While I'm Waiting...

I have been saving all of my pictures and stories for a while now because I knew I was going to have a 4 hour layover in Houston on my way home and would need something to keep me from going CRAZY. Lucky for you, that time has come.

Let's see... first there was Janine and Emily's combined birthday party. Jessica made home-made donuts and Melissa hosted. I don't remember much about the evening because I was in a sugar coma.




Then I went to a luncheon about Germany in Afghanistan at the Hotel Washington downtown and there was a great view of the White House.



Next I went with a friend from work, Constance, to see the festival of lights at the Washington DC temple. The lights are beautiful and we were able to attend a hand bell choir concert. I am absolutely AMAZED at the hand bell players. You have to have such perfect rhythm and concentration! It was fabulous!





On the 16th I celebrated my birthday. I went with friends to the Cheesecake factory. I got chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake and was barely able to eat 5 bites. It was so rich but SO GOOD! Then the day after both Kami and Jessica made me birthday cakes and many of my friends came by to wish me well.

Jessica lit one candle for each year... we almost burned the house down!

Action shot! As you can see, there really was a ton of smoke...

Last Friday I met up with Jessica and Genevieve in DC and we went to see the national Christmas tree. We high-tailed it out of the city around 6, went to dinner in Shirlington, and then headed home to watch "A Boyfriend for Christmas". We made it home just in time, because by the time the movie was over, there was already a nice coating of snow outside.

The national Christmas tree and the White House

Texas vs. Utah - I'm sure you know who won

This is the Texas Christmas tree. Notice the yellow roses for ornaments!

That brings me to the "Winter Storm of 2009" or the "Winter Wallop", if you will. (I love how the weather channel names these things) Starting Friday night and lasting until early Sunday morning we had non-stop snow. The flakes were all really tiny so I was amazed at how quickly they turned into 15 inches of snow!!







Jessica and I were feeling cooped up, so we ventured out into the snow early Saturday afternoon and walked over to the Giant across the street to buy eggnog, hazelnut creamer for our hot chocolate, butter, and eggs. You know, all the essentials. On the way back from the store we found a prime piece of "snow-angel" land, so we sat our groceries in a snow bank and made snow angels. After that, we could not be stopped. We walked around the complex and threw snowballs at each other, our neighbors, and several windows and doors and we got into a snow ball/snow arm full fight with Kurt. I just want to say that I have REALLY good aim with a snowball.

Jessica's Snow Angel

Jenny's Snow Angel

The rest of Saturday was spent in doors and then Sunday church was cancelled, so I also spent the day in doors. I am pretty sure I have seen every Christmas movie and special ever filmed. By the time Monday rolled around I was ready to get out of the house, so I accompanied Jessica on some errands and then tried to shovel the snow in front of the garage door, which the landlords apparently didn't think they needed to worry about, but which was causing some major problems. It just felt good to get out of the house! I love snow when it is falling and just after it has fallen, but then it looses its charm and just becomes annoying and gross. My car was completely buried by the snow, so I just left it there and I figure that by the time I get back home, it will be free again... I hope.

This is just the beginning. The snow plows went through and piled all the snow from the road up against the driver's side of the car and the street shoveller piled snow on the passenger's side. You literally couldn't even see my car. Jessica was super nice and at least brushed the snow off the top.

Now I am in Houston - no snow and a balmy 61 degrees! I love Texas!! Merry Christmas!!

NYC: Take III

I was very fortunate to be able to go up to New York earlier this month for work to help out with a conference and our annual fundraiser gala. For those of us in the German Studies community (I love the idea that I am part of that!), these last few months have been focused on celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. I have really enjoyed the opportunity that my job has afforded me to meet (or at least be in the same room as) many of the crucial decision makers and academics who were involved in these events in history. I was also able to go to a forum at the State Department this last week on the Fall of the Berlin Wall, which was an equally rich experience.

At any rate, I also had the chance to walk around and enjoy NYC before my train left, so I just wanted to share a few pictures and thoughts with you from that.

So first, here is how I did my hair for the gala and how the ballroom looked - this is for my mom. :) Just imagine me contorting myself and the camera in my hotel room to try and get a good shot of the back of my head. I snapped like 20 pictures and these were the best ones... and they aren't that great.

My co-worker Jessica took this blurry... I mean ARTSY picture for me. :)

On our last day in NYC, our meeting ended at around 11:30 and my train left at 7... giving me about 7 hours to walk around the city with a full and heavy backpack and my monstrous purse... I really enjoyed myself, but I think it is a lot more fun when you have someone there with you....


I LOVE Rockefeller Center (why can't all buildings be art deco?) and I love 30 Rock, so I had to snap a few shots of my favorite parts of the building/area.

They were already decorating for Christmas all over the city and
Christmas music was playing in all the buildings!

Next time I came to New York, I WILL see Wicked. I know all the songs by heart, but have never actually seen the musical. I started the book, but got bored part way through. I hear the musical is totally captivating, though!




I have been to NYC twice before, so this time I wanted to do something new - go to the top of the Empire State Building. It costs $20 to get up there, but I figured it was worth it - it will enhance my viewing experience whenever I watch An Affair to Remember or Sleepless in Seattle.

This is me after walking around for about 4 hours.
Just imagine how disheveled I looked when I got home!!

Finally, before I left, I went to Macy's. I seriously LOVE it there... I'm pretty sure it's what heaven will be like. My favorite thing there is the wooden escalators. It just makes me feel like I am transported back in time and I can almost hear Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue playing while hurried shoppers rush around me! I am so glad they kept them! I may or may not have gone up and down twice... hey, I don't get there that often...



For my last two NYC blogs, see here and here!

Autumn Bliss

For some reason, Mother Nature really had it out for me this month. I wanted to do all these fantastic things: go apple picking, go camping, spend the weekend in the Shenandoah, and take pictures at Arlington Cemetery. All my plans were foiled because it rained EVERY SINGLE Saturday in October. Anyone who knows me, though, knows that I am stubborn. There was one beautiful Sunday this month, so a few friends and I took off after church and headed up to Skyline drive for a Sunday drive and then some other sisters in the ward and I braved the misty Halloween morning to take some fall pictures at Arlington Cemetery. The joke's on you Mother Nature - I got my fall fun in after all!! Here are some pictures specifically intended to make you want to come visit me next fall:

SKYLINE DRIVE

Three of the most amazing girls joined me on my Sunday Drive - Ashley, Jessica, and Melissa.


We thought that a Sunday drive was the best idea ever, which it was, but everyone else and their grandmother had the same idea, which meant that the lines at the bathrooms on skyline drive were pretty long...


We channeled our inner children for this trip by eating PBJ and drinking juice from boxes.






Pondering the mysteries of the universe...



When the sun finally went down and we had to leave, everyone was really disappointed...


...So we decided to get together a few days later and share pictures. To add to the festive autumn mood, we had pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, and fresh bread for dinner!




ARLINGTON CEMETERY








After all this picture taking, Jessica and I needed a break, so we stopped at Dairy Godmother for some Pumpkin flavored frozen custard with oatmeal crisp topping - BEST TREAT EVER!! It's like fall in your mouth!

Happy Halloween!

I was running an errand for work today and saw the following scene on the north side of DuPont Circle:

It is good to see that even the DC road workers are in the Halloween spirit!

Story of my life...

I LOVE this new song by Michael Buble! Isn't he amazing?!

It has begun!

The first trees are just starting to change at the tips of their branches. I am getting so excited! Fall comes several weeks later in the city, so out in the Shenandoahs the trees should be reaching the peak of their colors this weekend and the next. I am planning a camping trip with some friends, so let's hope the weather holds up!