Thanksgiving

Tomorrow I head off to my homestate of Ohio for the beginning of a Thanksgiving celebration. My sister and her fiancee are driving back to Cleveland so the boyfriend and I are hitching a ride with them. This is the 1st time the boyfriend is coming home for an actual holiday, which I am very excited about. We will be in the car for most of Wednesday, since it takes about 6 1/2 hours to get there but there is usually a lot of traffic around the holidays.

My aunt is hosting Thanksgiving this year at her house which I am excited about. She makes really good food and lots of it! I think this year we will have 20 adults and 1 kid. My Grandparents are coming, my whole family, my Mom's sister's family and most of my Mom's brother's family. My sister is bringing her fiancee, I'm bringing my boyfriend, and last I heard my little sister is also bringing her boyfriend as well.

Friday early afternoon is a wedding shower for my sister that my Aunts are throwing her. I'm very excited and hope she likes my gift! Saturday morning the boyfriend and I have an early morning flight to St. Louis, where we will then spend the weekend with his family and celebrate Thanksgiving part 2. I have never been to his house for Thanksgiving, in fact, I have only ever been to Thanksgiving hosted by my mom or her sister, so this will be a big change for me. I just hope I'm not Turkey-ed out for part 2. We will spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday in St. Louis.

Once I get back, it'll be less than 3 weeks until Christmas. I better get shopping!

Weekend Recap

This past weekend started off with the boyfriend and I joining my sister and her fiancee for dinner where they treated us to a lovely and delicious dinner. The restaurant was a bit loud, but the food was delicious. We then walked around looking for some place for dessert when we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for some cheesecake and coffee. Why not live it up, it was Friday after all.

Saturday morning the boyfriend and I woke up early to watch the Arsenal game. After that we went for a run in which I was not having it an didn't want to run anymore. The boyfriend, being the nice person that he is, decided I needed some Breathe Right strips to help me breathe better when I run. He then went to the store to get me some. When he got back my roommate and I cooked a breakfast feast of rolls, bacon and scrambled eggs. After the breakfast I had to get ready for a manicure and pedicure date with my friends Erin and Jesica. Erin drove me and we met up with Jesica and had some excellent girl time while chilling at the salon. Then we checked out Jesica's newly purchased pad which is an awesome condo in Dupont. I'm highly jealous and the place looked great!

After the salon date, I had to run back home to get ready for a memorial service. Sadly, tragically, my old co-worker passed away suddenly at the young age of only 40. He was a good friend and I still can't believe he is really gone. His wife said that he wanted a celebration of his life rather than a mourning of his passing, so she threw a nice party for him - where the wedding rules applied of no church and open bar, so that's what we had. It was great catching up with all my old co-workers but it was also very sad that this is what it took to get us all together. They made a nice slideshow showing pictures of his life and they gave a nice speech about him. It really makes you realize how short life is and makes you want to live every day to the fullest.

Sunday the boyfriend and I were lazy and just hung out and relaxed all afternoon. I made some delicious chocolate chip cookies but nothing else very productive. Then we had to run off to the boyfriend's Sunday soccer team's Championship game. They ended up winning 4-1 (the boyfriend scored a goal!) and it was all very exciting. Here are the Champions:

Back in the Routine

It took me a week but I'm finally back in the swing of things. Last night I was feeling very domestic and I made a delicious dinner of mango and coconut marinated salmon with rice and green beans. The whole meal was super easy to make - I bought the salmon pre-marinated from Whole Foods and it came frozen so I just defrosted it, put it on aluminum foil and baked. It stuck to the foil a bit hence why it's in pieces in the photo. The green beans were leftover, but they came in a bag that you just to microwave, and the rice was easy to make. After dinner I decided to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies that were amazingly delicious and quite decadent.

Marinate salmon with rice and green beans

Cookies cooling off. Click here for the recipe.

I finally cleaned all my dirty laundry from the trip, got all of it put away, and feel settled. Just in time to leave next week again for Thanksgiving.

I'm Back!

Well it's official - I am back from Turkey! It was such a fabulous vacation, I can't even describe how much fun it was. I'm still working on compiling the pictures from it, but here is a sneak peek of a few:

We arrived back in the states on Monday early evening and I have done a good job of adjusting back to the time here. The initial jet-lag has caused me to get up earlier in the morning so I'm trying to keep up that schedule since its been working out so nicely.

