13.1

This morning Josh and I ran the Charlottesville Half Marathon! Looking back I think "ahhh, that was awesome!" but there were definitely points when running that I thought "I'm never going to run a full marathon" or "oh dear goodness, I might have to stop and walk." But I didn't stop to walk. And I did way better than I thought I would! My goal was to finish under 2 hours and 10 minutes (basically my usual 10 minute mile), but I finished at 1 hour 57 minutes!!! That is very exciting. Overall I placed 399 (out of 1077).

There were points when I looked around and enjoyed the scenery, struggled with a cramp, had to pee, passed several people at a time, and was passed by several people at a time. There were some serious hills, but Charlottesville is full of hills and I've been training here, so it turned out okay. Josh took off and left me just before the halfway point, but I caught up with him at the end (until he sprinted through the finish line), and he finished 390th.

My legs are sore and I spent the rest of the day lounging about and napping, but I enjoyed it and will probably try to run more half marathons and shorter races in the future.


6:30am and ready to go!


Lookin' good at mile 1. (Notice a similar picture wasn't taken at, say, mile 9.)


Josh running, I think between miles 1 and 2.


See little me waving? About to hit the turnaround point halfway through.


Josh's Grandma came to see us finish! Look how cute they are!


We did it!

thank goodness

Dad got to leave the hospital today! They finally (two weeks later) got all the fluid from outside his lungs drained, and they think he's good to go and the fluid shouldn't build up again. Now he's home, and they say he can even head back to the gym next week!

half marathon countdown

Well, I've trained for thirteen weeks, and tomorrow is the big day! Hopefully it won't rain. Hopefully I won't die. Hopefully I'll feel okay about my time.

Wish me luck!

thanks, friend

Received in the [e]mail today:

thoughts and prayers please

Monday my Dad had surgery to get fluid out of his chest. Three liters of fluid, to be exact. He's still in the hospital, waiting for drainage to stop so they can take out his chest tube and let him go home. We still don't have a diagnosis for why his chest is creating so much fluid in the first place. So keep him in your thoughts and prayers please.

three cheers for warm weather!

Today I ran twelve miles (whew!), slapped on a whale tattoo, bought some books (and books on tape) at the library book sale, and headed to Richmond to hang out on the porch with family and dye eggs.

Pretty good day, I'd say.

bean pie

Today I ate some pinto bean pie at work, but I thought it was pecan pie because that's what I was told.

Happy April Fools Day to me.

(It still tasted pretty good.)

Monument Avenue 10k

Yesterday I ran my first race ever. With only about 37,000 other people. And a temperature in the 30s.

But it was great! I've been around Richmond for a few years now, but I've never even gone to watch the Monument Avenue 10k. So not only was it my first run, but it was my first time seeing all the costumes, bands, cheerleaders, and friendly spectators. I really made an effort to enjoy the race, so I said things to myself like "look at that adorable bulldog on the sidewalk!" or "I'm so happy there is a string band playing on that porch!" or "hello Uncle Stonewall!" when I passed the Stonewall Jackson monument.


Check out the running dinosaur shirts Josh and I painted!


Celebrating with a post-run beer at Capital Ale House

My goal was to finish in less that 60 minutes, which I did (just barely). However, the crowd was so huge in the beginning (I heard there were 1,500 in my wave) that I didn't make a serious effort to zoom around people and get ahead, I just went with the flow. Now that I've seen my results and I know I came in around 10,200th place (which, hey, was still in the top third), I'm itching to try again and do better.

ten miles plus!

Yesterday afternoon Josh and I set out for our ten mile run but it didn't really work out and instead turned into a lovely spring walk. (Not a ten mile walk, however.) This morning I set out on my own, and I succeeded at the ten miles! It's kind of crazy how far you can get in a small city in ten miles. There was an unfortunate period where I made a wrong turn and ran several blocks in the wrong direction and had to double back. I tried to compensate by ending the run sooner, but it still turns out I ran ten and a half miles. Before today the farthest I'd ever run was eight miles, so this is pretty exciting.

It was a disaster!

Yesterday I went to Northern Virginia to visit my new grad school for the first time. I was supposed to be there at 9:30am, so to be on the safe side I left my apartment at 6:30am. Or at least I tried to, before I locked my keys in my car. With the engine on.

