Things I do for friends...

There is a VERY cool place here in the area that has this huge outdoor amptheater where some incredible concerts are held. They have various artists and types of music throughout the summer from opera to Les Mis to Gladys Knight to Hootie and the Blowfish. It's a very fun place to go and relax on a warm summer night and listen to some great music.
Well, I went with a friend to the Indigo Girls concert. Now, I know a few songs, and by few I mean 2. Soo, as I am sitting there, enjoying the music, I notice I'm one of 3 people out of thousands who don't really know what's going on, but I am just tapping my foot to the music. UNTIL, the ONE song I know begins to play and literally the ENTIRE place erupted. People were to their feet faster than they could say everyone up! It was quite the night, but a great concert! If you ever come to town. Ask someone how to get to WolfTrap.

Even I think I should be arrested...

Okay. So here's what happened. I was walking to the front of our office to get some water from the kitchen, always glancing in the conference room to see who is being interviewed today. Well, on this particular day, it was Tim Daly and Richard Schiff and an unnamed lady with her back to me. I naturally start gawking at the front desk, like HOLY CRAP, TIM DALY! My coworker was really excited for Richard Schiff, as she is a HUGE West Wing fan. Well, after 3 walk arounds to "get water", we decided it was best for me to just go out and get coffee. So, me and three other co workers went downstairs and got some fresh air, and who walks out... and ! I KNOW! So, I was TOOTALLY rubber necking and needed to flee from myself for a moment. So, we breezed past them and headed toward Starbucks just around the corner. Well, they start "following us" and wind up walking on the opposite side of the street as us, but ultimately end up right behind us in line! I'm FLIPPING OUT on the inside. If you know me at all, you know that I can't hide a single emotion if you paid me. Well, I'll keep my stalker story short. Everyone kept cutting in front of my friend, including the two of them. Once Mr. Schiff realized what had happened he apologized, but she dismissed it by telling him "You're lucky I like West Wing so it's okay". I'm just staring at Tim like, holy crap I just saw you this morning on "Wings"! I couldn't really get any words out until we left and I yelled out "BYE" to them on our way out the door. I looked really stupid, but it was sooo worth it!

God Bless America!!

Well, tonight I did something I had heard about since I moved here. It was something I just "had to go see", as what most had told me. Well, I gave in and went.
At the Washington DC Marine Corps Barracks on Friday nights there is the Marine Corps parade. I honestly thought it was going to be an actual parade...in the streets...not so much.
I go with two girls that Matt used to work with at his previous position, whom I become good friends with. Anyway, the 3 of us get to the barracks and are literally escorted by a Marine to our entrance gate. One of the girls in my group gets hit on and stalked by this little guy who just wanted a date, but she has other plans in life, bless his little heart.
We were escorted to our seats and sit down in bleacher seats inside what is literally barracks. The scene is really indescribable, but I'm going to do my best. It's about as long as a football field and as wide as a tennis court from wall to wall. On one end of this massive field is this HUUUUUUUUUUGE mansion where the Marine Commandeer lives. I learned that the Commandeer is THE head guy of the Marines. I was hoping to be asked over for cake and tea, but no go...I had to get home.
These buildings that surrounded us were beautiful and HUGE! It was just so amazing to hear the history, but sadly it was coming from a guy who was screaming information at us over crowd noise.
Okay, I'll get to the good stuff!
The Presidential Marine Corps Band comes out and plays us a few tunes, there is some yelling of commands and what not, THEN, out walks this massive wall of men in uniform with gun in tow, marching to the cadence of the band playing. They slam guns down and do all of this stuff and what not, and there are just so many of them and the beat of their motions is resonating off of the concrete buildings around us. I blinked every time they moved!
We stood for the National Anthem, and in my eye shot was this 80-90 year old man and his adoring wife standing there with such resilience, dignity and pride. He stood there so proudly, knees bent, and was at as much attention as his little spine would allow, saluting as though he had never forgotten his belief in our great nation and standing next to the woman who carried his heart, holding his hand. It was really at that moment I caught a knot in my throat. You could hear the murmur of the crowd singing along to our nations song, getting louder with ever measure, and I just looked at this little man and I thought to myself, "I hope one day, our generation will be as proud of our country as this kind soul who fought so hard for where we are today." I too, in that moment, stood there proud to be an American, catching a glimpse of true patriotism.
When that was over, the men and their guns marched on to the field. They moved in silence to the cadence of the beat in their heads and twirled those guns, made those turns and kicked their heels with such precision it was truly AMAZING!! THEEEN...they all line up throwing their guns up in the air and all this stuff I'll spare you details to, but it was just so awesome!
THEN, they closed out with the drum and bugle corps. Of course they played my favorite "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" in none other than accompany B!

