy.  Because of that mentality, my body may not be able to take more than one marathon, but damn it, I want to be able to tell my kids someday that Mommy ran a marathon.

 

As usual, I'm getting wordy, so who knows, maybe I'll sneak some more guilty pleasures into my posts this month.  If you want to make me really happy, and feel less awkward for having exposed some of my guilty pleasures, maybe you'll comment and write in some of your own.  Pretty please? 

 





A lazy fall weekend

Hello dear readers!  It is starting to feel more and more like fall here in DC, and, appropriately, I christened my beloved jewel tone purple winter coat today.  While I am a complete baby when it comes to cold weathe, it always makes me so happy to break that coat out of my closet!

After yet another draining week, I was in serious need of some relaxation and quality time with the people I love, and this weekend was perfect in that respect.  On Friday night, Dan and I got takeout pizza from, you guessed it, Mellow Mushroom (we just can't help ourselves, but I'm starting to get self-conscious whenever I walk in there to retrieve our pizza, because the.same.people.are.always.working.there.  I can almost smell their judgment.  Oh well, not apologizing!).  We kicked back and enjoyed some 24/7 Pens/Caps Winter Classic footage (with hockey apparently being shelved, at least for part of the season, we have to get some hockey in any way we can, and, even though I'm a somewhat recently-indoctrinated Pens fan, I was like a giddy little kid watching this footage.  Seriously).  Anyway, the combination of being an old lady and being exhausted from my week had me conked out at, oh, roughly 11:30. 

We had ourselves a little jog on Saturday morning.  Dan ran part of the way with me and then, in the interest of continuing his responsible recovery, turned around and went back home.  I had a nice run downtown, and enjoyed the crisp fall morning, other than the part of the run that had me running across bridges, because it was WINDY!  Then, we went to NY Bagel in Courthouse, where we had been once before, because we were both in the mood for bagels for breakfast.  There, completely randomly, we ran into Dan's cousin, who I hadn't met before and who had returned from business in India the night before.  He actually lives in Baltimore, but, due to a series of airline misfortunes, he ended up crashing with friends in DC.  It never ceases to blow my mind how small this city is, and that is one of the things I love most about it :)

I am not at all lying when I say that we did absolutely NOTHING during the day on Saturday.  We debated going out and doing something...and then thought better of it.  Then, we met up with my parents for dinner at Grillfish, which was, as usual, delicious.  I think I mentioned last week that we were going to be meeting up with my cousin and her family for dinner on Saturday night, but that ended up not happening.  They had only a half-tank of gas, and, coming from Manhattan post-Hurricane Sandy, worried that they would not be able to make it far enough into New Jersey to reach a gas station that still had gas.  Totally legitimate reason, especially given that they have two little kids and my cousin is preggo with #3.  They rescheduled their trip for two weeks from now, though, so I look forward to seeing them then!

After dinner, we met up with Goran and Nicole, as well as some other friends, at Churchkey.  We told them to meet us at 9, because I remembered it getting crowded.  I didn't anticipate that, upon arriving shortly before 9, it would already be packed!  What an early-arriving crowd!  We were somehow able to piece together a table and enough chairs to fit all of us, and it was a really nice time.  Dan and I had been to Birch & Barley downstairs for his bday last year, and I had been upstairs for drinks once, but it was nice to go back, since it is such a DC institution.

I would like to say that we used Daylight Savings Time to get some extra sleep...but I was wide awake at 7:30. WOMP.  We lazed around for a bit, and then I headed out to brunch with some girlfriends at Ben's Next Door on U Street.  Definitely not the most exciting brunch I've ever had in terms of food, but it did fill me up!  A group of us walked around a bit afterwards and I luckily managed to restrain myself in Anthro.  With holiday shopping already on my mind, I am trying to limit frivolous purchases.  But Lauren, Jen and I did go to a movie afterward, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (the new Emma Watson movie).  Such a heartbreaking movie, but so well-done.  Also, it was shot in Pittsburgh, so I was so excited to see shots of the city that I am somewhat familiar with! I made sure to text Dan and tell him how prominently his hometown was featured.

Looking ahead at this week, I'm excited for a Lake Family dinner tonight at Tombs.  These crazy kids are so busy this semester (okay, I guess I've been busy too) that we haven't had a chance to all get together.  I'm super excited to see them all!  I have to confess that I'm incredibly nervous for Election Day tomorrow.  Despite the fact that my vote doesn't count (damn DC), I'm planning on hitting the polls early tomorrow, and am hoping for the best, because the polls are too close for comfort right now.  I'm worried...hopefully my next post will be a happy one!

