DC Trip

A couple of weekends ago I got to go to DC and be in the wedding of my wonderful friend Jenee. The two of us met while studying abroad in Uruguay and have been friends ever since. I was so honored to be in her wedding and to meet her new husband. The wedding was so beautiful and everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Here we are together making our excited faces!

And here are the bridesmaids with Jenee!

Since the wedding was in DC and I had not been there since 3rd grade, I decided to make a fun trip out of it and my mom joined me! We had a great time and saw as many sites as possible in one day, 2 days before the inauguration of Obama. The city was crazy and it was so fun and full of energy!

One day we went downtown to sight see but we were so unbelievably cold that we wimped out and went into a museum that turned out to be really neat. We visited the American History museum and saw some great exhibits on Lincoln, cooking shows, advancements in technology, the Star Spangled Banner- the song and the flag, and one of my favorites, the Inauguration dresses of the first ladies.

This was the dress Laura Bush wore

Here I am in front of the Washington Monument. It's so huge! Look how tiny I look!

The WWII Memorial was a new addition to the Mall area of monuments and I was really looking forward to seeing it. It was beautifully constructed and had many interesting elements to it that I really appreciated. Each state has its own column with a wreath above it. My mom go to take a picture in front of Oklahoma for my grandpa who fought in the war.

I wasn't sure if you were supposed to smile when posing in front of a war memorial...so I did a half smile.

From the WWII Memorial you can see the Lincoln Memorial, which I really wanted to visit but we could not get very close. You see, we were downtown on Sunday, the day of the huge concert, and guess what was the stage. The Lincoln Memorial! We got as close as we could but thousands of people and many many fences stood in our way of getting anywhere near it. We actually did not stay for the concert because it was stinkin' cold and by the time we got done seeing the sites we were tired. So we went home and watched the concert on TV in the warmth of our hotel room. There were more monuments in this area than I even realized. So because of the major ones being shut down we saw some of the not-so-major ones, including Roosevelt. Did you know that Roosevelt was the only president to serve more than 2 terms? He was also handicapped and part of the memorial highlighted that and the differences he made for handicapped people. He also helped start up a lot of jobs to provide for the American people and build up our country. Nothing like a trip to DC to realize how little I know about American history.

Here I am waiting in line for food

We also got a chance to go to the Jefferson Memorial which was so beautiful inside and out and gave honor to him and his writing of the Declaration of Independence.
Our last stop was the Capitol Building. We could not go inside but we got to see it being set up for the Inauguration with thousands of chairs (perfectly lined up), thousands of port-a-potties, huge TV screens and beautiful flags as decoration. Although we did not get to stay for the Inauguration it was a really interesting way to see the city. A way that I will probably never see again.

So the trip was really great and my mom and I had a good time together. The wedding was really nice and fun to reconnect with Jenee. Our adventures around the city were great too, especially figuring out how to manage the Metro. All subway systems are a little different so that made it exciting too.

Cheers to McDonalds for giving us a place to warm up

Friends Connections

I know the TV show Friends has been off air for quite a while now but it is still very much a part of my life. That totally makes me sound like a loser, but hear me out and maybe you can relate. Have you ever watching a TV show so much and known it so well that when you experience things in your own life, certain moments or episodes pop into your mind?

Here's an example. Tonight I was with some friends and us girls were in the kitchen. One of them dropped a very sharp knife on the floor, very close to her foot and it made us both yelp a bit. This experience made me think of the Friends episode where Monica actually does drop a knife onto Chandler's foot and it cuts his baby toe off! Understand what I mean now?

It seems strange and very dorky that I relate my life to a TV show but it is amazing how many people do it. I have numerous friends who can do the same thing with Friends, Seinfeld and/or LOST. LOST reference pops into my head it is not because of something I have experienced (because LOST is a pretty crazy show) but more something connected to the show like talking about polar bears, the philosopher John Locke or winning the lottery. I have done this type of thing with all three, but probably Friends the most since I have been watching it the longest.

