I hope you think it is as cute as we do :)
Also... School has be canceled the rest of the week! Hello winter break :)
13 hours ago
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Snowed In!
Here are some pictures from our recent blizzard. We made it to the grocery store yesterday, but today we were truly "snowed in". We realized today that we didn't have a shovel, so Chris had to dig both of the cars out with a dust pan... it was interesting :) Arlington Schools are closed tomorrow (Chris dug us out before I knew that school was canceled). Fairfax (the next county over) has closed for the rest of the week, and all of the federal budilings are closed tomorrow. The last count we have heard was 20 inches. Today we have watched movies, facebooked, ate chili and brownies, and watched people spin out on our street. It's kind of nice to be forced to stay home and do nothing!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
A Top Ten List from a Top Ten Weekend
As many of you probably know, Lauren and I were fortunate enough to head to Kansas City for the Thanksgiving break. And despite many logistical challenges (we flew out of two different airports on two different days) we had such a great time seeing everyone and enjoyed our well needed break. One highlight for me was spending Saturday down at the Power and Light for a “Wildcat Saturday.” Here is my “Top Ten” list from throughout the day:
10. Ganss joining the Cat Backers – The lady for the KC Cat Backers came up to me, offered me a free koozie, and tried to get me to pay the small fee to join. I explained to her that I live in DC but that I have a good friend who lives in Kansas City and would not only love to join, but would love to join today, and then pointed to Andrew! She roped him in and got him to sign up. Way to support the Alma Mater Ganss! I don’t know why this was so funny but at the time it seemed hilarious, guess you had to be there . . .
9. Unofficial Sigma Chi Reunion – You would have thought we planned this. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years and had a great time reminiscing about the glory days. Kev-O even showed up! Later in the night I cornered Boodle and talked about the good ole days when he was our Magister and gave his fiancé a run-down about our pledgeship (I am sure they were both thrilled).
8. K-State vs. IUPUI Game – Okay, so the Cats didn’t have the dominating performance we were hoping for, but the game was still a blast. My two favorite highlights were: (1) Dad telling everyone how Curtis Kelly is a moose, and following his dunk over the IUPUI forward (probably the best highlight from the game) Dad giving everyone high-fives and simply cheering, “Moose,” and (2) The guy in front of us telling Ganss, “Hey, I’ve been there before but can you watch your language?” Classic.
7. Golden Buying the Whole Bar Vegas Bombs – Following the K-State game we all went to Johnny’s Tavern to get a burger and watch the end of some football games. Golden gave his credit card to the waitress and said “We need some Vegas Bombs!” When she asked how many did he want, he told her “Whatever you think baby!” She brought about $200 worth. We need a Drew Golden figure in DC, I miss you buddy!
6. Having Mom Drive me Home – I was staying at Steve and Donna’s townhome for the weekend so when the night was over, I had to catch a ride South from someone. Luckily, Mom volunteered to be the DD for the three of us – Me, Ryan and Dad – and the conversation on the way home was classic. Ryan kept swearing and mom would say something to the effect of “Um, excuse me, do you mean Shucky-Darn,” and Ryan would say, “No I meant to say [enter explicative here].”
5. 7:00 am Flight the Next Morning – The next morning we had the nonstop from Kansas City to DC that left at 7:00 am. Of course this requires getting up about 4:30, and after a day of partying at the Power and Light, this was tons of fun. Mom dropped me off at Lauren’s townhouse after 1:00 in the morning the night before. Let’s just say the trip was a bit rough . . . Thanks to Steve and Donna for the early morning ride (although I was asleep for most of it with a half-eaten banana in my hand, I am sure I looked attractive).
4. Hanging out with the Parents at the Piano Bar – The best part of the day was definitely going to Howl at the Moon. As you may know, Ryan, Chase and I want to open a dueling piano bar and always make a stop at one during our road trips. We finally had the opportunity to take the parents to one on Saturday night and they had a blast! Chase even danced with my dad’s business partner’s wife, and I don’t think she even minded that he spilt his drink on her! I think they are ready to invest!
3. Chase Behind the Bar – For the first part of the night at the piano bar we were standing in a corner by a door marked “Employees Only” that went to a storage room and also led behind the bar. Employees kept coming in and out and one time when a guy was coming out, Chase grabbed the door and slipped in. We turned around to find Chase dancing behind the bar with the bartenders and all them looking at the bouncers with a look like “who is this guy?” Some beefcake came up to Chase to toss him and Chase just laughed and came back outside.