Frankenstorm Strikes DC

Hi friends!  Sorry for the prolonged absence, but Hurricane Sandy kind of threw a monkey wrench in the first two days of this week.  See how I always come up with great excuses for being a bad blogger?!

First, I'll talk about the weekend.  Dan went home for the weekend again, so I spent some quality time with family and friends over the weekend.  On Friday night, I went to a goodbye happy hour for my good friend Maggie, who I have known since second grade.  She is leaving DC to go traipse around Southeast Asia for a few months, and will then be back in Western MA for a bit while she applies to grad school.  It was nice to get to see her one last time before her trip.  Lauren and I then met up with some other friends at Mad Hatter for a late happy hour/dinner (a.k.a. me inhaling one of their happy hour-size pizzas because I hadn't had lunch and was ravenous).  I went home and got a good night of sleep in preparation for an 8-mile run on Saturday morning, followed by moving Lauren in to her amazing new apartment.  Luckily, she and her old roommates had done the bulk of the work the previous weekend, but there was still some heavy lifting involved.  Afterward, I was again ravenous (do you sense a theme?) because I hadn't had time to grab food after my run/before moving.  I went to the grocery store and stocked up, and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the apartment, doing laundry and eating.  I felt particularly domestic that day haha.

On Saturday night, I went to a house party with some girlfriends of mine, which ended up being really fun!  I had been debating my costume for a few days prior to that, and was having trouble coming up with something.   I really didn't want to go the short and sexy route (it's funny how having a boyfriend makes you question re-wearing Halloween costumes of the past haha), so I began rifling through my winter clothes to find inspirtaiton...when I happened upon a beret.  Right then and there, it was decided that I would be French (several people, Dan included, pointed out later that I should have gone all-out and been a mime, but that would have involved painting my face, which I did not have the slightest interest in haha). After the party, some people in the group decided that they wanted to walk to H Street, which was about a 25-minute walk away, much farther than advertised.  We spent about 10 minutes at H Street Country Club and then cabbed back to Lauren's, where we slept on the floor of the empty apartment.

On Sunday morning, delirious from lack of sleep, I went about my normal daily routine (gym, shower, breakfast) before metroing over to my parents' house.  We went to mass and then hung out in front of the fireplace in the living room as the weather grew more and more ominous outside.  While watching some football (full disclosure: I was half-watching), we thumbed through old photo albums, offering a running commentary.  I knew I was a large baby/child, but I hadn't remembered that, when I wore shoes as a baby, they cut off the circulation in my Christmas ham legs.  Jeez louise, was I ever a porker!  After dinner, as it started to rain, they drove me back home, so that I could be there waiting when Dan got back.  When I had texted him about getting together on Monday, he suggested that he just come over on his way home and stay, since we were most likely going to have to hunker down during the hurricane.

We spent the next two days hunkered down, rarely leaving my apartment (I went to my amazing gym, which stayed open throughout the storm, both Monday and yesterday, and Dan and I made a last-minute grocery store run before Whole Foods closed when I realized that, while I had enough food to make dinner on Monday, I didn't have anything to make on Tuesday.  I am a grazer, so I could have gotten by just fine, but I felt like Dan was going to need something a little more substantial!).  Even though we were both working throughout Monday and Tuesday, it was so nice to have him sitting on one couch and me on the other, working away and taking the occasional break to show each other something funny (or something less funny, like a picture of the storm's damage).  We both focused on work during business hours, but, after that, we turned the focus to each other.  We ate lots of yummy food (seriously, thank God the gym was open!) and watched lots of funny shows (episodes of Modern Family and Celebrity Jeopardy), which helped distract us from the storm that was raging outside.  Despite some brief flickering of lights and having to bail water out of my balcony a few times, we really lucked out, neither losing power nor having to deal with a flooded apartment.  We were fortunate to be able to cook yummy food (okay, I cooked and Dan helped/provided moral support).  And, moreover, we got to spend some wonderful quality time together.  We both remarked last night at how much fun we had had (despite having to work during the day and being confined to the house) just hanging with each other at home.  I was really glad to have him there with me, and there is no one else I would rather be house-bound with during a hurricane :)  That said, hopefully we can go a little while without another one!

I hope you all survived the storm okay!  I am keeping family and friends in the NJ/NY area in my prayers especially, as I know that they all bore the brunt of the storm. 

Clean Bill of Health!!

