Weekend Recap - Fresh Air Edition

This weekend was fun and full of outdoor activities since the weather was wonderful. Friday night just stayed in and relaxed. Saturday the boyfriend and I headed out to Eastern Market for some fun shopping and we had a blast.

First, we got some donuts that they made fresh in front of us. They were Apple Cider flavored and they were served on a stick. Amazingly delicious.

Then we did some shopping, and popped into this old bookstore which reminded me of the show Hoarders. The books were stacked 3 rows deep, making it so hard to find what you were looking far. Books galore. The boyfriend found an interesting one to skim.

Next we did some shopping downtown and we stopped at Pret a Manager for a quick bite to eat, and then we checked out some of the cities Architecture cause that's how we roll.

Last night some of the roommates and I had a spontaneous pumpkin carving fiesta. I made a Kitty-Bat (from a stencil) and another roommate made a Grim Reaper. They are now on display in our front window.

The boyfriend (who helped me with my Kitty-Bat pumpkin) said he had never carved a pumpkin before. I thought everyone did that but guess not.

Updates

Yesterday my mom, the boyfriend, and I all registered for the National Half Marathon on March 17, 2012

Thus the training has begun. I'm at 2 miles right now....only 11 more to go, in 6 months. Although my mom and I aren't training together, we've been doing a good job so far keeping each other motivated. The boyfriend is already in good shape from all his soccer and bike riding, so he doesn't need any motivation yet. 

It's raining out today and it feels like it's been raining for most of September. I wish it would stop but this weekend's forecast is showing more rain. Speaking of this weekend, it should be full of fun stuff - bike riding, DC United game with my sister and the boyfriend, watching Arsenal play, and soccer games on Sunday. 

This last month or so I've been really stressing myself out and I've been trying hard lately not to stress out, especially over things I can't control. It's been working out really well and I feel like I'm in a much better place. 

Today is the 1st day of Fall and that is very exciting. I love fall here in DC because it's an actual season. In my hometown in Ohio, fall would last approximately 2 weeks, in which the leaves wouldn't have even fallen on the ground before the snow started. Fall in DC is so much more pleasant weather wise, and the leaves are so beautiful when they change colors. Can't wait! 

Almost Friday

This week has been super busy at work but that means it's been making the days fly by. How is it already Thursday? This week has also been full of working out since when my mom was here she talked me into running a Half Marathon with her. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I said yes, but so beginth the training!

Tuesday I played pickup on the mall which was really fun. I was playing really well and the weather was just perfect out (see picture). Wednesday night my co-worker and I hit up our work gym - she ran and I did the bike for 30 minutes. Then my wonderful sister came over and brought dinner for us to eat and hang out. Tonight I'm taking a day off because it's Foreign Film Night with some of my co-workers. Tomorrow I'm hoping to hit up the gym again and then hopefully biking Saturday if it's not raining, and then soccer game on Sunday like usual.

The only question now is what race to run. I'm thinking the National Half Marathon is a good choice, it's in late March so it won't be too hot out. It's in DC so I won't have to travel (just my mom). Only problem is my mom wants a flat course which this course isn't. Maybe I can talk her into it.

I've been going a bit Groupon crazy this month - I got the deal for Whole Foods (which I used the next day) for $10 for $20, the US Weekly year subscription for $30, and I used my Pete's Apizza deal this week for lunch on the day that it expired. Nothings worse than buying a Groupon and not using it.

Today's Jersey Day at work (every Thursday during football season is Jersey Day) and I'm sporting my DC United jersey. People keep asking me if I'm going to the game tonight because I'm wearing the jersey. I respond back that I'm wearing a jersey cause it's Jersey Day and I think they think I'm nuts since I'm the only wearing a jersey today. Oh well.

Hurricane Irene

After experiencing my first earthquake earlier this week, Mother Nature thought it seemed fitting to cap the weekend off with my first hurricane, Hurricane Irene. Luckily both ended up only leaving minor damage to the DC area and I am just fine.

The boyfriend and I decided to stock up on some essentials on Saturday early afternoon so we hit up the local grocery store which was packed, but not nearly as packed as the 2010 Blizzard. It started raining in the afternoon and pretty much just rained and drizzled all day long. We did venture out to Starbucks because I wanted to get out and get a change of scenery, which was fun and provided some great people watching. After that we just stayed inside all day and watched Netflix movies.