2. Ryan Playing the Cowbell – A bit of background: During one of our road trips, Ryan, Chase and I went to a piano bar in Boulder after we had just beat Colorado to become bowl eligible. The piano players started playing “The Reaper” and Ryan was nowhere to be found. Out of nowhere he showed up on the stage and said into the microphone, “K-State is going to a bowl game . . . I’ve got a fever, for some cowbell” and grabbed the cowbell on the stage and started playing along. He of course was subsequently quite literally thrown out of the bar by a 300 pound Colorado fan. On Saturday night, hoping for a repeat, we requested “The Reaper” with Ryan on the cowbell. They finally played it and called him on stage. After finishing the song, Ryan played the cowbell to the K-State fight song and followed it up with the “K-S-U” chant. Everyone was cheering and laughing. He was in a cowbell competition with some lady on a bachelorette party, and even though Ryan was clear winner, the pianist didn’t want to spoil the lady’s night (lame) and declared a tie, awarding them both a free drink. Ryan went straight to the bar, ordered a double Crown and Coke, and when they asked for payment told them, “I don’t think so, I am the cowbell guy.” This of course led to the hilarious ride home (see number 6 above).
1. Getting to See Family and Friends – Lauren and I had such a great time seeing everyone over the holiday break. Although we are enjoying DC, we truly miss everyone and it was great to come back and have a true “Wildcat Saturday.” Although we were in Kansas City, it felt like a tailgate in Manhattan and I had so much fun! Can’t wait to see you all at the end of December!
10. Ganss joining the Cat Backers – The lady for the KC Cat Backers came up to me, offered me a free koozie, and tried to get me to pay the small fee to join. I explained to her that I live in DC but that I have a good friend who lives in Kansas City and would not only love to join, but would love to join today, and then pointed to Andrew! She roped him in and got him to sign up. Way to support the Alma Mater Ganss! I don’t know why this was so funny but at the time it seemed hilarious, guess you had to be there . . .
9. Unofficial Sigma Chi Reunion – You would have thought we planned this. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years and had a great time reminiscing about the glory days. Kev-O even showed up! Later in the night I cornered Boodle and talked about the good ole days when he was our Magister and gave his fiancé a run-down about our pledgeship (I am sure they were both thrilled).
8. K-State vs. IUPUI Game – Okay, so the Cats didn’t have the dominating performance we were hoping for, but the game was still a blast. My two favorite highlights were: (1) Dad telling everyone how Curtis Kelly is a moose, and following his dunk over the IUPUI forward (probably the best highlight from the game) Dad giving everyone high-fives and simply cheering, “Moose,” and (2) The guy in front of us telling Ganss, “Hey, I’ve been there before but can you watch your language?” Classic.
7. Golden Buying the Whole Bar Vegas Bombs – Following the K-State game we all went to Johnny’s Tavern to get a burger and watch the end of some football games. Golden gave his credit card to the waitress and said “We need some Vegas Bombs!” When she asked how many did he want, he told her “Whatever you think baby!” She brought about $200 worth. We need a Drew Golden figure in DC, I miss you buddy!
6. Having Mom Drive me Home – I was staying at Steve and Donna’s townhome for the weekend so when the night was over, I had to catch a ride South from someone. Luckily, Mom volunteered to be the DD for the three of us – Me, Ryan and Dad – and the conversation on the way home was classic. Ryan kept swearing and mom would say something to the effect of “Um, excuse me, do you mean Shucky-Darn,” and Ryan would say, “No I meant to say [enter explicative here].”
5. 7:00 am Flight the Next Morning – The next morning we had the nonstop from Kansas City to DC that left at 7:00 am. Of course this requires getting up about 4:30, and after a day of partying at the Power and Light, this was tons of fun. Mom dropped me off at Lauren’s townhouse after 1:00 in the morning the night before. Let’s just say the trip was a bit rough . . . Thanks to Steve and Donna for the early morning ride (although I was asleep for most of it with a half-eaten banana in my hand, I am sure I looked attractive).
4. Hanging out with the Parents at the Piano Bar – The best part of the day was definitely going to Howl at the Moon. As you may know, Ryan, Chase and I want to open a dueling piano bar and always make a stop at one during our road trips. We finally had the opportunity to take the parents to one on Saturday night and they had a blast! Chase even danced with my dad’s business partner’s wife, and I don’t think she even minded that he spilt his drink on her! I think they are ready to invest!