That's right, the moment we've been waiting for!!! On Friday, Dan FINALLY, after a month-and-a-half, received a clean bill of health from his doctor! To say that the time since the accident has been draining is an understatement, so I can't emphasize enough how glad I am that he is healthy again and can move on with his life!  He had been feeling better for the previous two-and-a-half weeks prior to hearing from the doctor, but getting that final confirmation from the doctor that he is okay and can move on with his life was music to our ears!!

We celebrated on Friday night with some Mexican food, followed by a trip to Bier Baron (formerly Brickskeller, which, ever the Harry Potter dorks, we call the Bloody Baron) for Dan's first beer post-race.  I have to say, although I'm definitely not a huge drinker, it was so nice to be at a bar again! I got my favorite raspberry beer (which Dan makes fun of me mercilessly for haha, referring to it as water).  Later on, we saw Ben Affleck's new movie, "Argo." Despite the fact that I was nodding off occasionally during the movie (as I explained to Dan, I don't care how much I love a movie, if I'm tired enough, I WILL fall asleep during it), but I was really impressed.  We both realized that we knew a little bit generally about the Iran Hostage Crisis, but I had no idea that the scheme of creating a fake movie had ever taken place.  In any case, GO SEE IT!  He may not be a great actor, but Ben is a fabulous director!

On Saturday morning, I made some pancakes after my run (this has turned into something of a Saturday morning routine, which, I have to admit, I like!), and then we went over to Hains Point so that Dan could go to the driving range.  Once again, he let me hit a few balls, and, while I had a couple of whiffs (ugh, embarrassing), I hit one of them really well, so I was pleased!  They also conveniently happened to have a mini-golf course right there, so we fit in a round of mini-golf.  Boy, was I having an off-day.  Dan creamed me (again) and now I owe him a home-cooked meal (AGAIN).  Part of why I want to beat him so badly is because I want to see what he can whip up in the kitchen when forced.  Typically, I do the cooking, and he helps out/provides moral support as much as he can, which I appreciate. But I want to test him!

We lazed around on Saturday evening and watched Anchorman, before heading to dinner at District of Pi (yes, we are broken records) and meeting up wtih our friends James and Lindsay at Big Hunt.  To add to the fact that we were at a bar, we were being SOCIAL!  It was great!  On Sunday morning, Dan left to go play golf, so I did some errands after my run, and then met up with Lauren (who is in the process of moving to a WONDERFUL new apartment!) and Cari.  It was nice to close out the afternoon by hanging out with friends!

Yesterday was a particularly long day at work; I am officially in "busy season"), so all I wanted was to go home and cook.  I have noticed recently that, after a long day, cooking is such a fantastic way for me to unwind, so I have been trying to take advantage of that and try out new recipes! I employed the help of Pinterest to find a sweet treat to bake for tonight.  I can't give it away just yet, just in case Dan happens to be reading this, but let's just say that I have never made this particular baked good before.  I think he's going to love it, though!  Will post a picture the next time I post! After spending about 2.5 hours in the kitchen, during which it looked like a war zone, I got to Skype with Kate, which is always wonderful. I have really been trying to reach out to out-of-town friends lately, since I have found myself really missing them, so hopefully there will be much more where that came from!

Family Time

Alrighty, I finally have a few minutes to attempt to put some coherent thoughts together.  I hope you all have reactions to the Communication Post that I posted this morning.  I like to take a break every once in awhile from telling you about the ways in which I keep busy to talk about some different issues, so hopefully you liked the change!!

This was a truly relaxing weekend spent largely with family, and boy, did I need it! It had been a really exhausting week at work (it seems as though they've all been that way lately, with fires to put out everywhere!), so it was not hard to convince me to take it easy.  On Friday night, when trying to decide what to do for dinner, Dan and I looked at each other and said, "Do you want to get Mellow Mushroom again?".  I would be embarrassed, but what would the point of that be? We braved rush hour traffic and came home triumphantly to eat our pizza and watch the Nats game (although I was initially enthusiastic about going to Game 5, I was not willing to pay a minimum of $75 for standing room only tickets)...which, sadly, they lost (as did the Os, killing my dream of a Nats-Os World Series).  Oh well, if we're being serious, I would have wanted the Red Sox in it.

