The drama of the sod

My back yard is rather small. But, for a Hill yard, it's large and I have GRASS. Well, I have the potential for grass. For a few years Mr. Bunny and I have attempted to seed. Seed goes down in late spring and we water, water, water. We have some good looking grass (a little on the delicate side) until about July. Then it is just too hot to sustain the little seedling sprouts.

I decided that this year, I'd take the easy way out...sod. I have to say, 3 days in it looks GREAT. The entire back yard has been transformed. It looks awesome. How long it will last is a guess, but I'm going to give it the old college try.

It is really fun to just go out and sit on the grass. It's also really fun to allow small children to crawl around on CLEAN grass. Not like that iffy grass at Lincoln Park...

Next project, the garden!

Traffic laws are our friend.

I love driving. Really. It's probably because I don't do it very much. My commute is very short and I live in the city so I walk everywhere. Ok, well everywhere but work.

Anyway.

I love traffic laws. Really. I wish everyone would obey them. They are there for your safety people. If everyone follows the traffic laws then no one gets run over. Also, they make for an orderly and safe commute.

I'm serious.

For example... Constitution has 4 lanes. By the Capitol during rush hour it changes to 3:1 lanes either way depending on rush hour. During the evening rush there are 3 lanes headed East and one lane headed West. There is also a NO LEFT TURN sign on the corner of 1st NE and Constitution. I cannot tell you how many cabbies DAILY just ignore the red neon sign as well as the posted metal sign with specific directions that you cannot turn left between 4:30-6:30 and turn left anyway!!!

You wouldn't think this would create a problem. BUT IT DOES. Because there is only one late coming west, the cabbies have to wait until all the cars have passed to turn left (illegally). Thus completely negating the benefit of the 3rd east-bound lane!!! IT DRIVES ME NUTS.

I'm going to write the city and help them understand the hundreds of millions of dollars which they could make by installing one tiny little traffic camera on the corner of 1st NE and Constitution.

Seriously people, follow the traffic laws. And this includes you cyclists!!! If you don't follow the traffic laws, no complaining about gettin' run over.

Going somewhere?

I hate unpacking. I try to avoid it at any cost. I was in Utah for three weeks (lovely time had by all) and I've been home since Sunday...

My luggage is still sitting (open) on the chair in my room. I figure I'll just use it as a supplemental drawer, but not put anything back in it...

It will be empty eventually, probably.

Too busy to post...doing yoga

So in the last 30 days I have been to hot yoga 17 times... in my book that is a lot of yoga. I'm getting better and I really enjoy sweating like a banshee. I still haven't found a way to keep the sweat from dripping in my eyes during the rabbit pose, but I guess there are worse things in life.

Hot Yoga - take two

I went with my fabulous actress friend this morning for another go at Bikram. And all that hog wash about hot yoga not being that hot...I take it all back.

I'm not sure what happened this morning, but somewhere in between tree pose and rabbit whatever that is, I got really light headed. I was either going to puke or pass out. I decided that passing out during a yoga class is more mortifying than walking out in the middle of one, so I walked out.

This makes me very grumpy on a few levels. First, this wasn't my first class. I did fine on Halloween! Second, I am a very competitive person and really like to push myself physically. I guess technically I did push myself and I suppose I should take comfort that I know my limits...I guess.

I cooled off a little and went back in as everyone looked at me and secretly thought 'man, she's a wuss' (I just KNOW it). But at least I went back in, I guess...

So, like any good masochist, I'm going back tomorrow, if anyone wants to join.

Oh, and btw...Lady Gaga has been to my yoga studio. That's nifty.

Hot Yoga... the review

Short: stinky, but very relaxing and purifying. Two thumbs up.

Long: I showed up at the studio with my face towel and water. The instructor took one look at my towel and said, 'you're going to need a bigger towel'. Reminded me of Jaws. Anyway, I put all of my shiz in my locker and went in the room. Holy stinky batman. I guess you just can't have 20 people in a room over and over again sweating all over the place and not have a stinky room. Yuck.