Another example everyone can remember experiencing is when a friend tells you the end of a book or a movie and it makes you so mad and then they try to tell you it didn't happen that way. There is an episode where Rachel is reading The Shining and Joey Little Women and they end up going back and forth, spoiling big plot lines for each other.

I think another reason this connection happens with Friends more (and probably Seinfeld too but I just don't know it as well) is because of how the show revolves around people who are pretty normal and do regular things, it is just a little more extreme and in a very funny way. It is very easy to relate to. Sometimes this relatedness happens the opposite way. For example, making a game out of throwing wet paper towels at the wall to make them stick...a game Joey and Rachel play.

One last example I can relate to is in the episode when no one is ready and Joey and Chandler go back and forth with each other about the chair because one time theBFF stole all my underwear so to get her back I did the opposite and put on everything she owned...and then did lunges. Haha, just kidding, that didn't really happen to me.

New Addiction

Thanks to some of my good friends, I now have a new addiction called Steep and Cheap. Ever heard of it? It's a website that every 30 min. or less has a new item on sale. Only that one item is on sale and it is only available for that short amount of time before a new item comes up. Not only do you watch what people are buying you can see how many people are online (currently 13,574), how many are being sold and their sell rate.

The items being sold all fall under the umbrella of outdoor gear and clothing. They range from hiking boots, to t-shirts, to pocket knives, to sunglasses, to backpacks, and the list goes on.

The hunt is on for me to find a rain jacket. My goal is to have a good one by June when our team goes to Chile...where it rains a lot. The only problem is I am usually too chicken to buy things online...especially clothing. I am afraid it won't fit right or I won't like it and then I will have to pay to ship it back. I guess it might be worth it if I found the perfect one because some items are on sale for up to like 80% off. That is an amazing deal!

So now, if you ever find me on my computer, chances are this website will be up. Who knows, maybe you can help me make a decision about to buy or not to buy.

Slumdog Millionaire

I saw an amazing movie this weekend. So good that I can say it is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. So good that I went out and bought the soundtrack afterward, which I never do. So good that I cannot stop thinking about it. So good that I cannot wait to see it again! This is an owner.

I will admit that I am not a tough movie critic. If the movie entertains me, makes me laugh, or cry and is not too awful to watch then I will say I liked it. Having said that, this movie is actually worth raving about. I am not just saying that because I heard all these amazing things about it and know in which places to say "ooo" and "ahh," because I didn't. When the BFF and I went I had heard of it but was not interested. I had no idea what it was about and the title sounded strange. I also knew it had some award buzz around it and typically I do not like the movies that win the awards, not always, but typically. So I went in having low expectations and came out completely won over by the storyline and the visual picture.

I do not want to give the movie away because I had no idea what it was about or the interesting way the story was told, so I wont. You can watch the trailer below, but I think the less you know the better. I will say it is sent in Mumbai, India and I just learned it was actually filmed on the streets of Mumbai which makes it even more real. It is a love story but a magical one that in real life would be impossible (unless you believe in destiny of course), but one you wanted to succeed so that at least one thing could go right in the lives of these amazing children.

I have never been to India, but I felt like I was there. The poverty was overwhelming, the people were beautiful, there was a struggle between Muslims and Hindus, etc. The movie also portrayed the vibrant colors of the Indian life. Their clothes and buildings were bright and beautiful. These colors along with the heart pounding, exciting, music just made for a wonderful time for my senses! If only they had smells....well some of them at least. Side note- wouldn't that be so interesting if one day movies had smells to go along with what was happening in the movie instead of the delicious popcorn smell!!! Someone should invent that. Go!