3. Chase Behind the Bar – For the first part of the night at the piano bar we were standing in a corner by a door marked “Employees Only” that went to a storage room and also led behind the bar. Employees kept coming in and out and one time when a guy was coming out, Chase grabbed the door and slipped in. We turned around to find Chase dancing behind the bar with the bartenders and all them looking at the bouncers with a look like “who is this guy?” Some beefcake came up to Chase to toss him and Chase just laughed and came back outside.
2. Ryan Playing the Cowbell – A bit of background: During one of our road trips, Ryan, Chase and I went to a piano bar in Boulder after we had just beat Colorado to become bowl eligible. The piano players started playing “The Reaper” and Ryan was nowhere to be found. Out of nowhere he showed up on the stage and said into the microphone, “K-State is going to a bowl game . . . I’ve got a fever, for some cowbell” and grabbed the cowbell on the stage and started playing along. He of course was subsequently quite literally thrown out of the bar by a 300 pound Colorado fan. On Saturday night, hoping for a repeat, we requested “The Reaper” with Ryan on the cowbell. They finally played it and called him on stage. After finishing the song, Ryan played the cowbell to the K-State fight song and followed it up with the “K-S-U” chant. Everyone was cheering and laughing. He was in a cowbell competition with some lady on a bachelorette party, and even though Ryan was clear winner, the pianist didn’t want to spoil the lady’s night (lame) and declared a tie, awarding them both a free drink. Ryan went straight to the bar, ordered a double Crown and Coke, and when they asked for payment told them, “I don’t think so, I am the cowbell guy.” This of course led to the hilarious ride home (see number 6 above).
1. Getting to See Family and Friends – Lauren and I had such a great time seeing everyone over the holiday break. Although we are enjoying DC, we truly miss everyone and it was great to come back and have a true “Wildcat Saturday.” Although we were in Kansas City, it felt like a tailgate in Manhattan and I had so much fun! Can’t wait to see you all at the end of December!
Friday, December 4, 2009
"Mrs. Dawson"
So today while my students were eating lunch (they eat in the room at my new school... I know. strange.) the girls were talking about how much they weighed. puh-lease. So I reassured them that no one in our class weighed as much as me so they don't need to worry about it. One of my favorites said "Yeah you guys... Mrs. Dawson is the only one who is even close to 100 pounds, so we really shouldn't worry about it..." Thank you kids for once again boosting my self esteem. At least at school I can pretend to be 9o pounds... :)
Mr. and Mrs.
Congratulations to the Newlyweds Vanessa and Chris. They are such an awesome couple and it was so fun to be included in their special day. From signing Taylor in the ladies bathroom, to slaying dragons with Maleficent... it really was a perfect day :) I LOVE weddings. There is something so and moving when two people promise to love and support each other forever. Plus... Vanessa with a birdcage vail in a vintage wedding dress... stunning :)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Blending In
A great thing happened to me today . . . I was asked for directions. Now this isn’t that abnormal, I see people ask for directions several times on any given day. It is just not me they ask. Despite my attempts to blend in, I still stick out as an out-of-towner. Perhaps this is due to my “non-DC” practices (such as not honking at people who are obeying the law, or waiting to cross the street until I get a walk signal, or simply stopping and looking at the monuments). Or maybe people from the Midwest just have a different aura to them. Whatever it is, when someone needs directions, they always give me the “this guy doesn’t know anything” look and move on to someone standing directly next to me.
Attempting to combat this “sticking-out-like-a-sore-thumb syndrome,” I take several proactive steps every day to become more DC’ish. For example, Lauren and I purchased reloadable Metro cards (similar to a K-Tag) that let us walk directly through the Metro’s turnstiles rather than stopping to feed a temporary paper ticket through the reader. I have perfected a system where I keep walking through the turnstile without ever having to take the card out of my wallet. This method has backfired, however. During rush hour, everyone is filing through the lines so quickly that if one person screws up it produces a domino effect, slowing everyone in the line down. The other day I was that one person. Being a bit too cocky I missed the scanner and ran into the unopened barriers of the turnstile. This required everyone to stop walking and backup so I could reverse and try again. I looked back and could tell everyone was thinking, “Look at this moron from Kansas, he is going to make me miss my train!” Strike one . . .