Dan had to get up VERY early to leave for a weekend trip home, but I slept in for another hour, went for a run and then met up with my parents to go and visit my grandparents for the day.  I always love going out to visit them, both because of how much I love them and spending time with them, but also because the Shenandoah Valley, where they live, is such a beautiful swatch of the country, particularly at this time of year.  It was a really nice day, and it was good to reconnect with the two of them while spending time with my parents as well!  Once we got back to the city, my parents and I went to Fontaine, pretty much the cutest crêperie of all time, conveniently located right in downtown Old Town!  They have delicious sweet and savory crêpes (for my main course, I got the "Moroccan" crêpe, with spinach, feta and a yogurt sauce, and for my dessert, I got an apple crêpe with vanilla bean ice cream and apple liqueur, both of which were amazing), the ambience is incredible (seriously, you feel like you're in Paris!), AND they play French films every Thursday night!  Is this place real?!?  My parents had been there a few times and knew that I would be all over it.  I felt like I was walking on a cloud when we left!!

On Sunday, I got up early and ran with my dad, after which I did some more running on my own.  Then we had a nice family walk (I probably ran 6 mi. and walked 3-4 mi., so I wasn't messing around on Sunday morning!).  In the afternoon, I went and saw a friend's play, had dinner with my parents, and stopped by Dan's for a bit after my weary traveler got home.

This week, I have an uncharacteristically light week, which I am fully embracing!  I am planning on going home tonight to cook myself something delicious and maybe watch a movie.  I am going to try cooking for myself more often (especially healthier things!), because...I AM RUNNING A HALF-MARATHON IN MARCH!!!!!!! I was thinking of running the Rock 'n Roll Half in DC, but, after talking to Dan's and my friend Lindsay (who is running the marathon with her bf), I decided to run the marathon too!  March 16th is the day, so I'm already strategizing about healthy food options and long running routes.  I couldn't be more excited, and I am so lucky to have such an amazing cheerleader (I think you know who!).  Speaking of Dan, we are hoping to get good news from the doctor this week in terms of whether he is allowed to get back to life as normal.  I'm really hoping we can go on a short run together this weekend, because I miss my running buddy!

Communication Styles

Hello dear readers!  I apologize for my lack of blogging, but the past week or so has been one prolonged fire drill, so free time has been virtually nonexistent.  I will post later today on my weekend, but I wanted to talk about one issue that has been on my mind lately: communication.  I know that there are many communication styles, and no single one is necessarily the best, so I'll share my thoughts, and would love to hear yours as well about your personal communication styles, successes and failures.

I am the first to admit that I am very passive (but not passive aggressive!!! Passive aggression is such a pet peeve of mine that I try to avoid it at all costs!) when it comes to communication.  A huge piece of that is due to the fact that (not to toot my own horn), I try to be a thoughtful and giving person in my various relationships.  As a result, I tend to place the most importance on other people's happiness and well-being.  That is all well and good, but, so often, means that I neglect myself, invalidate my own feelings and don't necessarily insist on making my needs known. 

How does this selflessness manifest itself as a communication strategy in my daily life?  Well, even when things bother me, I tend to keep my feelings to myself rather than "rock the boat."  If something is trivial enough, it rolls right off my back and I move on with my life.  However, if something really upsets or bothers me, my tendency is to let those feelings fester, obsessing over whatever is bothering me to the point where I get absolutely hysterical and have to discuss it out of fear for my mental and physical well-being.  I justify that strategy to myself by reminding myself that I tend to react very emotionally to certain situations, so I tell myself that I should organize my thoughts and wait until I can talk about the issue somewhat more objectively rather than simply be reactionary.  Not healthy, right?  This is what happens when you are so concerned with ensuring that other people are taken care of that you don't make your needs known.  I would not recommend it!  Torturing yourself is no fun!

Ideally, my communication strategy would involve being more up-front with another person about my feelings, because, the earlier I confront an issue, the less urgently I would need to unload what I am feeling.  Nipping those feelings in the bud and confronting them in the moment, rather than letting them fester, is something I am working on, as is being okay with being a little bit more selfish and insisting on getting what I need and deserve out of life. 

I would love to hear from you, especially from those of you who might be more skilled at confronting issues in a timely manner than I am.  Teach me your ways!!!

A nip is in the air!

Remember how I was whining last week about the unseasonably warm weather?  Well, I can now say that it is officially fall here in the District!  The temperature dropped dramatically on Saturday, and it has been all heavy sweater and warm soup weather ever since :)

After the tough week that last week turned out to be, all I wanted to do this week was relax, which is exactly what I did.  On Friday night, keeping with the Mediterranean food kick that I was apparently on last week, Dan and I went to Agora on 17th St.  I really, REALLY love that place, and we liked it enough the first time that it made us want to go back!  There is just something about Mediterranean cuisine, the flavors, the freshness, and how freaking satisfying it is! 