Here are some random facts about the trip:

• Turkish people are the nicest people you will ever meet. They are so friendly and helpful.
• I learned a few Turkish words including "Mehrhaba" (hello), "Ne kadar" (how much), "Güle Güle" (goodbye), and "Teşekkür" (thank you), and how to count to 10.
• I had a tomato served with just about every meal I ate. 
• A typical Turkish breakfast consists of fresh bread, butter, cheese and jam for the bread, a hard-boiled egg, black olives and slices of tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Pomegranates grow in Turkey and fresh squeezed Pomegranate juice is very popular (and delicious) there.
• The drink of Turkey is something called Apple Tea which is served in something a bit bigger than a shot glass. It's delicious, doesn't have a strong apple taste, and is always served hot. 
• Turkish coffee is absolutely disgusting. Turkish Delights are delicious and are a candy that is marshmallow-like with pistachios in it.
• Turkey is a mostly Muslim country but it is very modern and felt just like any other European city.
• I was in Asia for the first time ever! 
• Turkey is one of only 6 countries that spans over two continents.
• Muslims pray 5 times a day. Clean feet is very important in their religion so you have to remove your shoes before you enter in a mosque. There are even fountains outside of the mosques where you can wash your feet if you want. Women are supposed to cover their heads as well out of respect. 
• Turkey used to be called Constantinople and the Trojan Horse took place in Turkey.

Hope you enjoyed learning more about Turkey! And look forward to more pictures coming soon.

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.

Amazingness

The other day I ordered some new shampoo and a few other miscellaneous items from Birchbox which is my new obsession. For $10/month you get a box delivered to you every month full of 4-5 beauty samples from "luxury" brands. Basically, you get to try some awesome products from nice brands, and then if you like the stuff you can buy it for a reduced price on the site. It's a great way to try out new products, especially products you didn't even know you needed, and the site is full of lots of how-to tips and tutorials (when I had longer hair I used to watch a lot of the video tutorials on different hair styles). The samples are also perfect for traveling since everything is usually carry-on sized.

Well, anyways, back to my order. I was looking for new shampoo, I felt like the ones I was buying from CVS were leaving my hair flat and dull. So I bought some new sulfate-free shampoo to try out from Birchbox along with a few other items. When the package arrived however, the shampoo lid wasn't quite closed all the way so shampoo leaked out over the products. Also, the products were wrapped in pink tissue paper, and since the tissue paper had gotten wet from the shampoo leakage, everything in the box was stained pink. I wrote back to Birchbox explaining what had happened.

Today, I received a personalized phone call from a representative from Birchbox telling me how sorry they were for the shampoo leakage, and informing me they would be re-sending me the damaged items right away. She was super nice and apologetic, and plus she called. After we hang up, I get an standard email from Birchbox with the order information on it, and then minutes later I get another email from the representative apologizing once again for the leakage and confirming that the order she placed was correct.

Can you say amazing customer service! I was so impressed! Way to go Birchbox - oh, and sign up today!

(This was not paid for or endorsed by Birchbox in any way. I am not affiliated with the company, I just love what they do)

Weekend Recap

Today I am wearing my Cardinals shirt since they are in the World Series, which starts tonight! Go Cardinals!

This past weekend was fun-filled and jam-packed. The boyfriend left me to go to a work retreat that was focused on team building activities. Only 50 people were selected to go (out of thousands who applied) and the boyfriend was chosen! He had a really nice time and made some new friends, which is always great.

While he was gone, I luckily had lots of things planned so I wouldn't be too lonely. Friday night I went to dinner with some co-workers and friends. It was a nice time - we went to a Lebanese tapas place and ended up being there for almost 3 hours.

Saturday the weather was absolutely perfect so I went for a nice walk up to Clarendon to get a birthday present for Trinity's 1st birthday party which was later that day. On the way there I saw 2 different signs for yard sales. One wasn't anything special, but the other one was a treasure chest full of goodies. The couple there were so old and cute and adorable. I bought a Van Gogh book for $1 and a swivel mirror for my bathroom for $3.