They had a whole ceremony and what not, but they closed the whole even by pulling the massive flag off of the massive flag pole, and one sole man on top of the building in front of us...spot light on him...playing taps.
As my dad would say, "Now that'll put a knot in your throat now, I'm tellin' ya!" And it was true. After seeing the preciseness of what these men do, not just on this field but in the field of battle or in peace, they stand tall and are proud to "support and defend". And you know what, I am too. No matter your political belief, you are Americans, and I don't know about you but I am proud of it.
God Bless America!

What's your color

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Pope and Circumstance...

As you may or may not know...the Pope, or Papal as some call him, was just in town. It was amazing to see a city's/ country's reaction to one man. I have seen Queen Elizabeth on the White House lawn, which was a pretty big deal, but hher arrival to our country was nothing compared to this one man's entry into our great nation. People...THOUSANDS of people trains,plains, and automobiled it into our city to catch a glance at what some call "the connection to God". The city shut down for the days he was here. Metro was offering the "Mass Pass" for the day of Mass, which people started toward at 5 am on that Spring Thursday morning. I must admit, it would have been cool to see such a powerful yet gentle figure of our time, but vacation time is precious to me. Jenn saw the top of his head from the fountain on the White House lawn, but I had to stay behind and work...bummer I KNOW! He road his "Popemobile" all over the city, which would have been just as fun to see as it would have been to see him. We had 46,000 people show up to our Nationals Stadium for the Pope's first Mass on US soil, but still again, the closest I got to seeing him was on my computer screen at work, while catching the action on the live cam on msnbc.com. And yes, Dara, I would have paid money to introduce myself to the Pope as a Hooker! Maybe next time.

When the Egg Roll is called up yoooonder...

This morning I woke up at the butt crack of 6:30am to meet Jenn to partake in the National Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. She had invited me and a couple from church with two VERY cute and animated children (Grace and Alex). We get there to wait in a tent and then we were herded over to the White House where secret service felt it necessary to take my apple and granola bar (afternoon snacks). I'm not bitter. Well, not as bitter as Grace was when they took her jelly beans. I guess if protecting our President is THAT important then we both sadly handed over the goods.
We saw lots of bunnies and story book characters. I REALLY wanted my picture taken with Raggedy Ann and Andy, but Jenn thought that shoving a child out of my way might be thought of as wrong on sooo many levels. WHATEVER! I'm a kid at heart and I think that counts for something.
The kids did the ever so famous rolling of the eggs, which was quality entertainment at it's finest. We then stood in the 39degree weather to wait for the famous Easter Bunny and the President and First Lady to come out and say "hello"! It was chaos at it's finest. Children were everywhere, and the natives were getting restless to say the least.
Meanwhile I was looking around for Troy Aickman who was there to read a book to all the kiddos. I personally wanted him to read a book to me, but that's another story for another time (matt knows my aching for Aickman, he's okay with it. He has Jessica Simpson). It's all about the kids today.
Once the President, First Lady, Easter Bunnies, Jenna Bush and Barbra Bush all came out of the house to say "hello", we watched as the President blew the whistle that officially started the egg rolling festivities. Then we went to hear Laura and Jenna read a book to hundreds of children who probably cared more about the stuffed people walking around, as Alex was one in search for a yo yo. The parents however, were push to shove to get a glance at such an elegant woman as Laura. I have to say...girl crush, just a smidge. Did I mention that the Jonas brothers sang the National Anthem? Yeah, the lead forgot a couple of words and made it up. It was pretty funny.
Well, Jenn and I left Grace, Alex and their parents to enjoy the festivities as a family, while Jenn and I had to get to work. Not before we got our Easter pic taken and a little wave to Elmo and Gordon who joined us all of the way from Sesame Street. Oh to be a kid again!
and ps. the Cherry Blossoms are well into bloom!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Matt and I just got back from Virginia Beach visiting his family for the weekend. It was relaxing and nice to get away from here again and get to see my new family. I basically played with my 2 year old nephew all weekend! He's soooo cute, and I feel that I can really relate to him on some levels. I understand how hard life can be when your sippy cup gets clogged.
The Easter Bunny showed up this afternoon after church and had eggs scattered all over the back yard, so naturally I elbowed the kid out of the way to find the "prize egg". He found it first! So, here are some pics from our weekend at the Beach.
Enjoy!