After dinner, we went home and watched Goldfinger.  Being that I am trying to broaden my movie taste (to Dan's shock and sheer delight, I love the Bourne movies, so we decided to tackle James Bond next), I was trying to keep an open mind going into it.  Well, this one got a big thumbs-down from both of us haha, and my falling asleep during it was definitely proof enough that this was not a good movie.  I wanted to like it, I really did, because who can say no to watching a Sean Connery movie?!  I think we might have to try one of the newer, more action-packed options next (Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig).

On Saturday, we finally, wait for it......WENT APPLE PICKING!!!  At dinner on Friday, Dan said, "I have a proposition for you: If we go to a farm tomorrow, can we go to the driving range for a bit?" Ermahgerd, NO-BRAINER! "I accept your proposition," I answered.  So we went to a farm!  We chose Larriland Farm out in Howard County, MD, because it had the widest variety of apples.  I was like a little New England kid in a candy store, if you can picture that!  This was definitely not a small mom-and-pop farm, it had some serious bells and whistles, and there were a ton of people there.  We picked two bags worth of Staymen, Sun Crisp and Mutsu apples (strange names, I know), some of which were used for a pie that I baked yesterday, and others for just eating.  We also got a pint of apple cider (Dan was thoroughly confused when, later, at home, I insisted on microwaving my cider.  Clearly, the guy didn't grow up in New England, where you take your cider warm and with a cinnamon stick).  Seriously, people, think about all of my childish glee!  I had to restrain myself from going in the hay maze (which was actually meant for toddlers; my height alone would have given me an entirely unfair advantage), but I picked apples to my heart's content. 

The beautiful produce available at the farm!

Officially my new favorite picture of us :)

Afterward, as promised, we went to the driving range.  I had never watched Dan hit before, so it was really fun for me to see him hit a bucket of balls.  He was also less sore after this time hitting, so I think that means that we're moving in the right direction in terms of rhabdo-recovery!! I had been to the driving range once with my dad and Tim, but, so demoralized by my inability to make contact with the ball, I had resolved never to return to the driving range.  But, in the spirit of wanting to try new things and be good at everything, I couldn't resist trying it out.  I am happy to report that I did not whiff or completely shank the ball!  Granted, the ball did not go very high or very far (and I injured my arm in the process, obviously), but I made contact!  Maybe I will be paying the range a return visit sometime soon :)

Favorite golfer!

On Saturday night, we bought some movies at Best Buy, got takeout from Mellow Mushroom (Dan LOVED the BBQ chicken pizza, which I had told him he would) and watched O Brother, Where Art Thou?.  We are making the most of this rhabdo-recovery period, and Saturday was one of the funnest days we've had in a while, in my opinion!  On Sunday morning, I grabbed brunch at Policy with one of my closest friends, and, true to form, just talking throughout brunch wasn't enough.  She is one of those amazing people who you can talk to for hours, and it seems as though we have a lot of the same things going on now, so there was much to discuss.  We plopped ourselves down in a creperie for another few hours, armed with hot chocolate and tea, and gabbed away.  From there, I walked to the National Portrait Gallery, where I hadn't been in a while, and perused the new exhibits.  I should mention that, by this point, it was in the mid-40s and damply cold, so a museum outing was definitely appropriate.  On my way to Dan's, I couldn't resist picking up some festive cupcakes from Crumbs (I should never be allowed into a bakery close to dinner time haha).  We watched some football and baseball and had an overall relaxing night. Sadly for him, he had to work from home on Monday, but I had the next day off, so I was allowed to move a bit more slowly on Monday morning :)

Tell me those are not the cutest cupcakes you've ever seen!

I had planned to go to Pentagon City with a friend yesterday, but, since she was feeling under the weather, I took advantage of the extra day to organize my room, do laundry, catch up on projects I had been meaning to take care of, and COOK! As I already mentioned, I made a pie out of the apples we bought on Saturday, and made some vegetarian chili (part of which I had last night, and the rest of which Dan and I will be eating tonight.  Sorry to give away our menu haha).  Since it was so chilly, all I wanted was some nice, hearty vegetarian chili, and this recipe is my absolute favorite!  By the end of yesterday, I was feeling good, positive, and ready to tackle this week!  I have lots of fun things going on, so this is going to be a good week! I'm calling it now!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend (hopefully you got to spend it enjoying this lovely fall weather!)!

Go-to pick-me-ups

This has been a bit of a rough week, so I have used my time after work to be really selfish and do things that are going to make me the happiest (sorry, not sorry).  I am generally a very positive person, and refuse to let a bad week get me down!

