Like Fish Out of Water

Do you ever come back from vacation feeling like you need another vacation just to recoup?  Boy, that's how I feel!  Mom and Dad were here with us over the long weekend and we packed more sightseeing into 3.5 days than I thought would be possible.  We ate at our favorite brewery, toured the White House, took a bus tour of the monuments around DC, browsed through the American History Smithsonian Museum, visited Arlington Cemetery, drove to Baltimore to eat crab cakes, toured the USS Constellation ship and the USS Torsk SS-423 submarine in the Baltimore Inner Harbor, stopped by the official Peeps store, visited Mount Vernon and introduced Mom and Dad to DC traffic and the MetroRail.  I think they left DC completely exhausted, but full of American history knowledge.

Holding up the Washington Monument.

This same morning we ate breakfast at the Old Ebbit Grill.  The restaurant was opened in 1856 and has been a favorite meeting spot for presidents and politicians. 

Oh Lordy...can you imagine what kind of trouble America would be in if this was our reality?  :)  He was pretty disappointed that Obama didn't come down to shake his hand while we were at the White House.  The White House tour we went on included 8 rooms. On the ground floor we saw the Vermeil Room, the Library, and the China Room and then we were able to see the entire first floor, which included the East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, and State Dining Room.  

At the WWII Memorial

Faidley's Seafood at Lexington Market in Baltimore, MD.   Yes, my obsession with crab cakes continues.  I was a bit worried that Dad would not like them.  After all, this is a man that normally refuses to eat anything but beef.  Surprisingly though he was the first one to finish his crab cake. 

Mmmmm. An award winning lump crab cake, mac 'n cheese, and coleslaw.  Faidley's will ship their seafood anywhere in the US.  One of the meat coolers in the market had a large painted sign on the front that said, "Muskrat, Raccoon, Alligator, sold when in season."  A 16 oz. lobster tail will set you back $36.95. 

 

Josh and Dad on the USS Torsk SS-423 submarine.  (Patrolled the Pacific war zone in 1944-1945.)  We also toured the USS Constellation, a battleship that was commissioned in 1855.  I can't fathom what life would have been like for sailors on either ship.  The submarine was extremely cramped.  The only thing that kept me from feeling too claustrophobic was knowing that there were two open hatches I could escape from if I needed to get out.  The USS Constellation has a wonderful "old smell." The ship once sailed to the West Coast of Africa with the mission of intercepting vessels engaged in illegal slave trade. 

At Peeps & Co.  Mayan temple sacrifice scene made out of Peeps.  Mom is crazy about Peeps.  As far as I know, this is the only Peeps & Co store that exists.  I tried a chocolate coated Peep that was delicious. 

Mount Vernon - A.K.A. George Washington's home.  Mom and I were both surprised at how brightly painted the interior of the home was.  In 1796, having a home with painted walls indicated that you were very wealthy.   The paint was imported in powder form and was hand mixed with linseed oil just before use.

The American History Museum is my favorite Smithsonian so far.  We saw a replica of Julia Child's kitchen, the original Muppets, Dorothy's ruby slippers, Fonzie's leather jacket, a bronze mold of Abraham Lincoln's face, the Watergate file cabinet, and many more unique exhibits. 

 

We immensely enjoyed having them here with us and showing them the sights.  I was feeling a bit homesick and couldn't wait to see them and give them big hugs.  I am also excited that we will have more family coming to visit in a few weeks!  But a warning to those considering coming to visit us...Yes, I will most likely drag you an hour North of here to Baltimore to eat crab cakes. (Unless you have a shellfish allergy, of course.)

And by the way, my mother managed to take 289 photos in the 3 days they were here.  I'm not joking.  The woman takes more foliage pictures than anyone else I know.  If you're interested in seeing photos of trees and flowers from their trip, let her know...she has lots.  :)

Around and Around They Go

One of the great things about the D.C. metro area is that there's something for everyone.  If you're bored on a Saturday and need something to do, the Washington Post's online "Going Out Guide" is your ultimate source for what's happening around the city.  If you want to see a play, you'll find a play...if you want to find a recommendation for the best Thai food in the Eastern Market district, you'll find one...and if you want to go to the roller derby, you're in luck because D.C. is home to the D.C. Rollergirls.    



One of my coworkers happens to be a former roller derby "roller girl."  She's been talking about trying out for the D.C. Rollergirls and on a whim I accepted her invitation to go to a D.C. Rollergirls roller derby.  The derby takes place at the D.C. Armory.  The moment you walk in to the arena you're overwhelmed with the sites and sounds of these women racing around a track on roller skates.  Most of them dress in very colorful outfits - brightly striped leggings, sparkly hot shorts, and jerseys with names on the back like "Bleeding Rainbow," "Shelby Bruisin'," and "Hit and Run". 