I bought Trinity a machine called Twilight Turtle which glows and makes stars on the ceiling for bedtime, as well as 2 goodnight books for a complete goodnight themed gift. I also made her a card since her parents love my cards. I met up with my friend Jesica who agreed to be my date to the party. Here are some pictures from the party:

Jesica holding Trinity

Trinity clapping for her cake. She didn't like it and spit it out - adorable!

Sunday morning started off super as we left before sunrise for hiking out in the Shenandoah Valley. My sister picked me up, we got some Starbucks, gas, picked up our friends, loaded the car, headed to the other friends house who was driving, and then we were off! It took us about 2 hours to drive out there, and we stopped at a roadside antiques and fresh produce store where we bought an apple pie to munch on.

We decided to do the Rose River Trail, which was a 4.6 mile loop where we saw 2 waterfalls. It was ideal weather out and the leaves had just started to turn - couldn't have picked a better day to go! Our hiking group was my sister Amy, my friend Lara, and 4 of her friends, so 7 in total. Everyone was super nice and friendly. Here are some pictures:

Weekend Recap - 3Day Edition

This weekend was a long weekend and having that extra day off was glorious. Unfortunately I was feeling under the weather thanks to allergies so I didn't do too much. Friday night the boyfriend wanted to watch the Cardinals - Phillies game, and his team (the Cardinals) won. It was very exciting for him.

Saturday morning and afternoon was so nice and relaxing. I got to sleep in, catch up on some TV, and rest up before the boyfriend and I headed out to a charity event. His old co-worker now works for this Architectural non-profit firm that is trying to take unused shipping containers (that they use on barges) and turn the "box" into a usable space in communities, such as an Art Studio, a Music Studio, a bike repair station, etc.

The event took place at another Architecture office that had a nice large patio, and since the weather was absolutely perfect, everyone was outside.

Although the event was slightly disorganized, it was fun. It had a nice laid back vibe to it as opposed to a stuffy corporate event, and then office where the event was at had lots of fun games and sorts to keep the boyfriend and I entertained. We played ping pong, foosball, and there was a giant Jenga set, and Wii as well. And the money all went to a good cause (click here for more info). Oh and I almost forgot - there was a raffle. The boyfriend and I left before they had the drawing (I was getting tired), so we gave our tickets to the boyfriends friend to claim our prizes for us if we won. We got home and the boyfriend had a text saying he was the 1st winner drawn so he won a box screen printed t-shirt! We must be good luck for each other because since we started dating, we've gotten VERY lucky with these raffles (knock on wood).

Sunday afternoon I had a soccer game and since the boyfriend's leg is still hurt and he can't play, he came to support me. Only problem was I had lost my voice and was hacking up phlegm like it was my job, so I wasn't in the best shape to be running around. But, we would have been down girls if I didn't go so I thought me being there not doing much was better than me not being there at all, so I played. I didn't do too much running. And we lost, another game that we should have won. Don't know what the deal is with our team this season. At least it was fun. After the game I was pretty tired so we just relaxed for the rest of the night and had dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant.

Monday the boyfriend had to work but I had the day off. I woke up around normal work time though, so I wouldn't get all out of whack schedule wise. I went on a nice long bike ride where I ran into an old co-worker which was nice. I did some stuff around the house and went to the grocery store to make a nice dinner for the boyfriend, since I felt bad he had to work. I made green beans, mashed potatoes, and panko crusted tilapia (the tilapia is my sister's recipe which I'll post another time). It was delicious and pretty easy too. After dinner, we capped off the night by seeing The Lion King 3D. The boyfriend had never seen the movie before - can you imagine!

Maid of Honor Perks

Last week my sister, aka the bride-to-be, invited me to a come to a tasting event at the caterer's she's using for her wedding's restaurant location. She picked me up after work and we drove out there, and walked into a room full of delicious free food. It was set up in stations - there was a station for salad, pasta, entrees, desserts, and cake, and a bar as well. There was also a fabulous trio playing some classical wedding music. There were a few other tables where they were trying to sell you their services for their wedding, but no one was super pushy about using them and let us relax and enjoy our food in peace.

