Day 223: Working on (not for) the weekend

I'm glad I love my job so that I don't mind that much needing to work this weekend. (I didn't have to, I just think it might make my coming week slightly less hectic.) This morning I dragged myself out of bed and to Cosi to do work work. I also had my first non-Starbucks caramel apple cider. As Starbucks only has this delightful drink seasonally, I only get it a few months of the year. Until now, since it appears Cosi has it year round. This could be bad. Very bad. Especially as they also have the option of caramel hot chocolate, which was my weakness in London. Oh yes, this will be very bad.

Day 222: Fun in the Sun

After a thoroughly exhausting week, it was nice to just be able to sit for a bit, and read by the Washington Monument. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and would have been a crime to stay inside.

Day 221: After a long, arduous, boring four-year wait...

...they are here! The Olympics are here! (As is a certain Aunt's birthday. Happy b-day Shannon!)

Of all the obsessions I write about in this blog, this is one of my oldest and fiercest loves. So proud am I of my Olympic devotion, I don't even call it a nerdy obsession. It's not nerdy or dorky, it's AWESOME. To kick off this year's Olympic season, my fellow Olympic fiend friend, Elizabeth, came over. I provided "international" appetizers for a mini-Olympic party as we watched the Opening Ceremonies. I tired to represent every continent, even if my interpretation of their food was often quite loose. It was still fun and a great way to kick off the next two week!

USA cookies, which prompted one of my favorite quotes of the night, from E: "I don't want to eat the 'Bronze' one, I feel like it won't be as good." My cookies, complete with USA, medals (G, S, B) and favorite events. And yes, that is an interlocking NC for UNC in the corner. Lots of alums in the games, after all!

The spread, as follows:
United Kingdom: English toffee
Brazil: Chips and salsa
China: Chinese noodles and mixed vegetables
Switzerland: Swiss cheese spread
Greece: Olives
Iraq: Hummus and pita bread
USA: Cookies
South Africa: Wine
Australia: Shrimp (on the barbie) (Not pictured because I didn't make it for fear of making too much. But considering all the food and the fact that it was just the two of us, we still devoured quite a lot, and probably could have handled the shrimp too.)

Elizabeth posing.

Day 220: Wino

In London, on more than one occasion, and strictly as part of my job, I had to buy multiple bottles of champagne before 10 in the morning. I also had to purchase mass quantities of wine once for a party. But, I've never bought a bottle of wine for myself, but now I have, when I bought two bottles, one red and one white, of South African wine at Harris Teeter. The reason for which will be clear for tomorrow's new post.

And how did I decide which ones to buy? Two important factors. One: the cheapest. Two: the prettiest labels. (Who wouldn't buy wine with a purple giraffe on it?!)

Day 219: A Streetcar Named...?

It is shaping up to be a lovely week here, not too hot for once, making being outside a relatively pleasant experience. Tonite my friend Elizabeth met me in Alexandria, where we had dinner and then sat by the waterfront, discussing among other things, Feminism, Communism, and our mutual LOVE and obsession for the Olympics. We then took the free trolley from the waterfront to the metro. Nice night all around.

Day 218: Hardly a ladder for success

Some days merely trying a new thing, even if I don't succeed, is still a new thing. Like today, for instance, when I spent a half an hour trying to make a Jacob's ladder out of string. I kept getting my pinkies tied up and my thumbs nearly out of joint trying to go over and under the index finger. Ahhh! Thank goodness Jacob wasn't relying on me for a ladder, because mine was more like One-eyed Bob's Path to Nowhere.

Day 217: "Des mots, des mots, des mots." (William Shakespeare)

On one of the many blogs I read, they mentioned a new creative tool for word-lovers, Wordle. Being a word lover myself - cliched, yes, but true - I immediately checked it out. You can enter any text you like and it will generate "word clouds," and change the size of words according to their frequency. Then you can either randomize or customize yourself. Tonite, taking other people's texts, I created and shared my own Wordles. And found a new addiction in the process.

First, the lyrics to "Learning to Fly," by Tom Petty, and where the title of this blog comes from.
The lyrics to one of my favorite U2 songs, "Stuck in a Moment."And finally, I have a document on my computer full of UNC quotes that I've collected over the years, and that I still add to. Here it all is in a word cloud. (Select to make bigger.)

Day 216: Happy half birthday (and a bit more) to me!

My favorite holiday, and my favorite day of the year, is my birthday. I know, so humble of me. Sadly, as this takes place on the first day of the year, everything is downhill from there. But thanks to the miracle of a Coldstone ice cream cake, I got to relive the joy of my b-day all over again, when I ate some of my birthday cake seven months later. (It was supposed to be on July 1, my official half-birthday, but I was home then.)
Sadly, it tasted more like freezer burn, and less like chocolatey caramel goodness. That's what I get for living in the past.

Day 215: Wax on, wax off

Ok, as lame as this subject is, is how AWESOME the D.C. Wax Museum is, which Karey and I ventured too for the first time today. If you are a history nerd or celebrity nerd or just a nerd, which Karey and I totally are, this place is for you. A sampling of the fun we had, all courtesy of K since my camera's batteries died.

Giving some tips to Robert E. Lee.
Attempting to take a bullet for President Lincoln. Only I kept giggling. I'm just not cut out for Secret Service, sorry Abe.Don't let the grin fool you, it was a tough interrogation. For Hoover.
Me and George. Sigh.Preview of things to come?
Yeah, it had to be done.
I also played press secretary and gave the evil eye to Yoko, while Karey mocked Tom Cruise and hung out with Churchill. And of course we both got FIERCE with Tyra. Just another Saturday in the city.

Day 214: Mamma mia, here I go again.

To say au revoir to this hellish week, I went and saw "Mamma Mia!" It was the perfect light and funny and drama-free antidote. The music made me want to dance in the aisles, if I danced in public, which I don't. But I did dance when I got home, with my iPod in like in the iPod commercials, to "Dancing Queen" and "Gimme Gimme." I've never danced to Abba and I've never danced with my iPod in. And I've never danced for about six minutes straight, quite the workout.