When I woke up I didn't know what I was expecting but everything was fine. The world hadn't ended, the power was on, the house was still there. It was all good. Now I can tell my grandkids about how I experienced my first Earthquake and Hurricane in the same week.

Earthquake

Earlier today I was sitting at work when all of a sudden I felt this shaking. It felt like someone was rolling a cart around overhead. Then it got even more intense and lasted for what felt like a few minutes but probably was more like 30 seconds. All my co-workers were looking around at each other silently asking "you feel that too, right?". Even though I had never been in one before, I knew what it was - an earthquake! I was thinking "I don't know what to do" when all of a sudden I heard a enormous roar - it sounded like a gigantic bookshelf crashing over.  I heard girls scream, and then the next thing I know I was running down the stairs as fast as I could for the outside. The office congregated across the street, in our fire drill meeting spot, and then everyone pulled out theirs phones confirming it was indeed an earthquake.

I tried to call my mom to tell her I was ok but the circuits weren't working. I texted my loved ones in the area to make sure they were ok too. Everyone was. Phew. Even my friend Jenna felt it all the way in Columbus (she texted to make sure I was ok). They wouldn't let us back in the building because they were making sure it was structurally sound. Turns out that wasn't a bookshelf crashing down, it was a "structural noise" - scary! A bunch of us headed over to Starbucks to kill some time. After about 45 minutes they let us back inside and my co-worker told us we could go work from home if we were shaken up. Well at my office that meant let's go out and get a drink, so I headed home to make sure all was ok on the homefront.

Only thing that was awry were some of my picture frames fell over:

Missing 2 frames

One fell forward from the quake. Other one fell behind. Neither were broken.

All better! 

So that was my first ever experience with an earthquake. I don't know if I'll be better prepared if I happen to be in one again, but I do know that I was extremely scared. I really thought the building was going to collapse.  So glad there wasn't anything more serious going on and no one was hurt! Really makes you think how it could all be over in a second.....

Get Your Act Together

Last night I was blissfully sleeping when I was awakened by my phone ringing at 5am on the dot. I looked over at it and saw that it was from a 1-800 number and my immediate reaction was to get pissed for some telemarketer calling me at an insanely early hour. Then I thought I guess I should answer since you never know.

I answer it to hear a recording from Delta Airlines telling me my flight has changed for my trip today from BWI to Detroit, but that my trip details from Detroit to Fort Wayne, Indiana "has been preserved". I was utterly confused considering that I did not book a flight for that day and certainly had no plans to be visiting Fort Wayne.

I start running through possibilities in my head about what this could possible be about. I logged into American Express to make sure no one was using my card fraudulently, but there was none. Then I remembered my sister telling me she was going to that area this weekend, but I was totally confused as to why Delta would be calling ME about it. I didn't want to call her and wake her since it was 5am so I sent her a text saying that if she was flying to Fort Wayne today she should call Delta since her flight changed. She texted me back an hour later saying "thanks" so I'm still not sure if that call was actually about her flight or what.

As a side note, Delta really needs to get their act together. What's this business about changing the flight plans for a flight 4 hours before the flight? Since I am not the one who actually booked the trip I have no idea what the original itinerary was (I only know what the new itinerary is) I can't tell what exactly changed - the airport, the flight time, the connecting city - but I do know that they should have this figured out 4 hours before the flight took off. Also, how is calling the person with an automated recording the best way to inform someone of their flight changes. If I needed to write that information down, being awoken in the middle of the night is not when I would have been able to write down the important details the recording was telling me (the recording just told me my new flight details and then hung up) - I think speaking to an actual human being, or at least having the option to, would have been most efficient.

Lastly, I don't have the best opinion of these "automatic re-bookings" that take place. Although it wasn't a Delta flight, when my friend Jenna and I were flying to London together, we booked a flight that went from Columbus (where Jenna lives) to DC (where I live) to London. After we made the reservations, Jenna got a similar automated call (although this call came months before our flight) that Columbus to DC portion of the flight had been cancelled so they re-booked her on another flight from Columbus to DC. Only problem was the new flight arrived in DC after our flight from DC to London took off. Don't you think that's something they should be looking for when changing your flight. There ended up being no other flights from Columbus to DC that morning, so she came in the night before and then we went to the airport together so it ended up all working out but it was still quite annoying.

The End of an Era

Over the weekend, while riding the bus in the rain while on my way to my soccer game, I had my SmarTrip card in my hand while I was wrapping up my umbrella when the card suddenly snapped in my hand. I let out an loud gasp because although the card hadn't snapped completely in half, I knew it wouldn't work anymore.