I put my mat down and my rented (1 dollar) towel and prepared for the worst. I was thinking it would be like a sauna. I enjoy a good schvitz but they get awfully hot and constricting after 20 minutes or so. I was thinking I would have the same feeling during yoga. But the room wasn't that hot. I mean, it's hot, don't get me wrong, but I never felt like I couldn't breathe. The instructor said the goal for the new people was to stay in the room for the entire class.

The class was actually pretty basic as far as yoga goes. It's not really safe to do a head stand with sweaty arms, eh. The stretching was good and because it is super warm and you are very relaxed, you get a good stretch.

One downside, you don't wear a lot of clothes in hot yoga. This seems great, kind of like being a massage therapist... but you don't really want to see everyone mostly naked. The man in front of me for example, I would have appreciated is flexibility if he would have been wearing a shirt...somehow the back hair threw off my chi. But on the up side, you really aren't paying so much attention to the other folks in the room.

I'm happy I went, and I'll go again. The class is 90 minutes and while I'm not sure it's the cardio fix I usually go for, it's definitely a good use of time. After all, I do like to sweat.

HOT YOGA

So.

90 minutes of strange contortions in 105 degrees with 40% humidity... sounds like fun, right?

Maybe.

I'll let you know.

Bikram Yoga

Touristas

My niece and my brother came to town last weekend. My niece is 14 and this was the first time she'd been to DC. My brother has been her a few times and is pretty good with directions. Even messed up DC directions.

As happens when family, friends etc come to town. I did a lot of walking around and visiting places I only go when family, friends etc come to town.

Why is that? Why don't I take outings to see the Jefferson Monument on random Saturday afternoons? How come I don't go and get myself Astronaut ice cream for dessert on Tuesdays? Don't you think it's odd that you live in a city you don't really see unless you are showing it to someone else? We went to all the monuments, had a rock star tour of the Pentagon, they saw the Capitol and we went to the National Aquarium (no, not the one in Baltimore - that one is supposedly awesome. We went to the one in the basement of the Commerce Dept. Let's just say, I think PetSmart has a better selection of fish.). I even took them to Dupont Circle and we put our feet in the fountain.

It's nice to see my city. I do love DC. I kind of think I should get out more. I think I would, but there are just too many tourists wandering around.

The Bento Box/Bowl

I went to Ten Penh for lunch. Generally, I am a fan of Ten Pen. I am not Asian nor do I know traditional or authentic Asian food, but for my money Ten Pen (whatever it is) is tasty.

The server sold me on the special - a shrimp/noodle and lobster bento box with mango sticky rice. Admittedly, I have never had a bento box before. According to urban legend (and my Asian friend) they are supposed to be an entire meal in a box which gives you just enough in the way of portions to do the trick. I figured I'd give it a go.

It was ok. My Asian friend said they are supposed to be simple, and mine was very involved. Also, he had beef with the mango sticky rice for dessert. I guess you aren't supposed to have dessert in your bento box.

Also, my bento box wasn't actually in a box, it was in a bowl...curious...

It's official - I'm a Washingtonian

I've lived in the DC area for 8 years now. I've been in the city proper for 6, but something has kept me from truly being a Washingtonian; my dentist.

For the past 8 years I have made visits to my dentist in Utah. I've been going to him since I was 12. It just made sense to go to the dentist twice a year on my trips back to Utah.

Well, the cycle has been broken.

The past few trips back to Utah have been crazy or cut short due to snowmageddon Part 1. Put it all together and it has been more than a year since I've had my teeth cleaned - ewe.

I finally decided that it was time.

So yesterday, I headed downtown and had myself a good cleaning. It was great. All the nice ladies were very helpful. The technician was uber fab and the dentist was even pretty cool.

I have to go back in May to have a filling redone, but other than that, it was a very lovely experience. And now, I can truly say I am a Washingtonian. (Well that, and maybe getting in an accident in a cabbie would REALLY seal the deal, but honestly, I can skip that one.)

All we like sheep.