Another technique I practice is to ride the train for the entirety of my commute without holding on (others just look so cool doing it!). Through observation as well as trial and error, I have come up with a system where I stand sideways with my feet shoulder-width apart, slightly leaning against the wall of the car. This is normally pretty effective, unless we have an abrupt stop or fast curve. In that case, I fall into everyone around me, grabbing onto them to keep from hitting the floor. This is particularly awkward because, as mentioned in a previous post, people on the train don’t talk during the commute (it is literally dead silent). Thus I am faced with an undesirable choice. I can apologize, at which point everyone on the 100-passenger car turns to see what is going on to find an uncoordinated kid from Kansas hanging onto his neighbor for dear life. Or I can say nothing, at which point I get to play the staring game for the rest of the ride with the guy I just accosted (awkward . . . ). I always apologize. Strike two . . .
My final DC’ism is reading a newspaper while walking down the sidewalk. This is what I was doing this morning when asked for directions. This practice is almost guaranteed to be effective because nothing says ‘I know the city’ better than not having to look where you are going. So this morning I was walking along reading “The Onion” (which is hilarious by the way, I highly recommend it) when two ladies stopped me to ask where they could get something to eat (Success!). I was so excited to help them out I went a bit overboard. I gave them several different options to cater to what type of food they were interested in and what price range they were looking for. I gave them detailed directions to each restaurant, and even contemplated drawing them a map. I think my overzealousness may have given me away, however. They thanked me but as they walked away I think I heard them say, “He must not originally be from here.” Oh well, strike three!
Attempting to combat this “sticking-out-like-a-sore-thumb syndrome,” I take several proactive steps every day to become more DC’ish. For example, Lauren and I purchased reloadable Metro cards (similar to a K-Tag) that let us walk directly through the Metro’s turnstiles rather than stopping to feed a temporary paper ticket through the reader. I have perfected a system where I keep walking through the turnstile without ever having to take the card out of my wallet. This method has backfired, however. During rush hour, everyone is filing through the lines so quickly that if one person screws up it produces a domino effect, slowing everyone in the line down. The other day I was that one person. Being a bit too cocky I missed the scanner and ran into the unopened barriers of the turnstile. This required everyone to stop walking and backup so I could reverse and try again. I looked back and could tell everyone was thinking, “Look at this moron from Kansas, he is going to make me miss my train!” Strike one . . .
Another technique I practice is to ride the train for the entirety of my commute without holding on (others just look so cool doing it!). Through observation as well as trial and error, I have come up with a system where I stand sideways with my feet shoulder-width apart, slightly leaning against the wall of the car. This is normally pretty effective, unless we have an abrupt stop or fast curve. In that case, I fall into everyone around me, grabbing onto them to keep from hitting the floor. This is particularly awkward because, as mentioned in a previous post, people on the train don’t talk during the commute (it is literally dead silent). Thus I am faced with an undesirable choice. I can apologize, at which point everyone on the 100-passenger car turns to see what is going on to find an uncoordinated kid from Kansas hanging onto his neighbor for dear life. Or I can say nothing, at which point I get to play the staring game for the rest of the ride with the guy I just accosted (awkward . . . ). I always apologize. Strike two . . .
My final DC’ism is reading a newspaper while walking down the sidewalk. This is what I was doing this morning when asked for directions. This practice is almost guaranteed to be effective because nothing says ‘I know the city’ better than not having to look where you are going. So this morning I was walking along reading “The Onion” (which is hilarious by the way, I highly recommend it) when two ladies stopped me to ask where they could get something to eat (Success!). I was so excited to help them out I went a bit overboard. I gave them several different options to cater to what type of food they were interested in and what price range they were looking for. I gave them detailed directions to each restaurant, and even contemplated drawing them a map. I think my overzealousness may have given me away, however. They thanked me but as they walked away I think I heard them say, “He must not originally be from here.” Oh well, strike three!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Job
For those of you that don't know my job search history, here is a recap...
Chris and I decided to come to D.C. late in the school year last year. I applied for teaching licenses in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. because we had no idea where we were going to live. I also applied to 6 school districts with really no idea of where was even a safe place to be. Well... it was obviously not a good year to find a job, so I ended up applying to be a long term sub in Arlington.
The day of my interview with the sub office, I received a call from the sub coordinator that told me about a long term sub position for fifth grade. The very next day, I interviewed and got the job. I was so excited to have something somewhat long-term. My class and school was awesome and I was really dreading leaving and going back into the sub pool.
Fastforward 2 months... One week before my long-term sub job was going to be up, my principal told me that the teacher I was subbing for decided not to come back. Her husband took a job in Seattle and they were going to be close to both of their families. She told me I had to apply, interview, and be accepted, but she thought I would be great for the job.