It was still dark out. My purse and phone were already in the car. I was stuck. So I found another apartment with lights on and knocked on the stranger's door. Luckily the guy who answered was fully dressed. At 6:30 in the morning. He let me use his phone and he had the AAA number, so that was great. Then he left for work and I waited outside until 7:45 for the AAA guy to show up. Yesterday's high was in the upper 60s, and I was ready for it. But the temperature from 6:30-7:45? Not so high. By the time the AAA guy arrived I was a popsicle. When he handed me a pen to sign on the line I dropped it because my hands were numb. But at least I got into my car (which, by the way, was an inferno because I'd turned the heat up before the door locked).

Then I high-tailed it for NoVa and arrived by 10:10, and the rest of the day turned out much better than the morning.

time flies

Today was my one year anniversary at my (not-new-anymore) job. This is the longest-running full-time position I've held. Not because I can't stay employed, mind you, but because my former jobs were mostly squeezed in around school semesters. And here's some news for you: I'm going back to school again! I've been accepted into a PhD program for history, so that's exciting. But this time I'm going to keep working at my current position full time, so the anniversaries can keep adding up.

more on the Vegas trip

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten to tell you about my Vegas trip.

Last weekend was Nascar weekend in Las Vegas, so naturally my family went and I flew out to join them. (As you may recall, we did the same thing last year.) It was pretty great.

My parents and Ryan drove in Wednesday afternoon and I flew in later that evening. Thursday I went for a two mile run around our hotel, and then we headed to the strip. We ate lunch at Mandalay Bay and visited the aquarium there. Then we went to MGM to see the lions and watch bartenders dance on the bar. We also went to New York New York where Ryan and I rode the roller coaster. Ryan bought me a pair of shoes for Christmas at the Planet Hollywood mall, and we saw the Nascar trucks parade down the strip. That night we saw the Lion King.


Dad with the Crown Royal (Matt Kenseth's) car in Mandalay Bay.

Friday we met up with my aunt and uncle (who also drove from New Mexico for Nascar) for a breakfast buffet, then went to the strip. First we visited Circus Circus and Ryan and I rode more rides, then we watched an acrobat do circus tricks. Next we visited the Bellagio and rode the new tram through City Center. Then it was time for a snack so we went downtown for shrimp cocktails. We may have visited some other stuff in there too, but I can't keep it all straight. We ate dinner at Margaritaville because my aunt and uncle wanted to see the lady slide out of the volcano into a giant beer glass. Crazy stuff happens in Vegas.


Ready to take a ride at Circus Circus.

Later that night Ryan and I went back to the strip (we were all staying at hotels off the strip, same as last time) and ended up hanging out at a bar in the MGM trying to win a signed Matt Kenseth jacket for Dad (Kenseth is his Nascar driver). We filled out lots of (free) drawing tickets and got a free hat and flashing button, but when they finally held the drawing at midnight some Canadian guy next to us won the jacket instead.


Parents at the Bellagio.

Saturday was the first race, which I went to with Dad, Ryan, and my uncle. It was delayed for 1.5 hours due to rain, and once the rain left and the race started it was windy and freezing, so not the best of times. For dinner we had Mexican at my aunt and uncles hotel, then went next door to our hotel and I won eighty bucks on a penny slot machine. I then proceeded to lose thirty of that on the same machine, but I came out with fifty dollar profit!

Sunday the guys and my aunt went to the race, and I went to breakfast with Mom. Then I ran eight miles for my half marathon training. After my shower Mom and I went back to the strip and visited the dolphins and tigers at the Mirage. We also walked around the Venetian, but then my poor feet were sore so we rested at a trendy bar back at the Mirage. We met up with the rest of the gang after their race was over for a steak dinner. Then Ryan and I headed back to the strip to watch the volcano erupt at the Mirage and live it up on our last night in Vegas.


I hope we do it again next year.

still in the snow

I'm more than ready for spring to hurry up and get here, but in the meantime there is still winter fun to be had. Today Josh and I met up with his aunt and cousin at Massanutten for two hours of snow tubing. There was lots of waiting involved (waiting to get up the moving sidewalk to the top of the hill, waiting in line, waiting for slow people to clear the lanes...), but we had a pretty good time. I went down sitting up, laying on my belly, spinning, and attached to Josh's tube. On my last run I spun around so much that when I reached the bottom and got up to walk away I was too dizzy and fell flat on my back. That was embarrassing.