For those of you who aren't from DC, a SmarTrip card is a reusable card that you use to board the metro and the buses in the area. I bought my card over 3 years ago when I first moved to DC and have had it ever since. I used to use it every single day, when I took the metro to work, and even now I still use it a few times a week.

Yesterday I had to pay cash for the bus in order to get home from my soccer game, something I have never done before. Today I went to CVS to buy a new card (it costs $10 but the card comes with $5 loaded on it) so I would have something to use in the meantime. As much as I complain about WMATA (the DC transportation system company), I have to give them props on their website for the SmarTrip cards. Since I already had my card registered, I just went online and reported the card as damaged and they will supposedly transfer the balance to a new card and mail the new card to me. Let's see if it really is that easy.

Weekend Recap - Sporty Edition 3

Can you believe it is already August? This year is really flying by! This weekend my cousin Kevin was in town so the boyfriend and I went to dinner with my sister and her fiancee in Old Town on Friday after work. Saturday morning the boyfriend and I took Kevin all over the city - first we started out at Eastern Market, where I purchased this awesome sun hat at (and then proceeded to wear all day):

After that we swung by Good Stuff Eatery to get milkshakes, since it was so hot outside. Good Stuff is owned by Spike from Top Chef . Although the restaurant is a burger joint, their milkshakes are phenomenal. 

Next we ventured over to the DC Aquarium where they were having a shark week exhibit. Here are some photos:

Shark Week

Crocs

I like turtles

Shark

Fishies

Add caption

Kevin and I at the Aquarium

After the Aquarium we headed over to the Building Museum for Kevin to check out the LEGO Exhibit. Then, of course, we played around with the LEGO's, and the lions outside.

Lion statue

Building Museum

Taking in the architecture

The boyfriends's design

The boyfriends's design

To finish the night off, we went to the Nationals vs. Mets game

Sunday early morning the boyfriend and I had a soccer game and I was playing extremely well - I came so close to scoring a goal. Then I took a nap, relaxed, rested up and the boyfriend and I played some evening tennis after it had cooled down a bit. Unfortunately my tennis game didn't go as well as the soccer game. To cap it off, we took a late evening bike ride from DC to VA in which I had an amazing ride. I was flying down the hills and shifting gears like nobody's business. The boyfriend was very impressed. Then it was off to bed after a tiring day. 

Bullet Points

• The other day, there was a mosquito in my bathroom. When I killed it by smashing it up against the wall, there was a huge streak of blood on the wall. The boyfriend pointed out that that was probably either his or my blood. It's weird and gross to think about how a mosquito actually sucks your blood and carries it around in them.
• My cousin is in town visiting from Seattle. He arrived yesterday and seems to be having a fun time so far.
• I thought I had misplaced the new shoes I got last month, and was totally stressing about it. Turns out they were in my closet the whole time. Oops!
• Played pick up soccer on the National Mall the other day. Love that I can do that here in DC (see photo)
• The London Olympics start a year from today - so excited!

Wedding Plans

My sister is getting married September of next year and they have a date and a venue all set! Hooray! Saturday my sister took me to the venue site so I could see it. I don't know what I was expecting, but it blew away my expectations. The venue is called River Farm and it is very historical - it was owned by George Washington from 1760 until his death in 1799. The site is now the American Horticultural Society Headquarters so there are TONS of beautiful flowers all around the house.

My sister was set on having an outdoor wedding, and after seeing the venue she chose, I can see why she fell in love with the site. This is the front of the house:

This is the side of the house which overlooks the Potomac

And this is the beautiful garden out in the backyard (I love all the benches)

I got distracted and forgot to take a picture of the tent, so this is from the venue's website:

I am so excited for her, and now that they have a venue and a date, I feel like all the other pieces will start to fall into place. I am so excited and can't wait for the big day!

I haven't written in a while, probably because there hasn't been much going on. Work has been getting busier and a bit more stressful, we are in the middle of a heat wave here in DC, and the boyfriend left me for a week to go home and visit his family.

I purchased some travel books for Turkey, which has been making me even more excited for the trip! Also, Turkish is not an easy language to pronounce.

I watched the Women's World Cup game on Sunday with my soccer team after our game (we won!) and I can't tell you how disappointed I was with the game. The US dominated that game, had SOOO many chances at scoring goals and lost the lead not once but twice. And then, to top is all off, they were just downright horrible at their penalty kicks. Since when does the US suck at penalty kicks? When we were watching the game, there was a guy at a table behind me with his wife and kids. He kept yelling out the most ridiculous things during the game, like when one of the players would shoot the ball at goal and would barely miss, he would yell out "take her out, she is sucking". It was super annoying to hear someone yell when they have no idea what they are talking about.