Anyway, if I have not said it enough I LOVED the movie and anyone should go see it who wants to be moved. I could go on and on but I do not want to ruin it for you. If possible see it on the big screen because this is one movie it would make a difference in, but if not wait till you can rent it. My only complaint is that when they spoke English it was hard for me to understand and I would have rather read all of it in subtitles, but I just always have trouble understanding accents.

Slumdog Millionaire - Trailer

10 Days

As you may have noticed on my blog before, I really like the show LOST. I could list the things that I like about it and I could even try and convince you how fascinating it is, but I'm not. I just finished re-watching Season 4 in preparation for the upcoming season. I got Season 4 for Christmas and wanted to have it finished before school starts. I have been successful in this mission because school starts tomorrow and I have even watched the bonus DVD's! I knew that if I had LOST to watch that there would not be much studying going on. Plus the new season starts in 10 DAYS so I needed to finish soon anyways. I really enjoyed watching this second time and I noticed at thought about a lot of things that had never crossed my mind.

I really have no clue what is going to happen in this season besides the few things I have seen in the previews but whatever happens it looks awesome. The creators have done such a good job of getting me hooked and attached to the characters that I just cannot wait to see what happens next. I did not begin watching the show at its very beginning but ever since I began I have never wavered. I sound like such a dork, but do you know my favorite part about watching LOST? Having LOST watching parties! I do not just mean parties for the season premiers and finales but every week! LOST brings people together.

Many times, the BFF has traveled to Abilene to watch with me because it is so much more fun to watch with someone else than alone (and its kinda scary too). I remember in undergrad squeezing into the BFF's bed and watching together always wondering if we should turn the lights on so we would not be so scared. And then there were the many cold hours spent on the couches under piles of blankets, snuggling with our feet warmers and watching episode after episode.

I remember meeting at Jeremy's house as a team and watching it all together with his roommates and whoever else decided to show up that night. I remember the night the Lukkasons arrived and we hardly turned our heads to welcome them before focusing back on the show. Sounds rude I know, but now they are hooked and totally understand. I remember one night last spring when none of our TV's were working well and we were calling back and forth in a panic seeing whose was the best of the worst with only a few min. to spare. Fun times yall!

So it is not just a TV show. It is a fun thing to do with your friends and then talk about later. It is so hilarious to walk into class and yell and get excited with classmates about the episode from the night before with someone else covering their ears and yelling that they had not seen it yet. Great memories because of a dorky, but awesome show!

Cant wait till next Wed!!!

Dee: Pro Knitter

As stated before, I am going to tell you about my biggest accomplishment of the Christmas break. It will be obvious by the pictures very quickly that I knitted a scarf! This is my first time to knit and all the credit goes to my amazing sister-in-law Shannon. She was very patient and helped me pick out my yarn and untangled my messes.

I do not think of myself as a crafty person and I never had a huge desire to knit but I have never been able to find the perfect scarf so I decided to make my own. I wanted one that was a neutral color that could match anything since I wear lots of colors and something thick and warm that I could wrap around my face when I ride my bike. So the process began.

After I forgave Shannon for trying to kill me with a knitting needle (see pic) the teaching process began. It was actually more fun than I thought it would be. It was pretty easy (except for when I messed up of course :)) and kinda relaxing. I knitted it in about a week and it has tassels and everything! Check it out!

I am super happy with the way it turned out and cannot wait for it to get cold again so I can wear it. I am so proud! Maybe I will become crafty! Maybe I will start a knitting business! Maybe I will open a knitting store!!! Maybe not. It sure was fun though. :) Thanks for your help Shan!

So now I am back in town from a wonderful break. I do not really feel like going into all the details but I will share a few moments in another post maybe.

Sugar Peas

I am going to ease myself back into the blogging world by saying that it is an exciting day in Abilene when I can find sugar peas in the local grocery store. He probably does not remember this but here is a shout out to Colorado Jeremy for introducing them to me. Thanks friend!

Stay tuned to find out what my biggest accomplishment of the Christmas break was! Coming soon to a blog near you.