I explained the situation to my kids and told them that I would let them know who their teacher would be as soon as I found out. Little did I know that five of my kids wrote a letter to our principal on why I should be their new teacher. How cute is that? She is going to let me read them, and when I do, I will share some of their thoughts. Teaching can be so draining and sometimes you really don't feel like you are making a difference. But then your students totally surprise you and it makes it all worth it.
Two days later I got the job, and I couldn't be happier. How awesome is it that everything is working out?
So any of you that know me well know that I don't do very well without a plan. What a lesson this experience has been on taking a chance and trusting that everything will be ok! I love the saying that if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans... so true :)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Gas Stations
A few weekends ago, Chris and I went to New Jersey to visit Katie and John. It was a blast and it was so good to be around family.
Not thinking about it, we left town right after I got home from school, around 4:30. DUMB! We hit two rush hours.. one in DC and one in Baltimore. Luckily the drive was beautiful with all the leaves changing, but still... the traffic was terrible.
I think our GPS took us on every toll road from here to Princeton. When all was said and done, we spent $13.50 on tolls.... wow.
So we get to the beautiful garden state and we realize that we needed some gas. We pulled off at the nearest turnpike station and realized that you cannot pump your own gas. The entire state has unionized gas pumpers... seriously? I don't really know how I would feel if my job was completely useless. That may sound harsh, but all they did was take our card, pump the gas, and hand us our receipt. Plus they took forever and Chris is still convinced that they were selling drugs to some guy in front of us.
ps... do we tip these people? I kind of feel the same way about this as I do tipping the bathroom attendant...
pps... a blog about our wonderful Princeton trip is coming. I just had to get that off my chest... :)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
GW Party
So the Halloween party was a success! It was at a night club in Northeast D.C. Since neither one of us had really never been to "club", it was a new experience. They checked my bag, but they didn't check Chris's... I don't think they knew what to do with a male fanny pack. Everyone loved the outfits, even the homeless man we passed on the way thought it was funny.
Here are some of our favorite costumes of the night:
- Highlighters (my favorite)
-The "dude" from The Big Lebowski (Chris's favorite)
-Protesters
-Beer Pong Table
-The guy from "I'm on a boat"
- Dry Cleaning
Who knew Law students could be so fun ;)
ps... Are you supposed to tip bathroom attendants? I don't. I mean really... I think I can get my own paper towel, thank you.
Sweet fanny pack...
We acted as true tourists and asked people to take our picture. You can't really see it, but I have some great "first family" jewelry on. That's right people... Obama, Michelle, and the girls... all on a necklace and earrings ;)
Pic of the party from the balcony
The security guards at the "bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms" thought we were very strange taking this picture...
Cheesy pic at the metro
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
A thought on being a tourist in your own town…
As mentioned in the previous post, Lauren and I have decided to attend my law school Halloween party on Thursday night as DC tourists. We have put together the gaudiest outfits we could, the main source of our “flair” being a little touristy shop in Old Town Alexandria and a street vendor in downtown DC. Although, as I pulled the outfits together, I began to think we might have gone just a bit over the edge. That is, people may recognize that we are wearing costumes intended to poke fun at the kinds of tourist we see every day. Much like one wouldn’t dress as a tacky farmer in Manhattan in fear of upsetting the actual farmers, should we really be dressing as tacky tourists in DC? After all, we do have to ride the train from Alexandria to the bar where the party is held (about 25 minutes), and thus will share the ride with a couple hundred people between stops (no doubt some of which will be tourists). What if the very type of people that we are trying to poke a little fun at happens to stand next to us on the train ride? Or, worse yet, what happens when we pass a street vendor on the way to the event, looking like two walking billboards for what they are selling? Will they find the humor in us mocking exactly the items they sell every day to make a living?
Then I realized that there is no need to worry; I am still probably one of the touristiest people in DC on any given day. Each morning I am the one that almost falls each time the train starts and stops (I don’t know how everyone manages to read a book while standing on the train, holding onto nothing for support, while I appear to be having a seizure trying to keep my balance while wrestling with my backpack, books and umbrella). I am the one guy who stops in the middle of 23rd street every day (and subsequently gets honked at by oncoming taxi drivers and nearly trampled by Starbucks donning businessmen) because if you look straight down it you have an uninterrupted view of the Lincoln memorial. I am the one who gets excited every time I get a glimpse of the Washington Monument, or the White House, or the Capital Building while everyone else walks past as if they are just passing a fire hydrant. I am still that guy who asks, “Excuse me, do you know how to get to the nearest Metro stop,” and, unfortunately, I am still the one who gets off the train and walks about two blocks in the wrong direction before he realizes that the street numbers getting smaller means you are walking East not West.