Viva Las Vegas

I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas. I'll tell you more soon, but in the meantime please enjoy this gem:

No backing out.

Well, it's official and I am now registered and have paid my non-refundable fees for a half marathon AND a 10k. I've never run in a race or with a group of people before, but hey, go big or go home right? The 10k is a few weeks before the half marathon, and I figure that will be a good chance to see what this race-running is all about. Not that I plan to race, mind you. I just hope to finish without stopping and not be the last person across the line.

long time coming

Today I wore a t-shirt and shorts OUTSIDE. Josh and I ran 7.5 miles in Richmond along Monument Ave. and Patterson, and it was glorious to run a.) not on a treadmill, b.) with natural breezes, and c.) without freezing. It's been a long cold winter, and I'm ready for spring.

Pista-chee-o!

I had another sighting tonight! I was starting to worry because I haven't seen a pistachio shell in so long (they're buried under the snow maybe?), but I was pleasantly surprised to find one at the bottom of the stairs to my building.

AJ has asked for a post about Valentine's Day that includes a picture, so here we go.

I made Josh a pop-up card, and while you don't get the full effect in a still (and slightly fuzzy because it was taken with my phone) photo, I think you can still appreciate its awesomeness:



I like making Valentine's, and I like receiving flowers, but other than that we're not that into Valentine's Day. So we combined V-Day with Chinese New Years and had Chinese for lunch on Sunday. Then we went to a running store where he bought running shoes (I bought some new running shoes today, too). Because the half-marathon training is still in full swing.

looong weekend

Today will be the fifth day of my snow weekend (so far). Here is some of what I did:

Friday I straightened up my apartment and made a paper chain for Josh's birthday tree. I was going to (finally) take my Christmas tree down but decided it could stay up a little longer as a birthday tree.



It snowed all of Friday and Saturday. Saturday I made cran-orange scones for breakfast, and in the afternoon Josh and I went to the gym to run 6.5 miles. Then I made him meatloaf (his choice) and key lime pie for his birthday.

Sunday we dug our cars out of the snow. Then I took a nap. We went out for pizza for dinner and watched Zombieland. (Did you notice I didn't mention the Super Bowl?)

Since I didn't have work Monday I went to Richmond to visit my grandparents, which included a giant Indian lunch and a long nap. I don't have work today either, so who knows what this snow day will bring...

my week:

Monday- Worked all day.

Tuesday- Got to leave work at 3:30 because of snow.

Wednesday- Didn't have to be at work until noon because of snow.

Thursday- Worked all day, and then spent nearly two hours at the grocery store(s).

Friday- Don't have to go to work because of the snowpocalypse that is on the way to Charlottesville.

feelin' good

It snowed a few inches today, but that didn't stop me from hitting the gym and running six (!) miles. I think it's been about two years since I ran that far. So my training for the half marathon is still going strong, and today's run felt great.

Pie Day!

Tomorrow is National Pie Day, and that means today is National Pie Day (Observed) at work. There are four six beautiful home-made pies waiting for us to stuff our faces. I must admit I'm a slacker and didn't contribute a pie myself, but perhaps I'll bring one around March 14.

I like working here.

Let me tell you about my weekend, because it was pretty good and sent me all over the state. Friday night Josh and I joined my cousin in Richmond and played the game Munchkins. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I did eventually and even won a round.

Saturday night we went to Fredericksburg and had dinner with my friend Ryan and his wife plus their billions of kids. Then we went to an amateur MMA fight. Let me tell you, it was a little surreal. I don't watch fighting and I've sure never been to a live fight, so not only was the fighting itself new but it was located in what seemed like a barn at the tiny Fredericksburg fairgrounds on the edge of town. One finds quite an array of people at an event like that.

Sunday I headed up to Leesburg to visit with Uncle Richard. We went to lunch, then hung out and relaxed all day while it was rainy and cold outside. The next day after breakfast I headed to DC for the day. First I visited the American Indian Museum. I hadn't been there yet so it was neat to see the place, but I moved through the exhibits quickly and was most excited about lunch in their cafeteria. It cost eighteen bucks, but it was delicious.

Next I headed down the mall to the American History Museum, which I haven't visited since high school. I got a little frustrated with the place in the beginning, but once I escaped the big crowds and found some presidential and early history exhibits upstairs, I felt better. I finally left around five and headed home, making sure to stop by Ikea.