First of all, I joined an organization called WIN this week (following the example of the roommate!), a network for pro-choice, Democratic women.  I'm really excited to get involved and meet some great ladies in the process!

On Monday, we had a birthday dinner for Molly at Zaytinya.  I have to admit that I was very skeptical, because, being the simple-palated girl that I am, I do not tend to gravitate toward designer restaurants, but all I have to say is, WOW.  For those of you who haven't been there, it is a Mediterranean small-plate restaurant.  We had such a hard time selecting plates to share, because everything sounded so darned good!!  Some highlights for me were butternut squash hummus, brussels sprouts in yogurt sauce (I previously thought I hated the things, but I think that, if they are prepared in that exact way, I can stomach them), tuna and a hard cheese with dates and orange slices...not to mention the bread, which we made the mistake of eating too much of before the arrival of our 18 plates of food (split between 6 people).  It was so incredibly satisfying, and I have already decided that I'm going back!

Tuesday was REALLY not a great day, so, even though I was supposed to go to the Nats game with some girlfriends, I decided to take a personal night.  It was one of those nights where I put on my pajamas immediately upon returning home, baked a cake and popped in a chick flick.  Since I was both in a cooking mood and in need of an uplifting story, I chose Julie & Julia.  Meryl and Amy, you two never let me down!

On Wednesday, I finally got to see Dan, since I had been the mean one with so many plans earlier on in the week haha.  Even after the toughest of days, seeing him never fails to bring a smile to my face, and, without fail, I try to check whatever emotional baggage I have amassed during the day at the door so I can just enjoy my time with him.  Wednesday was no different, and I left feeling the happiest I've felt all week!  You know you've found a good guy when he has that effect on you :)

Yesterday, I decided to go over to my parents' house after work.  I never, ever turn down a home-cooked meal, especially since it usually involves some type of fish, which I'm too lazy to cook for myself haha.  Having a nice night with my parents is also something that I never turn down, so it was great to get to spend that time with them.

That said, I NEED this long weekend, as in, REALLY need it.  I can't wait to relax, catch up on sleep, and generally recharge.  Tonight, I'm spending some time with Dan (not really sure what we're doing yet, but that doesn't bother me one bit, because the important thing is that I'll be spending time with him).  Tomorrow, the plan is to make some pancakes (he can never resist them, so I'm glad I've found at least one thing I make that he absolutely never turns down!) and then go either to the Taste of DC Festival or go apple picking (being the non-New Englander that he is, he is somewhat resistant to the idea of apple picking, but I am determined to, at some point this fall, introduce him to my favorite fall tradition...even if that means I have to make him a pie out of the apples we find.  I can take one for the team).  On Sunday, I have plans to meet up with a close friend for brunch at Policy, which I'm really looking forward to, since I have only ever been there for dancing and drinks/dessert and I have heard their brunch is delicious.  Then, I will gladly weather an afternoon of football (okay, maybe I'll bring a book or something), especially since it's supposed to be a nippy day outside and I will probably feel like burrowing under a blanket and watching TV anyway.  Finally, on Monday, I have plans to do some much-needed retail therapy with a friend.  Gosh, how I love three-day weekends.

I hope fall is in full bloom wherever you are!  It is, disappointingly, in the 80s today.  WTF DC?! I may be taking a short trip out to the Shenandoahs next weekend, both to see my grandparents and to remind myself that it's fall somewhere haha.

So long, September!

It's no secret that I was not a huge fan of the month of September this year.  I learned more about rhabdomyolysis, CPK, AST and ALT levels, and what the inside of a hospital room feels like this month than I would ever have cared to know.  Dan has been such a trooper this month, but I think that he and I are both ready to put September behind us and hope that October is the month when he finally gets back to normal.  We're really hoping for good news after he gets his blood drawn again in a few weeks.

This weekend was an uncharacteristically social one for us, because, ever since we got home from the hospital, we have been laying low as Dan recovers.  On Friday night, we grabbed dinner at District of Pie, which, I think it's safe to say, is our new favorite pizza place (we have been there several times over the past few months).  Before we went, however, Dan had a little surprise for me.  He knows how much I love surprises, but, since I am almost always on the giving end of those surprises, he decided to do a little something sweet for me.  He had texted me on Thursday night to tell me that he had a surprise, and, I think, thoroughly enjoyed seeing me sweat it out a little bit.  When I got to his place on Friday, I found that he had gotten me Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, which is a plotline (and actual book, penned by the show's writers) of Parks and Recreation, one of our favorite shows that we watch together.  He had been at Barnes and Noble, and couldn't resist the temptation to get it for me.  He really is the best, and I truly appreciated the thoughtful surprise :)

