Portland, Oregon -- Dia Dos!

 

Our first full day in Portland started, of course, with Stumptown Coffee (above) and a Voo Doo Donut (below)!  Followed by as much in-town exercise we could get!!  It was a bit overcast, so we decided to head out to Washington Park.  The rose garden was beautiful, as well as the Japanese gardens.  Worth checking out if your ever in the area.  We made it back to the hotel via another food-truck stop, and then it was off on bicycles for the afternoon.  The ultimate goal was to cross over every bridge that connects the cities quadrants.  We were doing A-OK until Andrew got a flat.  Luckily, we were not too far from the hotel for the walk back.  Later that evening it was off to meet Ann Marie and Jon for a lovely dinner and a quick catch up!  I am still disappointed to have missed the wedding, but it was great to spend the evening with them one-on-one!

Portland, Oregon -- Dia Uno!

Andrew and I have been itchy to get out of town. Ok, maybe I tend to be a little more itchy than he! My friend Ann Marie put the bug in our ear! She recently got hitched in Oregon, but we were unable to make the ceremony, so we decided to head out the first chance we got!

 

We were starving by the time we arrived, so we stopped by the food trucks pronto! Of course it was a difficult decision on what to order because everything looked delicious! Andrew went for the Mexican truck, while I hit up the Indian food -- YUMMY!

 

I hope one day we have official bike parking with appropriate signage! We stayed at a great hotel called the Ace Hotel.  It was located in the Pearl District, so super close to everything we needed.  Each room had been decorated by a local artist, a Stumptown Coffee was downstairs, and an old-school photo booth in the lobby.....how could you go wrong??!!

 

Sugar Skulls

Our friends Eric, Alison, and Alex always seem to be up to something fun!!  They were planning on decorating Sugar Skulls.  I didn't know much about it, but didn't want to miss out, and I'm so glad I didn't!!  Tons of fun!!!

Sugar skulls are exactly that!  Sugar mixed with something??? and then put in a mold.  Once dried it is easy to decorate with icing.  I don't think this is something I would want to eat.  Traditionally, sugar skulls are used during Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to remember and honor the memory of  ancestors.

 

Ta-Da!  Our decorated Sugar Skulls!!  A great evening with the DeSilva's & Coyne's!!

Because Once Just Wasn't Enough - Old Rag

 

I just recently did a post about Old Rag, so I won't go into much detail....other than it really has become my numero uno hike in the local area....!!  I just love it there....awesome trail with some awesome scrambling!!   

The leaves are just starting to change....I would give it another couple of weeks before things really start to take off!!

 

The weather couldn't have been any better....Amazing views of the valley below. 

Kira and I had fun messing around with the new panorama feature on the iPhone! It only took us about 10 shots to get it right!!

 

And perhaps my most favorite part of the day -- FOOD!  Kira had not been to Griffin's since she returned from Africa, so of course we filled our belly's with burgers after our trot!  

St. Mary's County Fair

 

I love going to a good fair! So, when Kim Carter said the fair was this weekend, I said I would be there. I have to admit, I was surprised how big this one was!! Animals -- big pink pigs, cross-eyed goats, crazy looking chickens! Vegetables -- cabbage and large pumpkins!! It really doesn't get any better!!

 

They even had my favorite ride -- The Zipper!! I love the way it spins within spins within spins!! Its sooo much fun. We took a turn on the Orbiter, and for the first time in my life, I actually thought I was going to vomit when I got off. The whole experience made me feel old, which made me sorta sad.....Note to self, stick to the zipper!!!

 

One of the many unexpected highlights was the pig race!! Our pig lost, but it was a close second!

 

A huge thank you to Alyssa Carter for inspiring me to take horse-back riding lessons. May I one day ride as well as you!!!   And of course thank you Kim Carter for sharing your life with me!!

For more info on the St. Mary's Count Fair check out this link:

http://somd.com/smcfair/

Reston to Great Falls -- Its so amazing to be getting out again!

So, Kira left for Kenya, and I started my internship program, and it felt like my life had changed forever!!  There has not been a lot time for all the things I enjoy most in life.  Additionally, the summer heat and humidity of DC didn't help with motivation!  But now, Kira is back, at least for a little while, and I have completed my internship, so there is more time!  This trail is so impressive to me!!  It can be difficult to find the trail-head in Reston, but once you do you can travel through the rolling trails for the 13 miles before hitting Great Falls.  Of course my favorite part of the day is eating!!!

Here's the data of the day!!  Enjoy!