In other news, Operation: Train for a Half Marathon is under way. Today Josh and I ran two-and-a-half miles on our Day One. We also each tried out some fancy socks (Target fancy, not an actual sports store fancy), and while they were comfortable and all I'm not sure they were much better than my normal socks. We'll see.

change of pace

Notice how I haven't blogged in a while? That's because not much is going on around here. But I want to change that. So I'm going to train and run a half marathon. I haven't been running as much lately because I've been doing Josh's crazy stuff at the gym. But he's liking the half marathon idea, too. So, starting next week, I will run more. This will require dedication and buckets of sweat. It will also require drumming up the nerve to actually register for a race, because I've never done that before. And maybe it's crazy to start with a half marathon, but hopefully not too crazy. So wish me luck, and get ready for more blog posts about running.

2009 in Review

Here is a list (that is hopefully in order) of stuff that happened in 2009:


I fretted a lot over not having a job anymore and the daunting task of finding a new one.

I found a new one. And they accepted me! And it was actually my realistic "dream job"!

I went to Las Vegas for the first time and partied it up with my family.

Then I started my new job and commuted from Richmond to Charlottesville for five months.

Josh got a job in Charlottesville, too, and moved there before me.

But then his mom died, which is super sad. I was with him in Delaware for the funeral.

In June I visited Alaska for Allison and Sam's wedding. And saw moose and musk oxen.

I also visited Wisconsin for a workshop-type-thing.

I went back to Raleigh to see friends from grad school.

I finally stopped commuting and actually moved to Charlottesville in August.

Grandpa had a stroke, and my mom came to see him.

Then she came again right after that, with my dad. We did touristy stuff.

In October I went to Illinois for a conference.

And my trip got longer because I had to fly to New Mexico to see my dad, who didn't quite have a heart attack. After that he quit his job and I came back to Charlottesville.

I spent the holidays in Richmond, and my parents came again for Christmas.


It was a pretty full year I would say, with ups and downs.

Happy New Year everyone!

finally

Christmas went well. My parents came to visit, and I spent a week with them and the grandparents in Richmond.

I made another mosaic, which I gave to my mom. She's been wanting one since I started making them three years ago, so she says it's about time.

I don't think I'll be driving any time soon.

"Another Narrow Escape from Burying Alive"

At work I do a lot of historical research. Today I was looking through the microfilm of an 1849 Huntsville, Alabama newspaper when I came across the above headline. Obviously I stopped to read it.

The article begins: "Some four or five appalling cases of this sort have occurred at Cincinnati and St. Louis, lately, in the midst of the fearful rate of mortality from the scourge [cholera epidemic]."

It then tells the story of a man who "was seized with cholera" and died a few hours later. They put his body in a coffin for mourners to see but before the the funeral "the dead man rose from his coffin, to the great terror of those around, and walked out of his shroud." Then the story adds a quip about how the man sent his coffin back because he didn't need it anymore. It ends with this: "This is true, and it is another warning against too much haste in burials."

Indeed.

(The Democrat [Huntsville, Ala.], 22 Aug. 1849)

partay

Last night Josh and I went to a Christmas party.

Check us out:



And in case you're thinking Virginia is warm in December and you're starting to get jealous of our beach duds, just know that it was below freezing outside.

triple A saves the day

This evening, for the first time in my whole life, I left my keys in my car. In my trunk, to be exact. But I finally had a reason to use my AAA membership, other than for free maps (and trust me, I'm all about the free maps [and I guess since I pay for a membership they're not technically "free"]). I was at a bowling alley, but within thirty minutes of calling for help the nice man arrived and voila I had my keys back. And then I drank a beer to recover.

No Rest

Shortly after I moved to Charlottesville Josh and I started working out together, since both of our apartment complexes have gyms. First we did this four-week program for getting a "fighter's physique." Luckily it didn't actually involve fighting.

After that we just sort of did our own thing, but we both prefer a "program" to keep us going, so now we're doing some workout he found online for MMA fighters. I don't even know what MMA stands for, but I think it's some sort of cross between boxing and wrestling. Luckily this program doesn't involve fighting either. But sometimes it involves wanting to die. There are three days laid out for you, and the second day is insanely harder than the other two. It involves sprinting and jumping around and push-ups and mountain climbers and swinging weights around. We also improvise on things since we don't have a full gym, like laying a bar across the side rails on the treadmill to pull ourselves up from a lying position. It's awkward to have to lie down on the treadmill with people walking or running next to me, but I'm getting over being embarrassed about what fellow gym-goers think.