Then, I met up with my friends to celebrate Molly's birthday at Muzette, a karaoke place in Adams Morgan (side note: we had all gotten together to celebrate Lauren's birthday over dinner on Thursday).  This place was great, because we got a private room and, thus, controlled all of the songs for two hours.  You have no idea how fantastic this is, particularly since we have a lot of people in our group (myself included) who love to belt it out!  From Muzette, we headed to Dan's Cafe, which I had never been to before (I discovered why the moment I walked in, because this place was the diviest of dive bars that I have ever been to).  We ended the night at, you guessed it, Brass Monkey.  Sometimes a gal just needs a little bit of dancing!  I got to bed at about 2:30, which is easily the latest I have stayed up in a while (it's okay, insert grandma joke here)...only to get up at 7 to run before Homecoming.  I know, crazy.  I felt fine for most of the day, and then hit a major wall at 6 or so.

The tailgate was actually a lot of fun, although I am definitely going to have a hard time deciding whether or not to go next year.  My thought was that most of the people who were there were people that I already see.  It was still fun, though.  Poor Dan still wasn't able to drink anything because the doc hasn't cleared him for it, but he was still able to see a few of his swimming friends.  After the tailgate, Dan, Goran, Nicole and I went to Piola in Rosslyn, which has an all-you-can-eat gnocchi special on the 29th of each month.  We tried six different types of gnocchi (I was only able to eat three, because the other three either contained meat or ingredients that I am allergic to), and I think that it is safe to say that Goran and Nicole could eat Dan and I under the table.  The two of them do somewhat-regular food challenges, and neither Dan nor I are particularly big eaters, so we filled up a lot more quickly.  For the rest of the afternoon, we watched the Ryder Cup (we watched on Sunday as well), which is what I fell asleep watching at 9:30 (that's what 4.5 hours of sleep plus a packed day at Homecoming will do to you haha).

Yesterday morning, we got brunch with my parents at Metro 29, which was nice (Dan hadn't seen them in a while, and I hadn't seen them in a week or so).  I got my French toast, which made my tummy happy...until I went for a run three hours later.  I felt like I was going to be sick the entire time, so it was not such a pleasant run.  When I got back and Dan expressed concern at how sick I looked, I pointed out that at least I could run, which he agreed with.  Once I felt a little bit better, we grabbed some dinner from a sports bar in his old neighborhood (I smartly opted for a salad, because I was feeling very nutrient-deficient after last week) and watched the thoroughly depressing end of the Ryder Cup.  Damn it, 'murica!  Overall, I had a great weekend with friends, but especially with Dan.  I'm not going to get to see him until Wednesday, so I try to be very appreciative of the time that I do get to spend with him!!  I'm glad that we have a long weekend to look forward to this coming weekend, because boy, could we use it!

Pictures from this weekend to come soon! I got back too late last night to edit/upload photos...

I hope you all had fabulous weekends!

Wanderlust

'Tis the season for daydreaming, and, when the air gets chilly and all you want to do is curl up in bed with a cup of tea and a good book, you start to daydream.  I'm sure you all can guess what I daydream about...TRAVELING!!! That's right, my wanderlust is rearing its ugly (only not ugly, more beautiful) head again.  You may be wondering to yourself why I am already starting to think about my next trip, being that I just went to Europe with my family last Christmas, but the truth is, there is nothing I love more than exploring a new place and having things to MARVEL at (I think I stole that sentiment of wanting to marvel at something from Eat Pray Love).  I don't mean to have an expensive hobby, I just love immersing myself in new cultures and getting lost in new towns and cities.  There's something so romantic about it!

Without further ado, some locations at the top of my travel list (in no particular order):

Italia:  I have been to Italy twice (once to Sicily, once to Naples, once to Rome, twice to Florence, once to Pisa and once in the train station in Milan), but what kind of girl would I be to turn down a return trip?!  Dan has never been before and it is very high up on his list, so that is definitely a trip worth pinching our pennies for.  We are both part-Italian, and I, for one, always love visiting countries where my ancestors came from.  Add to that breathtaking scenery, bustling and historic cities, high fashion, and mouth-wateringly delicious food (pasta and gelato, I'm looking at you) and you have the makings for a perfect trip.  Is it too soon to book now?!?