The salad station was my favorite - it had a salad cocktail theme to it. The salad toppings were all laid out individually and you told them waiter what toppings and dressing you wanted and then he put it all into a drink shaker and then poured out the salad into a martini glass.

How creative! My sister and her fiancee picked out some amazing food and I'm so excited for them - less than 1 year now until the big day!

Bullet Points

- This morning I saw a dog walking with a cast on his leg. It was so cute but so sad. I've never seen an actual cast before on a dog.

- I haven't been feeling very well these past few days from allergies. I'm all stuffed up and have all this pressure in my sinuses. It sucks but hopefully it will get better soon. 

- I have a long weekend this weekend (for Columbus Day), and I didn't even know about it until last week. I can't wait to sleep in on Monday, and to have a short work week next week!

- I saw this homemade face mask on pinterest and I will definitely be trying this at home (I just need to buy some orange juice)

- The boyfriend hurt his leg at his soccer game on Sunday, he pulled his hamstring. Luckily his parents were there to take care of him since I was away. He can't walk very well and definitely can't run, so I have been left to train by myself. Last week and this week I ran 3 miles. Today I'm going to attempt 4, with a hill. Let's hope I survive.

- On Monday night I mapped out my run on Google Maps, memorized it, and then left without taking anything (like my phone with GPS). I ended up getting way lost, but somehow ran exactly the same distance as the run I had mapped out originally. I guess I have no sense of direction, but a good sense of distance?

- The weather outside is absolutely gorgeous - right now its 73 and sunny with no humidity and a very slight breeze. The sun feels extra nice after the entire month (or so it seemed) of September being cloudy and rainy. 

- Yesterday I bought my tickets home for Thanksgiving. The boyfriend and I are going to get a ride to Cleveland with my sister and her fiancee. We are doing Thanksgiving on Thursday, a wedding shower for my sister on Friday, and then the boyfriend and I are leaving Saturday morning for his hometown, where we are doing a 2nd Thanksgiving on Saturday, and then flying out on Monday back to DC. So that's 1 car trip, 1 wedding shower, 2 flights, 2 Thanksgiving dinners, and 2 families...all in 6 days!

- 24 days from now the boyfriend and I will be in Turkey! I'm so excited!

Weekend Recap - Travel Edition

This past weekend I went to Columbus to visit my friend Jenna for her birthday. I have a few pictures from the weekend but I haven't yet downloaded them to my computer so you will have to wait for pictures. Friday night we went to dinner at this delicious Steak and Seafood restaurant called J Gilbert's. It was delicious and there were these really nice older gentleman who were sitting by us who overheard it was Jenna's 26th birthday and kept wishing her a happy birthday. Don't you just love random nice strangers. The waitress also gave Jenna a free dessert for her birthday. Sometimes I miss being in the Midwest where everyone is so nice.

Saturday we went to lunch, shopped, and were going to tailgate for the Ohio State game, but the weather was not cooperating (it was very cold and rainy and windy), so we just met up with some of her friends to watch the game indoors at a sports bar. Normally when I go to a sports bar, there's different TVs showing different games that are on. But not in Buckeye country - ALL the TVs were showing the game. After that we went home to get ready for the night and then we were off to a late dinner and then dancing and singing at this Piano Bar. I had a blast there!

The next morning we got breakfast and did some more shopping, relaxing, and hanging out before I had to go and catch my flight back to DC. When I arrived back in DC, the boyfriends parents were flying out of the same airport, and even though I arrived at the opposite end of the airport, they waited to say bye to me before they went through security. It was good timing and nice of them to wait for me, and also nice for the boyfriend that he was already at the airport and didn't have to come twice in one day. Then it was back to the house to unpack and then off to work the next day. I'm glad I was able to celebrate Jenna's birthday with her!

Busy, Busy

This week has been busy for me - on Monday the boyfriend joined me on my run and we did 3 miles. He planned an out and back route since he got too frustrated trying to loop that was flat. I felt great after the run, but during the run I kept asking if we could walk, how much longer, and saying "talk to me" when it was too quiet - basically I am your ideal running partner.

Yesterday I was supposed to play soccer on the mall, but it was raining when I left work meaning the grass would have been a mud pit, not to mention I was also super tired. So I just went home, relaxed, made dinner and planned out what I would be packing for this weekend.