Anyway, today we did the super hard workout. Next to our list of things we're supposed to do Josh wrote in big block letters "NO REST." Sometimes I have to rest a little anyway, because my lungs are about to burst out of my chest and fall panting to the floor. But I try to keep up. The uphill sprints at the end are the worst. Sometimes I think I'm going to puke or die from lack of oxygen, but that hasn't happened yet. And after I catch my breath and stop pouring sweat, I feel pretty good.

holiday spirit

Don't worry, I'm not dead.

But I am getting into the Christmas spirit. I spent Thanksgiving and the rest of the weekend with my grandparents (and aunts, cousins, etc.) in Richmond. While there I helped switch out all the dishes to their Christmas dishes, and I helped decorate the house for Christmas (minus putting up a tree, someone will do that later). Then Josh and I visited the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to see all the Christmas lights. I also went out and bought a three-foot artificial tree and a box of ornaments to put in my apartment. I come from a family who always has a fresh tree that gets covered in tons of ornaments collected through the years, so my new tree isn't really ideal. But it's cute, and a girl has to start somewhere.

field trip number two

Today was the second field trip (and final meeting) for my class on historic Virginia buildings. We spent the whole day in Staunton, which was my first visit there (except for the frontier culture museum on the edge of town). Here are some pictures:

We didn't visit this or talk about it, but I liked how it looked.


This staircase is in an old insane asylum.


See the giant crack??? I won't lie, I was a little nervous walking around inside there up there.


This organ is in the upstairs room with the cracked window. Obviously it needs some work.


This old painting was preserved in the bedroom of a house where Jefferson stayed.


A Tiffany window at Trinity Episcopal Church.


Church made out of green stone.


Old house made into a B&B.


Stairwell in the B&B.


Indoor detail in the B&B.


Colorful!


Owl on a house. I heard the eyes light up at night?!


Court House.

familiarizin'

Let's see, I've lived in Charlottesville for...three and a half months. (Plus there were five and a half months of working in Charlottesville but living in Richmond.) I still don't feel quite "at home" in this city, but I'm working on it. Last week I discovered a coffee shop that has plenty of tables, decent food, a parking lot, and stays open past 7pm. The place is also nice enough to give you a sandwich and a latte on the honor system if you don't have cash with you. (Who doesn't take cards these days? Sheesh.) The coffee shop is next to a big vintage/thrift store, so that is good to know about. And Sunday I finally found the recycling center, another important C'ville spot. (Just because I didn't visit until Sunday doesn't mean I wasn't saving up recycling all that time. I had about a million milk jugs piling up in my kitchen.) Last weekend Josh and I also visited the South Street Brewery for the first time, which had terrible service but a fun atmosphere and good beer. Taking that class at UVA has helped get me plugged in a little, though I'm quiet and at least a decade younger then everyone else in the class. And last night after work some co-workers and I went out for drinks and dinner on the Corner (the area by the university with lots of restaurants), so that was a good time hanging out with people outside of work and learning about a new restaurant.

So I'm still getting to know Charlottesville, and hopefully some day I'll feel like I really belong here.

field trip

This fall I've been taking a non-credit course through UVA on Historic Buildings in Virginia. I must admit that I was more interested in the "historic" part of the title when I signed up, and less interested in the nitty gritty architecture part that it turned out to focus on. But I learned a few things, and the best part of the class is the two field trips at the end. Today was the first field trip. We toured the Rotunda and Lawn at UVA (including the private upstairs portion of a pavilion), and then we visited three plantation houses that date from around the turn of the 19th century. Since I still can't tell you much about floor plans and brick bonding and saw marks, I'll just share a few pictures I took.

Halloween nerd

I didn't dress up for Halloween this year, but I did carve this gem (and I'll give you two views!):

leavin' the 505

Dad came home from the hospital on Tuesday. I was planning to fly out Wednesday but when Dad asked me with big puppy eyes "do you have to?" I decided to stay an extra day. So we spent his first full day back home watching TV in our pajamas.