Pics of the day...

Well, I promised you pics from the 2 day protesters. Let me just say, some of them are a little disturbing in order to make their point.
A day in the life of DC:

STOP THE DRILLING...STOP THE OIL...STOP THE YELLING...GIVE ME A KISS!!!

So, I guess the "Operation Iraqi Freedom" started five years ago tomorrow. This is the life of living in DC...See what you all are missing!!!!

I got this email this afternoon from our HR Dept. I guess they are telling fellow DCers that we are going to have a hard time getting in and out of the city tomorrow. YAY! I'll be sure to take pictures for you.


Please read below:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has provided notification of anti-war demonstrations to occur in Washington D.C. on March 19, 2008. The various anti-war demonstrations are being conducted by “United for Peace & Justice”and the “Washington Peace Center”. Even though the main event of the demonstration is scheduled for McPherson Square, there will be additional small demonstrations throughout various locations within the city. Demonstration times vary; however, the total time of the demonstrations is expected to occur between 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Reportedly, the anti-war demonstration event coordinators are encouraging attendees to avoid confrontations and violent activity.

Expect travel disruptions on streets north of the White House between H St., NW and P St., NW and between 12th St., NW and 19th St., NW. Expect significant protest activity on K St., NW between 12th and 19th streets.

Anti-war demonstrations to occur in Washington ?D.C. on March 19, 2008 event details:



"Blockade the IRS": Participants will meet at 7:30 a.m. at McPherson Square Park and march south-southeast to the IRS headquarters at 1111 Constitution Ave. between 10th and 12th streets, NW. They will gather outside the main entrance at 8:00 a.m.


"Disrupt the War Profiteers": Student groups and activists will converge upon the streets throughout the day to rally outside offices of large corporations such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Bechtel and the IMF/World Bank. Violent actions are not expected but participants may attempt to enter buildings and disrupt routine activities.


"Separate Oil and State": Participants will meet outside the American Petroleum Institute at 1220 L St., NW at 13th St. Starting time for this event is not yet available.


"Veterans March for Peace": The march will begin at 9 a.m. at 7th St., NW on the National Mall between Madison and Jefferson streets. Marchers will pass a variety of locations.


"Critical Mass": Cyclists will meet at 8:30 a.m. at DuPont Circle (P St. and 19th St., NW). They will travel through downtown possibly riding south on Connecticut Ave., NW to the White House. It has been their intent in the past to intentionally disrupt traffic.


"Granny Peace Brigade Knit-in": A sit-in is planned for noon outside the Veterans Affairs office at 810 Vermont Ave., NW. Violence is not likely and there should be minimal disruptions to routine activities.



"Funk the War": Similar to Disrupt the War Profiteers, student groups will converge on the K Street corridor. Participants will meet at Franklin Square Park (14th and K streets, NW) at noon and travel down K Street.