I never thought I would learn so much about roller derby, but after watching it for a couple hours you really start to pick up on the bizarre rules of this game.  These ladies take roller derby very seriously...one girl got hit so hard she dislocated a shoulder.  It was a surprisingly fun way to spend a Saturday night.  I don't think I've roller skated since I was in the 6th grade.  And even then roller skates weren't cool...you had to have roller blades.  Evidently roller blades are out and roller skates are here to stay. 

On a side note, I could add an entirely separate section to this blog dedicated to "strange things you see on the Metrorail."  On the way home from the derby there was a couple sitting caddy-corner from us and evidently this woman couldn't wait until they got home to ask her husband for a leg/foot massage.   Yep, she just kicked off her shoe and acted like they were sitting at home in front of the TV and not on a public train full of strangers.  I'm constantly amazed by the things people do while using public transportation. 

A Day of Adventures in the Shenandoah Valley

In dire need to escape the hustle and bustle of D.C., we took a day trip to Luray, VA.  Luray is about an hour and a half Southwest of where we live and is home to the Luray Caverns.  Parts of the drive were so picturesque that it seemed like we were driving through a Bob Ross painting.  We stopped to eat a late breakfast at "Uncle Buck's Restaurant" in downtown Luray.  If any of you have seen the movie "Uncle Buck"...Josh couldn't wait to get inside and see if there was a John Candy look-a-like flipping giant pancakes with a snow shovel.  He ordered their Home-style Omelet (eggs, lump crab meat, cheese, topped with Old Bay seasoning).  Not an ideal flavor combination if you ask me, but he ate every last bit of it.

Luray Caverns is a U.S. National Landmark and was discovered in 1878.  The lowest point of the caverns is 260 feet below the surface.  The tour is self-guided with the assistance of headsets that allow you to listen to audio recordings about the different sections of the cavern.  The caverns maintain a fairly even temperature of 54 degrees year round.  One of our favorite formations were the Totem Poles. 

The star attraction is the Great Stalacpipe Organ.  Small rubber mallets tap stalactites in the adjoining caverns and it produces hauntingly beautiful music.  It took 36 years to perfect "the world's largest musical instrument."  While we were there some electrical wires that run between the lights shorted out and we had to navigate our way through one of the caverns in the dark.  Thankfully we were with a group of people that all had cellphones and we used the light of the screens to guide us through to the next area.  Talk about an adventure!  There was actually a home built above one of the caverns and they dug a small access hole to the cavern underneath the building.  They used a generator to pump cool air from the caves into the building to keep it cool in the summer.  America's first air-conditioned home! 

On the way home we took a bit of a detour and drove part of Skyline Drive along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains through Shenandoah National Park.  Every few miles there is an overlook where you can pull over and admire the view.  I was really hoping to see a black bear, but the only animals that crossed our path were a couple of deer.  The maximum speed limit through the park is 35 mph, however Josh couldn't resist the urge to drive Indy Car-style through some of the turns.  We're looking forward to going back to the park to do some hiking or canoeing. 

One thing I haven't seen in the 4 months we've been here...COWS.  One of my friend's husbands told us that if I had a hankering to see some cows we just needed to drive West on HWY 66 and sooner or later there would be cows.  Well, he didn't lie.  And yes, I rolled down the window and moo'd.  :)  It's the little things that remind you of home.

We're hoping to do many more day/weekend trips now that the weather is nice.  If any of you have a suggestion for us - something in the WV, NC, VA, DE, MA, PA areas, leave us a comment and we'll add it to our to-do list of adventures. 

Hoppy Easter!

As far as I can remember, this is the first Easter that I've spent away from family.  Since we knew we were going to miss out on a delicious Easter lunch with our families, Josh and I set out to plan our own Easter feast...for two.  I wanted brisket and Josh was craving cheesy potatoes.  Our brisket shopping excursion was interesting.  I love brisket...my Grandma Pat makes the best brisket in the world...but I don't think I've ever seen a raw one.  It basically looks like a giant tongue.  I initially picked up a cut of sirloin thinking it was a "small brisket".  Well, come to find out, there's no such thing as a small brisket.  Anything smaller than a 3 lb brisket and you're probably eating veal brisket...if there is such a thing.  And who has the heart to eat a baby cow?  (One of my coworkers told me that his wife was making lamb for Easter dinner.  I nearly cried.  Isn't the Easter Bunny's best friend a lamb? Baaa)  Anyways, our Easter feast for two turned out delicious.  I managed to recreate Grandma Pat's brisket, Josh's favorite cheesy potatoes, my mom's broccoli cauliflower salad, and pie.