For my birthday celebration (otherwise known as Birthmass because of the proximity to Christmas) I went with Mr. Bunny to see Handel's Messiah at the Kennedy Center.

The National Symphony Orchestra and Washington Choral did a great job. I learned a few things about Handel's Messiah and thought I'd share.

1. The Messiah is actually 53 individual numbers. It is rare to hear all 53 sections and Handle himself picked and chose among the sections for different occasions. (Our performance took about 2 and a half hours.)

2. Is there a "real" Messiah. Nope, any way you cut it, you get the Messiah. Even Handel mixed it up.

3. When the Messiah premiered in Dublin, the proceeds went to three charitable organizations. This is why if you go to hear the Messiah at the NSO there are volunteers from the Capital Area Food Bank taking donations. (I knew I liked that Handel fellow.)

You just learn something new every day, now don't you?

Merry Christmas.

Snow

Ok, so it did actually snow.
I'm pretty impressed actually.
More on the snow after I go shovel.

East Coast Wussies

This is why I love the East Coast.

Because of a snow storm, which hasn't happened... and "20 inches" of snow, which has yet to drop, my flight to Utah tomorrow morning has been cancelled and the whole city is rushing to the Safeway for eggs and milk.

It is hilarious. HILARIOUS.

EAST COAST WUSSIES.

Society and the people who live in it.

If you go to your pantry, I'm going to bet that there is food on the shelves. Perhaps not food you want to eat, or will ever eat at that matter, but food. So many people don't have this luxury.

Sometimes society is all wrong.

Kids should have two parents (of any sex) and they should be married. People should not have babies they can't feed and there should not be incentives for having more kids. Teenagers should be taught where babies come from and be given condoms if they still want to have sex. Kids should have books so they can learn to read and they should have teachers who want to teach and are given all the tools they need to do so. People should not sleep on the streets. That homeless person sleeping on the street is someones kid, mother, uncle or brother. We should take care of them.

If you have food in your pantry, find someone who doesn't and help.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Gandhi

Me, Spike and a Mini Moo

Picture it, Good Stuff Eatery, friday lunch... The line is out the door.

I walk in and order my Farmhouse burger, village snack fry and chocolate mini moo. I wait outside with my friend with my buzzer. The buzzer goes off and I walk in, but forget my receipt with the order number.

And then...

Me: (Internal dialogue) "well that is random, Spike is at the end of the line expediting burgers."
Me: (Aloud to Spike handing him my buzzer) "er, I forgot my receipt and order number."
Spike: "Um, it's ok, I know everything around here" followed by a saucy grin.
Me: (Trying not to sound like a complete idiot and handing over my buzzer) "Right..."

And so went lunch.

Lincoln's Cottage

There is so much history in DC and you miss it unless you really pay attention. So on Saturday I went up to Lincoln's Cottage. I had no idea Lincoln even had a cottage. I thought he just hung out at the White House and saved the union.

Apparently not.


"During the Civil War, President Lincoln and his family resided seasonally (June – November 1862-64) at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC. Founded in 1851 as a home for retired and disabled veterans of American wars, the Soldiers’ Home stood on 250 acres atop the third highest area in the District of Columbia. Like President Buchanan before him, Lincoln enjoyed the cool breezes and refreshing peace of the Soldiers’ Home just over three miles north of downtown. But unlike his predecessor, Lincoln could not escape the Civil War and his burden of leadership even at this seasonal retreat."

They wouldn't let me take pictures inside the cottage because clearly it is very old and flash photography isn't so good for whatever. Honestly, there wasn't much furniture in the cottage. They don't have very good records about the furnishings and they wanted to be factually accurate, thus they left it pretty much empty. So the pictures wouldn't be very interesting anyway.

Cabbies w attitude.

I had a cabbie ask me where I wanted to go... and then kept driving!

Can they do that???

Jordan Rocks.