"March of the Dead": Dozens of activists will roam the city dressed in black representing those killed in the Iraq war. Minimal disruptions are likely.


"The World Can't Wait": Anti-torture rally at 1:00 p.m. at Lafayette Square Park on H St., NW at the White House.


"March on DNC": Participants will gather at 5:00 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall and march to the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at 430 S. Capitol St., SE.


In addition to the events listed above, other unannounced demonstrations are possible. Temporary roadblocks and detours may be established on short notice. Law enforcement officers will be on site to maintain the flow of traffic. Monitoring local media for updated road conditions is recommended. Public transportation may be more congested than usual. In areas where these events are planned, especially near the White House, parking may be restricted.

What a weekend!!!

Well, we got her off and married. Tams is married!! Let the journey begin for her. I hope it has started off the way she had hoped and prayed for all these years, and may their life together be filled with the joy and love of Christ.
All went as predicted: She looked beautiful and us girls had a great time together. Helping set up for the big day, there was some bruising, but throughout the weekend there was also a lot of laughter, and yes, even a few tears.
It was great to see old friends, and even make a few new ones. For me personally, this weekend proved to me once again that having girlfriends by your side, makes life a little easier to walk through, a little more enjoyable to live. I miss them more than words could express, but what a breath of fresh air it was to be with them this weekend. I won't go into too many details as I'm sure others have posted the same comments on their blogs, and since most of you reading this were there...well, here you go...

Girlfriends...

My friend Tams is getting married this weekend! I get to escape this city and go back to the land where people are nice! Seriously, I watched a guy flip off another car for NO REASON yesterday!
I am so excited about this weekend! I get to see my girlfriends again, as it has been just over 6 months since our last swah-ray (sp?). It's always a breath of fresh air when I am with them. I can dress incredibly tacky (mumu and all) and I know they hold no judgment...well, maybe a little. There is, for me, no better place than in the presence of my girlfriends. We ALWAYS laugh, maybe shed a tear or two. There are no words to describe our relationship with each other, and our hearts, no matter how far a part we are, are always intertwined with one another. God has richly blessed me with these amazing women in my life.
I am so excited for Tams, as she takes the leap of faith into that deep and abiding relationship with the one she calls her "love". May their marriage be blessed by God's tenderest of hands, giving them the lifetime they hope and pray for together.
It is going to be a fantastic weekend!!! I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back.
(of course those who actually read this will all be there to witness this all first hand)


(the girls that hold me up)

The funniest thing I have seen in a long time...

YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS!!! It's the FUNNIEST thing I have seen in a LOOONG time! I laughed so hard I could barely breath!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpg3xM-niVw

My first suit...

Okay, maybe not MY first suit per se, as I got my first suit at the ripe old age of 14. However, on Saturday, Matt got his first suit. I naturally had to take pictures for all the world to see, as my parents did with me...at age 14.
It has been an adventure in the search for the right suit for him, as he rapidly approaches the end of his military commitment and joins us in the "civilian world". I personally think that he is going places...






So, it was a slow Saturday...it was raining! Anywho... I hope you had a great weekend too!

GIRL'S NIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!

Well, Friday night was the party of the century!! Not really, but we did have a lot of fun. Me and 6 teenage girls spent the night at the house next door to the church. I don't know about them, but I had SO MUCH FUN!! They are such awesome girls that are just trying to make it as a young Christian woman in the world that surrounds them daily, but aren't we all?? These are just a few pics for the nights event which included:
"The Notebook" (which I had never seen)
A rousing game of "Catch Phrase"
manicures/pedicures
an interesting game of "Cranium"
a good game of "BC" since we can't use the "S" word we said "C" instead.
baking brownies around 1am
"Legally Blonde"
and "Princess Diaries", well until we all fell asleep that is.
Did I mention all of the junk food we had in the meantime?? I would have to say that it was such a fun night of girls just being girls!