Sigh...Positano. via art.com

  

Toscana. via me1ka

Bruschetta. via Clemmensen-Brok

Hawaii:  Those of you who know me will know that I am not a huge beach person.  I like going to the beach on a day trip, but there is something about going to the beach for a week or so that I dislike.  I think part of it is that, often, when I go to the beach, there is nothing to do in these beach towns besides going to the beach (the exception is The Cape...oh, how I long for New England summers...).  HOWEVER, I think that, if I were to be offered a trip to Hawaii, I would be hard pressed to find a good excuse not to go.  I love the idea of going to an island paradise and just indulging in pure relaxation.  Except, knowing me, I would want to be going for long runs, snorkeling (assuming that no sharks are within a hundred-mile radius of me), hiking up volcanoes to see the sun rise (Dan requested that we go at sunset instead, which I might be willing to compromise on) and doing other active things, obviously.  To counter that, though, fruity drinks and couples' massages sound positively peachy!

I think I could be okay with this. via flickr

Cali: I was telling Dan about dinner with a friend and the friend's mother from earlier this week, and, when I told him that Mrs. H had traveled from San Diego, he said, "I want to go to San Diego!".  He knows how badly I want to go to Northern California (a.k.a San Francisco and Napa), so we compromised and said that we would do both.  Now that that's settled, we just have to pinch our pennies and save up our vacation time!  An interesting question came up during this conversation: are there an inordinate number of DUIs in Napa from all of the tourists who go on wine tastings at the many vineyards there?  Inquiring minds want to know :)

Lovely San Fran.  via UCSF

Napa. I want to go to there! via Travel Guide

Chicago:  I absolutely fell in love with Chicago when I visited last year (even though I visited at the end of February, when it was bitterly cold and windy to the point where I barely removed my puffer coat).  I am beyond thrilled to be going back again for my college friend Kristin's wedding at the end of June!! I can't wait to see the city in the summer, since I have heard so many amazing things about it!  If I love it as much in the summer as I did in the winter, we may have a serious contender for cities to live in in the future!

<3 chicago.="chicago." href="http://trendytraveler.tumblr.com/post/7102650528" target="_blank" via="via">Trendy Traveler

France:  I know, I'm such a broken record, since I have now traveled to France three times and lived there for nearly four months.  But, for those of you who have never been to France before, there is something indescribably wonderful about France.  I mean, American expats went there in droves in the '20s, so there must hav ebeen something special about the place!!  All of the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and the beautiful language leave me walking on air my entire time there.  A coworker recently moved to Paris to teach English to Parisian high-schoolers, and I have to admit that I am insanely jealous of her.  I am so fortunate to have had the study-abroad stint in Strasbourg that I did, but France is so addictive that you never stop wanting more of it.  My ideal French vacation?  Driving through the French countryside (first roadblock: neither Dan nor I can drive stick shift cars, which might prove to be a major complication) and staying at quaint little mom and pop B&Bs, eating cheese and bread and drinking wine with reckless abandon, and hitting some cities too along the way.

I am literally in heaven sitting outdoors at a French café. via Yanidel

Musée d'Orsay.  LOVE.  via bippityboppityboo

The twinkling lights on La Tour are indescribably magical :) via Erin Ever After
 
With unlimited funds (and vacation time), there are many other trips that I would take (namely, to South Africa, Australia, and the parts of Europe I have not been to- Germany, Austria, Croatia and the Czech Republic).  But for now, the aforementioned trips are the ones that are most on my mind.  In any event, I am going to start doing some more work travel soon (I'm taking a three-day trip to Philly and Pittsburgh in November for events, which I'm really excited about!), which will hopefully satisfy my wonderlust, however temporarily!

However, since literally none of those big trips are in my budget right now, what I really want the most is to do a trip to an apple orchard or farm near DC.  Again, you can take the girl out of New England, but not the New England out of the girl.  I was telling Dan the other day how some of my happiest fall memories involve going to a farm that was near our old house in Massachusetts and picking our own apples (Macouns were our absolute favorites).  We would pick our sack of apples, peruse the fresh baked goods and vegetables at the farm stand, and then bring the apples home to make applesauce or apple pie.  Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face, and he was only being somewhat sarcastic with his "Awww" reaction haha.  In fact, if you really want to hear an "Awww" story, my freshman and sophomore years of college, my dad sent away to an orchard in upstate New York (where Macouns are primarily grown) and had them send me an entire box of my favorite apples.  That father of mine, so sweet and thoughtful :)  Anyway, my goal for this fall is to find an orchard or farm somewhere relatively close to the city.  I have been itching to do it for years, and this is going to be the year.  It's a fool-proof plan, because Dan LOVES apple pie, so he'll have to go with me, right?! 

Sorry for the long post, everyone.  I let my travel excitement get the best of me!