After our glutinous meal we went for what I thought was going to be a leisurely walk but it turned in to more of a nature hike.  There is a trail behind our apartment complex that we headed for.  The beginning of the trail follows the outer edge of Oak Marr golf course and then branches off into a very wooded area.  The first posted sign we came across said "Leaves of Three, Let them be."  The farther we walked, the muddier the trail got.  Soon we were navigating through the side brush to avoid the mud.  So far neither of us are itchy.  I did get a  few really pretty pictures of the trail at least.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!  And may we not forget the true reason that we celebrate this day.   Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26

Two Years

Two years ago we were in the Turks and Caicos Islands for our weddingmoon.  (Wedding & Honeymoon)  I want to wish my wonderful, handsome, supportive, brilliant, charming husband a very happy 2nd wedding anniversary! 

Cotton is the traditional gift for a 2nd wedding anniversary.  So I can just buy Josh some new socks and call it good, right? :)

A Tour

Since mom and dad have been too busy to blog lately, I'm going to take a little time out of my busy day of napping to give you a tour of our pad.  Several family members and friends have asked them to post pictures of the place and they just haven't gotten around to doing it.  It took me a few hours to figure out how to work the camera and learn how to type, but I'm a very intelligent feline.  Mom says I'm too smart for my own good.  On to the tour...let's start with the kitchen.   

The most important cabinet is the 2nd one on the right.  That's where the food is kept.  It's fun to run into the kitchen at full speed and slide on the floor.  When I'm really hungry and no one is paying attention to me...I lay here and try my best to look adorable and guilt them into feeding me.

This is the living room.  I usually hangout on the love-seat and sleep on my cushy green blanket.  I get in big trouble when dad catches me lounging in "his spot".  I still sit there when he's not home.  Don't tell him...shhhh.

This is one of my other favorite spots.  We live on a really busy street and there are lots of interesting things going on out there all day.  When firetrucks go by I have to hide under the couch because the sounds they make scare me.  I really love when there are birds in the trees for me to meow at. 

This is the office/guestroom/my room.  See my kitty condo?  Roy made it for me.  In the afternoons I lay on the "sun deck" and catch some rays.  

This is one of the bathrooms.  In the morning when mom gets ready for work she'll turn the bathtub water on so that it drips and I sit in the tub and play with the water.  

And this is the bedroom.  I am not allowed to get on the bed, but I snoop around in here from time to time to check on things.

Well, that was the last stop.  You have no idea how hard it is dragging this camera around.  I think it's time for my afternoon cat nap now. 

Alex

I Hope You Brought Your Walking Shoes

Weekends just don't seem to ever last long enough...or maybe time just flies when you're having fun.  Josh's parents and the 4 other couples they were traveling with made it safely to D.C. Thursday night.  We met them near their hotel for supper at a burger joint called Big Buns Gourmet Grill.  With the looming threat of a government shut down just a day away, Josh took off work and joined the group for a whirlwind tour of several Smithsonian museums on Friday.  If the government would have shutdown on Friday night at midnight all of the Smithsonian's and national parks would have been closed to tourists.  Thankfully the shutdown did not happen and we were able to enjoy our weekend together visiting the national museums, monuments and memorials.   

Saturday morning we met at Arlington National Cemetery.  Josh and I did a short walking tour of the cemetery while the rest of the group did one of the bus tours that allows you to see more of the sites.  We visited the Kennedy grave site and the Tomb of the Unknowns.  It was a very humbling site.  Tour groups of older citizens were abundant; with many of the men wearing their WWII veteran baseball caps and navigating the grounds in their motorized wheelchairs and rolling walkers.  What an experience it must be for them to visit Arlington and pay tribute to the veterans they served with. 

We took the Metrorail back to the National Mall area and viewed the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the White House.  I wish I would have worn a pedometer...we had to of walked 10 miles over the course of the day!

If you click on the photo above, you should be able to enlarge it and see the sniper standing on the top left corner of the White House roof.  I didn't realize he was there when I took the photo.  In desperate need of a rest, we headed back to the hotel and ate an early supper at Potbelly Deli.  In honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival that was going on that day, they were serving a Cherry Blossom Shake.  Of course we had to try one. 

Susan had a wonderful idea to do a "Twilight Tour" of the memorials.  A tour bus picked us up at 6pm for a 4 hour evening tour of the illuminated memorials.  If anyone is in D.C. I highly suggest touring this way.  Less tourists out and about, you get to ride on a comfy bus, cooler temperatures, and the memorials seem to have a more profound affect on you at night. 

At the Capitol

The Lincoln Memorial is my favorite.  Maybe I feel connected to 'ol honest Abe because we share a birthday, who knows.  There's something about the lighting that just takes your breath away. 

One of the women traveling in Roy and Susan's group sent a camera phone picture of Lincoln to her 8 year old granddaughter and said "Guess where I am?"  The granddaughter text back, "Is that God?"  Diana wrote her back and said, "Where do you think I'm vacationing? Heaven?"  Haha. 

Tired and sore from a long day of walking we crawled back into the hotel and said goodbye to the Roy and Susan and their group.  It was so great to see them!  But I'm sure Washington D.C. was glad to see that rowdy group of troublemakers from Kansas head back home.  :)