Embassy of Jordan staff volunteer in Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School Beautification Day

Washington, DC- August 21, 2009- In commemoration of two distinct historic occasions, the Tenth Anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah II’s Accession to the Throne and Sixty years of diplomatic relations with the United States of America, the Embassy of Jordan in Washington, DC will volunteer at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School as part of Beautification Day activities which officially kick off August 22, 2009 across the U.S. capital.

The Embassy is partnering with the DC Public Education Fund (DCPEF) in coordinating Friday’s volunteer activities with Ludlow-Taylor Elementary. DCPEF aims to dramatically improve student achievement in the District of Columbia by serving as a strategic partner to businesses, foundations, community leaders, and individual donors in supporting and investing in high impact programs with the District of Columbia Public Schools.

His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad, Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States, as well as the Embassy’s diplomats and staff will join teachers, the principal and community leaders in volunteering various beautification tasks from cleaning up to painting to gardening the schoolyard at Ludlow-Taylor.

The Embassy will also donate 17,000 USD to help the school pursue a comprehensive landscaping plan and purchase the needed play structures for Ludlow-Taylor’s students.

“Inspired by both His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania’s leadership in promoting education, empowering the youth and encouraging the spirit of volunteerism in Jordan and beyond, we chose to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Their Majesties accession to the throne by lending a hand to our American friends here in Washington at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary,” said Prince Zeid. He added, “This is truly a modest token of appreciation for the friendship our two countries has enjoyed over the past sixty years.”

"Since becoming Chancellor of DC Public Schools I've had the honor of meeting with the Ambassador, as well as His Majesty King Abdullah II," said Michelle Rhee. "Their commitment to education in the US and abroad should be commended – and we're grateful that the Ambassador and his colleagues have chosen to support one of our schools in such a positive way."

"Partnerships like this one with the Embassy of Jordan are essential to our success in transforming DC Public Schools," said Cate Swinburn, President of DC Public Education Fund. "We thank the Embassy for its support of the Ludlow-Taylor community and for its dedication to supporting the students of Washington, DC."

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan begain a few days ago. Well actually, it began with the sighting of the new crescent moon in the ninth month of the lunar calendar... which differs based on if you can see the moon or not.

Regardless, the month of fasting for our all Muslim friends has begun.

Ramadan Mubarak.



WHITE HOUSE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21ST, 2009 AT 9:15 AM
Ramadan Kareem
Posted by Rashad Hussain

As the new crescent moon ushers in Ramadan, the President extends his best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.

Each Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar, Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting is a tradition in many religious faiths and is meant to increase spirituality, discipline, thankfulness, and consciousness of God's mercy. Ramadan is also a time of giving and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this summer, American Muslims have joined their fellow citizens in serving communities across the country. Over the course of the month, we will highlight the perspectives of various faiths on fasting and profile faith-based organizations making real impacts in American cities and towns.

This month is also a time of renewal and this marks the first Ramadan since the President outlined his vision for a new beginning between America and the Muslim world. As a part of that new beginning, the President emphasizes that our relationship with Muslim communities cannot be based on political and security concerns alone. True partnerships also require cooperation in all areas – particularly those that can make a positive difference in peoples’ daily lives, including education, science and technology, health, and entrepreneurship - fields in which Muslim communities have helped play a pioneering role throughout history.

The President's message is part of an on-going dialogue with Muslim communities that began on inauguration day and has continued with his statement on Nowruz, during trips to Ankara and Cairo, and with interviews with media outlets such as Al Arabiya and Dawn TV.

As this dialogue continues and leads to concrete actions, the President extends his greetings on behalf of the American people. Ramadan Kareem.

Restaurant Review: CoCo Sala

I am not a foodie.
However, I had a hot date last night and we went somewhere new and fabulous.

CoCo Sala

MANCHEGO & BABY ARUGULA
caramelized walnuts
dates / apples & oranges
coffee vinaigrette

SHRIMP
mini penne
jack & cheddar
garlic shrimp
jalapenos

PORTOBELLO FLATBREAD
portobello mushrooms
goat cheese / roasted peppers
kalamata olives / sweet & sour fig marmalade