Tonight my sister is having me over for dinner which I am very excited about. After dinner I'm going to try and run to the grocery store if I have time. I need to pick up food for dinner tomorrow, since I will be having extra special guests over. The boyfriend's parents will be visiting him this weekend and they arrive Thursday. I will be leaving Friday after work for vacation, so Thursday is the only night I will get to see them. After dinner I have to finish packing for my weekend getaway to Columbus to celebrate Jenna's birthday! I'm so excited!!!

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! 

Thought of the Day - Pants: Men vs Women

Today at work we were discussing men's vs women's pants and why they are not the same. Women's sizes vary from store to store while men's sizes are the same everywhere you go. Also, why do men get to have 2 sizes (the length and the width) when women only have 1? If anything, women should need the more exact sizing since their pants fit much differently than men's. It is also makes it much easier for women to buy men their pants then, since you can go to any store and know what size they are. Men don't have it that easy at all if they wanted to buy their girl a nice pair of pants. Why can't they standardize this for men and women?

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.

ABCs

This week has been off to a nice start so far. My friend and I had a lunch date with the boyfriend. I had a groupon that expired today so we went out for lunch and it was great. Since the rain has finally subsided, I even got work outside in the sunshine for a bit which was lovely. 

I saw this on a post on another blog so I decided to do it of myself so enjoy:

A – Age.  I’m 26
B – Bed Size.  Queen
C – Chore I dislike.  I really don't enjoy cleaning the bathroom, so I'm very thankful my roommates and I have the maids come once a month so I don't have to do this.
D – Dogs.  Had my beloved dog Poppy growing up.  Still miss him. Best dog ever.
E – Essential start to my day.  I need lots of sleep in order to be functional the next day. And I think eating breakfast is essential - oatmeal during the week, eggs on the weekends
F – Favorite Colors. I like orange best
G – Gold or silver?  Probably silver but I like both
H – Height. 5"2"
I – Instruments I play(ed).  I used to play the piano. I'm not very musical
J – Job title.  Business-person
K – Kids.  I hope to have many someday
L – Live.  In our nation's capital
M - Money tip I like best.  Whatever you earn, spend less.
N – Never plan to… not be loved
O – Overnight hospital stays.  Nothing too serious but when I was younger I was in the hospital for a week. And about 10 years ago I had jaw surgery
P - Pet Peeves when people don't know the proper use of we're vs. were, it's vs. its, and they're vs. their
Q - Quote from a movie.  Hmm, this is a toughy. My favorite movie is Say Anything, which includes classic lines such as "I am looking for a dare to be great situation", "She's gone. She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen." and "One question: do you need... someone, or do you need me?... Forget it, I don't really care."
R – Righty or lefty?  Righty
S - Siblings.  Three sisters who are amazing
T - Time I wake up.  For work, usually around 7:30 or 8
U – Underwear.  My favorite is anything from aerie
V - Vegetables I don’t like. Peas. Ick.
W – What makes me run late.  I always try to be on time. I am very punctual. If I am late it's usually due to  the metro or the bus.
X – X-rays I’ve had.  More x-rays on my mouth than you could count.
Y – Yummy food I make.  My specialty is steak, asparagus, and a baked potato. And brownies for dessert.
Z – Zoo animals I like.  All of them! The lions, the tigers, the bears, the fish (guess that's more at the aquarium), the birds, etc. 

Weekend Recap - 3Day Edition

This long weekend was just what I needed - full of relaxation, sleeping in, cleaning out my room, bike riding, shopping and errands. My roommate had a friend visiting for the weekend, and she brought her dog Sophie down too. The boyfriend and I got to play with her and it was so much fun. Here are some pictures of Sophie the dog (she loves to give kisses):

  

As if playing with a dog all weekend wasn't enough fun, the boyfriend and I also had a play date with our friend's 10 month old baby girl. She is so adorable, a ball of energy, and so much fun to play with. Here are some pictures of her cuteness, and a video just in case you didn't get enough:

Now it's back to work on this dreary cold fall day. What happened to summer? As much as I complained about the heat I miss it and am not yet ready for fall. Sunshine come back to me!

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.