This unplanned trip to Santa Fe included lots of time at the hospital, but I also enjoyed a Mexican dinner, an afternoon with my grandparents hearing about their cruise through the Panama Canal, my first visit to the new New Mexican history museum downtown, and a fancy dinner with Ryan at a new restaurant. He and I also watched the entire first season of Breaking Bad, which is a television show that takes place in Albuquerque. Oh! I also saw where Robert Downey, Jr., is filming a movie downtown (they completely transformed a burrito place into a coffee place). I didn't actually see Downey, but I did see the actor who played scary Magua in The Last of the Mohicans.

hangin' in there

The doctor is now saying that maybe my dad didn't actually have a heart attack, which is good. He's still in ICU but should move down today, and hopefully he can come home tomorrow! When I finally got to see him last night he looked a little harried, but that was because right when he was going to eat lunch they snatched it away from him and told him to lie flat and motionless for four hours. Misery. He finally got to eat and then his family (mom, Ryan, and me) came to see him and he had the Nascar race on the television, so he perked up quite a bit.

history holograms, and a change of plans

This evening I thought I was at Disneyland, but I wasn't. I was at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. It looks sort of like Disneyland on the inside because they have big fancy recreations of Lincoln's log cabin and the White House, plus lots of mannequins standing around, like the Lincoln family, Frederick Douglass, and John Wilkes Booth. The best and most Disney-like part, however, was the "Ghosts of the Library" presentation. I don't really know how to explain it, but they bring the work of historians to life right in front of you on a stage using the combination of a live actor, holograms, and what must have been magic.

But now for a huge change of subject...instead of flying from Springfield to Richmond tomorrow as planned, I'm now flying home to New Mexico. My dad had a heart attack today, and while things are going well enough considering the situation (he had the attack in the hospital, which is a pretty good place I would say), I'm still going home to see him. Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

It's cold in Springfield.

I made it to Springfield, Illinois. I've also now worn my winter coat and scarf for the first time this season. I visited Lincoln's house, which was nice. It's the only house he ever owned, and he lived there for seventeen years before heading to Washington to be president. The tour guide made sure to point out, about a billion times, that Lincoln did really well as a lawyer and thus could afford a two-storied five-bedroom house with nice furniture and a fancy stove in the kitchen. No log cabin here.


This evening I attended a reception at the Old Capitol, which has been redone to look like it did back in Lincoln's day with the courtroom, senate chamber, etc. There are plaques and signs on every block of downtown Springfield with something-or-another about Lincoln. He went to church here, he worked there, a guy in this building repaired his buggy, he bought some candy from that store, his son was bitten by a rabid dog near here, and on and on. I think it's safe to say Springfield is a little bit obsessed with Honest Abe.

Lincoln Land

I'm catching a flight at six in the morning (eek!) and heading to Springfield, Illinois, for a work conference. After spending time in Charlottesville, the land of Jefferson, it'll be interesting to see what the land of Lincoln is like. The weather forcast says it will be cold and rainy, but I still plan to walk to Lincoln's house and maybe a Frank Lloyd Wright house tomorrow before the first session of the conference. I'll let you know how it goes...

pea-brained

Yesterday I discovered the game "Big Brain Academy" for Nintendo DS. And by "discovered," I mean I played with a DS for the first time and the game happened to be "Big Brain Academy." If you're not familiar with it, it's a video game in which you answer lots of questions in five categories: Think, Memorize, Analyze, Compute, and Identify. I'm not big on video games (unless it's the original Mario Brothers or Tetris), but a game with puzzles and questions that measure the size of one's brain is right up my alley.

Or it would be right up my alley if I were any good at it. Instead, this game has turned into a giant ego-crusher (probably a good thing) because I have consistently been given C-ranged grades! Ak! I may not be in school anymore (for now...?), but Cs are definitely still not okay with me. I'm just not fast enough. I could probably answer all the questions if only I had more time! But alas, even practicing for two hours straight until my arm went numb from holding the game player wasn't enough to raise my score significantly.

Stupid game.

Weekend where? Richmond, duh.

Saturday evening I babysat Bobby-the-best-godbaby-ever in Richmond. But first I went shopping at the outlet mall in Williamsburg. Very often I have big plans for clothes I need/want and I go shopping for them but after hours of searching and grumbling over prices and hating myself for looking stupid and fat in the dressing room mirror I end up leaving without purchasing a single thing. But not yesterday! The trip was a success, and shopping at the outlet mall in Williamsburg came with the added bonus of hearing a fife and drum corps outside the food court.