Inspiration and Thank You!!!

Brooke Edwards posted this on Facebook, and I felt I needed to document it somewhere in my own personal records.....Brooke, thank you for making such a fabulous video, and for being so amazing yourself!!! And thank you to Kirsten, and ALL of the other people out there that have been such an inspiration to me throughout my life......! You will never be forgotten!!

 

Pioneering Spirit of Alaska Award from Brooke Edwards on Vimeo.

Old Rag - The Best of the Best

Old Rag is my favorite hike in the Shenandoah valley.  Its got everything....great elevation gain, on a great trail, followed by about a mile of awesome rock scrambling to the peak, and an awesome easily trot-able trail down the back side!

I do get bummed out that this trail, to me, is the best of the best here on the East Coast, the trail is often super packed with people, and the two-plus hour drive doesn't win it any points......BITTER PARTY OF ONE......But I'm trying to stay focused on the positives -- at least I have access, and now have a schedule that allows me to get out more often.....(just had to vent, because sometimes venting makes a person feel a little better!).

Andrew had never done this one before, and he certainly had a great time!! Bummer for us when we reached the top, the clouds rolled in, so we didn't get the fabulous views of the Shenandoah Valley below.  Regardless it was an amazing day, and I was super excited to busting out the Houdini!!! Fall is in the air -- enjoy everyone!!

Thievery Corporation, Gogol Bordello, and MICHAEL FRANTI!

I've been a little manic if you haven't noticed.  My first "real" time off since I finished my internship, and with not much of a summer I PACKED it in over the past few days!!  But how could we resist this line up -- Thievery Corporation, Gogol Bordello, and MICHAEL FRANTI!??  And with cooler temps and an outside venue we just had to go!!

My neighbor Kathy rallied, yet again, and joined in the fun (so great to have such a wonderful neighbor)!!!!  We finally took the time and stood in-line for taco's from the Takorean food truck.

  Super yummy!!

I'll be honest, I was pretty worked from the last couple of days....But when I saw Michael Franti make his way towards the back of the crowd, I knew this was my chance!  The next thing I knew Franti was looking down at me, and said, "Come on up!"  And that was exactly what I did!!    

The show was perfect!  Lots of people, yet lots of space.  Great energy, and a great mix of people.....An amazing few days, and hoping for more of the same in the very near future!!

What an amazing way to spend a Saturday morning!

Bruce Springsteen Rocked the House

All I can say is when I'm 62 years old I hope to have 1/2 as much energy, passion and enjoyment for life as this guy has!  It was a sold out show at Nationals Stadium, with people of all ages dancing the night away.  He played my two favorite songs back-to-back - Spirit in the Night & Blinded by the Light....An Album (Greetings from Asbury Park) that everyone should know cover to cover!.  He played over three hours, and continued to play after the stadium lights came on as an indication that is was time to wrap it up!!  (I have recently learned we have curfew's in the area!!)   A great show with GREAT friends!!!

And if your interested,  here is the set list from the night!

1. Set list:

   1. Prove it All Night (with 1978 intro)

   2. My Love Will Not Let You Down

   3 .The Ties That Bind

   4. Hungry Heart

   5. We Take Care Of Our Own

   6. Wrecking Ball

   7. Death To My Hometown

   8. My City Of Ruins

   9. Spirit In The Night

   10. Blinded By The Light (tour premiere)

   11. Jack Of All Trades

   12. Jackson Cage

   13. Shes The One

   14. Johnny 99

   15. Darlington County

   16. Shackled and Drawn

   17. Waitin' On a Sunny Day

   18. The Promised Land

   19 .Racing In The Street

   20. The Rising

   21. Badlands

   22. Land of Hope and Dreams

   End main set

   Encores:

   23. We Are Alive

   24. Thunder Road

   25. Born to Run

   26. Detroit Medley

   27. Dancing in the Dark

   28. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

   29. American Land (with guest Ali Weinberg - Max's daughter - on accordion)

   30. Twist and Shout

The Front-yard Landscaping Project

This project has been on the list since we moved in to our place....and with some motivation from friends telling me how beautiful the flowers looked in their yard, I found the motivation to move forward!

This shot looks like I have a dead body in my front yard!

Luckily for us we live a block and a half from the best hardware store in the world - Fragers!  They even have  little red wagons you can use to haul your supplies home.

Everyone at Fragers is super helpful, which made the picking out plants part super easy!! There are sooo many to choose from!!

Just one more trip and I'll be done!!