So really there is no need to worry about offending anyone but ourselves. Thursday night Lauren and I will really just be dressed as a slightly more obnoxious version of the tourists we still are at heart. After all, we are still just a couple of Kansans spending a few years in a crazy city. And I hope that “touristy” feeling never wears while we are here. I enjoy being amazed by our surrounding each and every day and continue to enjoy all a new city has to offer us. It will be pretty interesting, though, riding the train Thursday night as it is not yet Halloween. . . I wonder how many people will realize we are in costume?!
Then I realized that there is no need to worry; I am still probably one of the touristiest people in DC on any given day. Each morning I am the one that almost falls each time the train starts and stops (I don’t know how everyone manages to read a book while standing on the train, holding onto nothing for support, while I appear to be having a seizure trying to keep my balance while wrestling with my backpack, books and umbrella). I am the one guy who stops in the middle of 23rd street every day (and subsequently gets honked at by oncoming taxi drivers and nearly trampled by Starbucks donning businessmen) because if you look straight down it you have an uninterrupted view of the Lincoln memorial. I am the one who gets excited every time I get a glimpse of the Washington Monument, or the White House, or the Capital Building while everyone else walks past as if they are just passing a fire hydrant. I am still that guy who asks, “Excuse me, do you know how to get to the nearest Metro stop,” and, unfortunately, I am still the one who gets off the train and walks about two blocks in the wrong direction before he realizes that the street numbers getting smaller means you are walking East not West.
So really there is no need to worry about offending anyone but ourselves. Thursday night Lauren and I will really just be dressed as a slightly more obnoxious version of the tourists we still are at heart. After all, we are still just a couple of Kansans spending a few years in a crazy city. And I hope that “touristy” feeling never wears while we are here. I enjoy being amazed by our surrounding each and every day and continue to enjoy all a new city has to offer us. It will be pretty interesting, though, riding the train Thursday night as it is not yet Halloween. . . I wonder how many people will realize we are in costume?!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Halloween
Chris and I are going to his Halloween party at George Washington. We have decided to be D.C. tourists.
I heart D.C. shirts... check.
I love Obama stickers.... check.
I heart D.C. shirts... check.
Fanny Pack (thank you North Face)... check
Big Tourist Cameras hanging around our necks.... check
American Flags sticking out of all parts of our clothing (people really do this)... check
Are we missing anything?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Home
It was so fun to go home for the Iowa State game at Arrowhead. David and Lynda (Chris's parents) were so generous and flew us home for a quick weekend. Chris was like a kid waiting for Christmas on the plane to KC. He was sooo excited!
Some of the highlights:
-Getting to see a WIN :)-Spending time with our family
-The Williebago
-Rocking the bus with Ryan, Donnelly, Chad, and Katie
-Mi Ranchito after the game.... yum.
-Getting to see Vanessa before the big weekend!
We have the best friends and family!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Our New Life in D.C.
So we promised everyone we would start a blog as soon as we moved to D.C. So 2 months later... here we are! We LOVE reading everyone's blogs and hearing about our wonderful friends' lives and we are so excited to start our own. We have decided to start our blog off with some interesting things we have learned about D.C. thus far…
- People are petrified of the swine flu. A guy in Chris' class thinks that he is going to be the infector of the law school after he gets it from me after I get it from my kids.
- No one talks on the trains… at all. This is especially true during rush hour when you are packed in the cars, yet it is dead silent. Very awkward.
- The metro lines will be closed for maintenance at random times. You should plan ahead for this if you want to go out with your newfound law school friends. If you don’t, you might have to call your wife and ask her to come pick you up because you are afraid you are going to be “pistol whipped”.
- Everyone downtown has an agenda. They will attack you to get you to sign their petition.
- Going to Walmart is like going to a different country. Babies crying, people speaking in 20 different languages, and nothing stocked on the shelves… we’ve decided on Target from now on.
- You have to pay to park at Target. Seriously.
- It costs 25 cents to use bathrooms at McDonalds. Seriously.
- 25 cents in a parking meter in Foggy Bottom buys you 4 minutes.
- It is hard/impossible to find a parking spot anywhere. The Chili’s in Arlington has 10 spots and there are guys changing their oil in four of them. We have learned to take the metro. And did we mention that you have to pay to park at Target… seriously.
There is so much to do, so much to take in, and everyday we learn something new. We are excited to be doing this together. More to come… J
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