Yesterday I worked from home because I had a doctor's appointment, and what was supposed to be a nice relaxing day ended up being quite stressful because my boss had asked me last minute for a report on something I was unfamiliar with. But I got it all done and I think he was happy with what I put together.

Happy Anniversary

Today is a very special day for me - it is the 2 year anniversary of my first "date" with the boyfriend. We had met a few weeks prior when Jesica double-booked the boyfriend and I for lunch, and we ate out on the Navy Memorial. After our initial first meeting, we started talking when we would see each other out (we had the same group of friends), and then I invited him to my sister's then-boyfriend's (now fiancee's) barbecue. He came, we hung out, and then we left to go to his co-worker's birthday celebration. Luckily, there is photographic evidence of this first "date" to live on forever.

After that night, he asked me out on a proper date to Two Amy's, and we have been happily together ever since! Here are some pictures so you can see how cute we are:

On vacation in Central Park NYC

On a break from a bike ride - one of our favorite activities

Taking the now infamous jumping pictures

Watching soccer - another one of our favorite activities

Weekend Recap

How is it already Monday again? This weekend went by way too fast. Friday night the boyfriend came over and we just chilled at home. Saturday morning he had an architecture class so I made plans with my friend and some co-workers to go to All Fired Up to paint some pottery. I made a mug that I am going to use as my water cup when I paint. Next weekend I can pick it up and find out if I made the Wall of Fame like last time.

After painting, I met up with the boyfriend and we went out for his friend's birthday celebration. We started off at her new apartment in Mt. Pleasant and then hit up the bars in U St. After the bars we all headed over to Ben's Chili Bowl for some late night snacking. By the time we left it was late and we spent forever trying to get a cab. It was making me so mad that the cabbies would lock the door, crack their window and ask "where you going?" and then drive off when I told them which neighborhood. If I'm paying you to do your job, why do you refuse me. So frustrating! Luckily, my friend Jesica's boyfriend happened to be driving into the city and was able to come rescue us and drive us home.

Sunday I watched the Women's World Cup game as the US took on Brazil in the quarter finals and it was the most amazing come-back game I have ever seen. Once overtime started I had to leave for my own game, so I had to find out later how it ended and I couldn't believe that they had won! Speaking of my soccer game, it was in the late afternoon and by then it was so hot out that I felt like my feet were melting off. Despite this, I managed to play a good game and we won. After soccer the boyfriend and I had dinner and then decided to hit the tennis ball around since it had cooled off a bit. Then we watched 127 Hours which was really good. James Franco was amazing in it and the story itself was so intense. Then I was off to bed after sufficiently tiring myself out.

Lobster Time

Earlier today, one of my co-workers kindly sent out an email alerting staff that the DC Lobster Truck would be in our neighborhood today for lunch. Seeing as I have yet to experience the food truck craze, and I forgot my lunch in my rush to leave in the morning, I decided to partake. Some other co-workers left earlier and said they would scope it out for us. They told us the line was long but not crazy, so we decided to venture over.

When we arrived, the line was long but not nearly as long as it gets in DC (I would think, I've never actually seen the line). While we were in line waiting, a nice gentleman informed us that there were 2 kinds of rolls - the Maine and the Connecticut. The Maine had mayo and the Connecticut had butter. At first I was going to go with butter, but then I decided to go the more classic route and go with the Maine.

Then I had to decide if I wanted to get the combo or just the roll. The combo came with potato chips and a drink and was only $3 more, so I figured if I was going to splurge on the roll, I might as well go all out. They have their own brand of Maine sodas that come in a variety of interesting flavors, and I chose the Orange Creme Soda which turned out to be an excellent choice.

After we ordered, our food came out surprisingly quick, and then we were back off to the office to eat it. The roll was so delicious and full of huge chunks of lobster - they definitely didn't skimp on that. There was some debate at the table as to which was better - the butter or the mayo, but I was extremely satisfied with my choice, especially because the mayo wasn't over-powering whatsoever. You could still taste the lobster flavor itself. With it being $18, its not something I would have very often, but it was a great treat to try on this otherwise rather dull Friday afternoon.

The line to order

Lobster Truck

Soda Selection

The roll - deliciousness