Ta-Da!  I've been super happy with the finished project, and I was really surprised how easily it all came together.  Now I just need for it to fill in a bit so I can finish it up!!!

I am Now a NICU Nurse....and behind on my blogposts.

I can with certainty say that I am behind on my blog posts, and being the most confident-non-confident person I know, I can say I am a NICU nurse -- A NICU nurse that still has a lot of learning to do, growth to be had, and the need of more experience under my belt....but I am a NICU nurse, and that makes me smile from ear to ear!

 I won't go into the whole story how this happened, or when it happened -- the whole switching career things. But I will say, it has certainly been a long road (or at least has felt like one). But I did it and very thankful for that. And certainly thankful for all of the support from friends and family of the past and the new ones along the way!

So in the end what do I have to say about it all? In short, sometimes your path is not as easy as you would like for it be.....but don't give up, do the best you can, because in the end it always works out like it should! Keep dreaming and make them come true!

History: Anniversary of 1969 Moon Landing

Just ran across this, and thought it was worthy to post......a reminder of some of the amazing things that have happened over the years!

Food Truck Festival

The food truck rage has certainly hit the DC area!  I have no idea how many different trucks, and types of  food are available, nor do I know how to track them down, but I do know how to hit them all up at one time at The Food Truck Festival!

Big decisions to make when you have so many choices!  I went Indian, as I could not refuse the costumes and enthusiasm the workers had.....However, I think others might have a different take Online Petitions Accuse Fojol Brothers Truck of Racism  (thanks for sharing Kathy!)

 

Kathy, one of my most awesome neighbors, joined us!  We road our bikes over, and spent some time at the new skateboard park.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!!

Lynyrd Skynyrd and a Dream Come True!

I am not really sure how it all started.....I think it had something to do with begging Rod, owner of the Moose's Tooth in AK, to have Lynyrd Skynyrd play a concert on my birthday.....It never happened, but since then they have been on the list of things to make happen!

Andrew surprised me with tickets to a show in a semi outdoor pavilion in Baltimore.  The more we go there the more I fall in love with that place!  We were so glad when Brendan said he wanted to come as we had not seen him in some time......

Of course there was some jumping involved.....how could there not be??  They put on a great show, and of course played all the classics.....Can anyone take a guess as to what the last song might have been??

 

Hope everyone guessed Freebird!!  An awesome night of people watching, food at Nacho Mamma's, and a water taxi ride!!  Doesn't get much better than that!

Kira's Lake House Weekend

It was an AMAZING weekend, with AMAZING people....We packed it all in --  boating, cooking, water skiing, and some good old fashion chilling!  Super nice to get out of town, exciting to get on water skis, and really nice to spend some time with some really great people.  Looking forward to Kira getting back from Africa so we can do it all again!!!

Ito Jakuchu - Bird & Flower Silk Scroll Paintings

Ito Jakuchu in 1755 devote himself exclusively to Zen meditation and painting. He spent nearly a decade on the scrolls and once said that it would take 200 years for his works to be understood.  Each of the 30 scrolls was very different from the next -  a mix of peonies, butterflies, roosters, octopus, and fish. The detail just amazing!

The exhibit was held at the National Gallery of Art - "Colorful Realm of Living Beings."   I found the exhibit incredibly beautiful, inspiring, and meditative.  Certainly something I could have looked at for hours, and still not have take it all in.....!

Just Another Run in the Hood!

I have not blogged much about living on The Hill and that should really change ('The Hill" is local slang for saying you live in the area known as Capitol Hill).  The other day I was out on my usual run and decided to take some photos and thought it was worthy enough to blog about.....!

  My run is basically a square - over one bridge, turn right run straight,turn right over second bridge, turn right run straight, and you are back where you started.  The shot above was taken from the other side of the river.  Pretty good shot of the Navy Yards and the big ship that is housed there.

They have built up the water front area, and did an amazing job!  The turtles are digging it too!

This was an unusual scene that I just happened to run across, and of course had to stop and check it out!  Interesting music was playing while these girls splashed around in the water.  Later to find out they were acting out a local love story.  I didn't stick around to the end, but was impressed with how many people turned out to watch.

And of course, the men in uniform that are practicing for the Friday Night Parade....which certainly will be a future blog post all of its own!!! 

 There you go!  Highlights of my local in-town run!!!!

Maurice Sendak 1928 - 2012

Where the Wild Things Are will forever be one my favorite books!  

Thank you for letting my imagination run wild and helping me to build the creative energy I feel within!

“There must be more to life than having everything.”

Maurice Sendak