The babysitting went fine. Josh and I took Bobby to the mall, where he rode a coin-operated speed boat (which he did not enjoy), and a race car, (which he did enjoy). He also looked at lots of books at Barnes and Noble.

Today after lunch with the family Josh and I went to the Richmond Folk Festival to hear some tunes. Sunni went with us, but she found a friend from school to hang out with and decided to ditch us old fogies. Which was fine. As for the music, I heard a little bit of a lot. There was throat singing, French fiddling, reggae, a trombone band, western yodeling, and New Orleans jazz. There was also cotton candy and limeade. Fun times.

Did you hear? Pistachios are sexy.

Loyal readers here will know that I've loved and followed pistachios for a while. So I cannot be accused of jumping on the pistachio bandwagon, because I started that parade a long time ago.

But pistachios are catching on. Have you noticed the new pistachio commercials with celebrities and not-so-subtle innuendo? Like "newlyweds do it five times a day," "Levi Johnston does it with protection," and "beauty queens do it without a clue."

I don't know what any of that has to do with pistachios, but I'm glad to know I was finally ahead of the times on something!

g-ross

I'm trying to enjoy making good meals out of vegetables. Not that I don't like vegetables, because I do. I'm just trying new things I guess. Last night I baked beets and apples together. It was okay, but I shouldn't have bothered mixing it with bland cous cous. Overall I was disappointed.

And tonight was a billion times worse. Someone at work had an extra spaghetti squash, so I brought it home. I don't think I've had spaghetti squash before, but I thought it would be fine. I found a simple recipe for cooking it and eating it like basic pasta, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Now I don't know if I overcooked it, or what, but it was nothing like spaghetti and adding what I did sure didn't help. It would have been better with brown sugar, like an acorn squash. As it stands, I don't think I can even finish eating my bowlful.

We know this must be serious because I always clear my plate.

Oh! I just remembered that I tried Spaghetti squash once at a restaurant. It was a nice place, and I had high hopes for the squash there, but now that it comes back to me, I remember being super disappointed with it then, too. I guess me and spaghetti squash just aren't meant to be friends.

planted pistachio

Today all my old Richmond colleagues took a field trip and came to visit my new Charlottesville colleagues. It was fun to see them again. My supervisor asked if it was weird being with my old crew, but I said no, it felt like things were back to normal.

The Richmond group knows all about my love of pistachios and fascination with finding them, so not only did one of them make me (or "us," since I'm supposed to share...) chocolate candy with pistachios and dried cherries, but someone also left this little token on my desk:



It doesn't count as a true sighting, because obviously it was planted there, but it was nice to see it after they'd all left.

apple pickin'

Friday afternoon Josh's grandma went to the Carter Mountain Orchard here in Charlottesville and picked apples with her two other grandkids. But then she forgot to take the apples home. So today Josh and I went to retrieve her apples. The timing worked out, because this weekend also happened to be their Apple Harvest Festival. So we walked around the orchards and picked a bagful of apples, drank some cider, ate apple cider donuts, and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

sunburn in October

Today I went to the Virginia State Fair. I saw expo booths of crafts and stuff for sale no one wants or needs, I saw lots of animals, and I rode some rides. It turns out I also got a sunburn. But the main reason for this post is to rant for a second. Remember when it took me forever to get home from the U2 concert Thursday because we were stuck in a parking garage and traffic didn't budge? Well that sort of happened again today. While leaving the fair we sat at a red light for well over fifteen minutes. There were tons of police directing traffic, and they made us wait a quarter of an hour just for a turn to turn. I'm not saying I was way in back and it took several turns before I got to the front and got to go. I'm saying they didn't give us a turn! Aaagghhh! I understand there were billions of people trying to get into the fair and maybe traffic was backed up on the interstate. But we still deserve a turn to leave! Plus, if they don't let us leave, where will all those new people park? It blows my mind. It's time like those that I *might* have a touch of road rage.

Bono loves TJ, too!

Last night was the U2 show. I have mixed feelings about the whole event. On the one hand, the show was awesome. And not just because Bono came out asking if Thomas Jefferson was in the house. On the other hand, we sat on the interstate for an hour before the show just to move TWO miles. And after the show? We sat parked in a garage for forty-five minutes while no one could move a single foot. By the time we got out of that garage the city was a ghost town. In fact, I just learned my cousin Leslie, who drove to the show from Richmond, made it back home to Richmond before I got home in Charlottesville. The show was in Charlottesville! Ugh.