Last Days

I realized that I didn't have any pictures from my last days in DC. Oh, how I miss that place!!!!!!

My last night in DC. I walked around the Mall for a little while. Sat on the steps of the Lincoln. My favorite place in DC. Then ended the night at the White House. There was the main tree and then surrounding were little trees representing every state. Can you see the WH in the background?

Packing up to go home. My bed room was tiny. Three in one room...pretty cramped.

Last time at our favorite diner. They had the best milk shakes in the world. Check out the lady in the background. She was pretty crazy that night!

Happy hour with the co-workers. Last time I saw my boss, Mary Beth, and my intern, Mandy Li. Ya, I was emotional. I was surprised that MBB even started to cry when she said goodbye to me.

Our last visit to Maggianos with Dom, the best concierge in the world.

Ice skating in the sculpture gardens at the Mall.

Thanksgiving and the Utah vs. BYU Game

These are random pictures from Thanksgiving in Delaware to Ashley and I just being our hilarious selves! Kimball and I went to Ryan and Camille's house. It was fun, declicious, and practically just like home. We went to this estate that has been turned into a garden/conservatory. It was absolutely incredible. All of the trees we decorated with Christmas lights. Honestly, if I could go back there to have my wedding or at least the engagement/bridal pictures, I would. The lights were a fabulous way of welcoming the Christmas season.

The Utah vs. BYU was amazing. We went to this bar that was for all Utah students and alumni. It was so packed that I was pretty much standing in the middle of the place. I didn't care as long as I could see the screen. The guy in the picture is JJ. One of the interns that I think is beautiful. Sometimes he reminds me of Daniel Day-Lewis on "Last of the Mohicans." Everyone thinks I have a weird style in boys, but seriously, I think he is gorgeous. Plus he has a great personality!!!!! (By the way, I hate it when people say that).

Anyways, the other pictures are us celebrating my roommate Miranda's 28th birthday. We went to eat Ethiopian food. Freak!!! Can you believe that I ate Ethiopian food? I can't. This was a very adventerous moment for me, and I was happily surprised. However, it probaly wasn't my favorite. The picture that I am making a funny face in, well the stuff I am holding looks like skin. Ya, and I had to eat it. If you saw it, you would probably make that face too!

The other two pictures of me and Ashley (aka the best roommate ever!) are us at the Utah Jazz vs. Washington Wizards game. We pretty much got killed at that game, b

ut you gotta represent. Also, the other pic is at our favorite place to eat. The American Diner. From the outsid

e it looks like a hole in the wall. Guess what....it is! However, it is delicious and I love the atmosphere. We love it. Anyways, we are trying to look alive becasue we were dead tired and the pictures we had taken previously, well didn't turn out great. We

looked dead!

Halloween, Election Night, and NYC!!!!!

New York City is my FAVORITE!!!!!! We had a blast.  We did practically nothing, yet it didn't matter.  Ash and I were on a crazy picture spree, so we have tons.  Most of them are of us being idiots.  But that is what we do best.  Grimaldi's is probably the bast pizza, besides authentic pizza from Italy, in the world.  We walked through a little bit of Brooklyn, and if I had a ton of money, I would live on the bank of the Hudson, Brooklyn side.  

That night we went to Rockafeller Center.  Took tons of pictures and then went to Serendipity's.  I hate that place; it's trendy, over-priced, and the employees aren't nice.  We went anyways because most of the people had never been there.  We traveled by subway.  I wish we had that in SLC, it would make things so much easier. 

Sunday we went to Canal Street and the boys went to the Jazz game.  I took my friends to Roxy's.  Way over priced, but delightful.  Ash and I shared the huge hamburgers they have.  Oh, and what is it with restaraunts and thinking they can charge extra for sharing.  That is a ridiculous policy.  Anyway, we ended the night with going to Central Park.  I will admit that I was singing the "Enchanted" songs, in my headed, the whole time.  Somtimes I wish I was a princess, like Giselle.  That I could fall from the ledge of a billboard into the arms of my true love and figure it out within two days.  Only if life sould be so simple!     

Election night in Washington, DC is like a marathon in New York City.  There were people every where.  Let me tell you, I love Obama.  In the group picture, I was the only true happy person.  Every one else wanted McCain.  So those smiles, are fake!!!! 

Picture this; a flambouantly gay Walt Whitman (Kimball), his book of poetry trotting behind (Blake), and an elf (Me) skipping down the street. What a trio we made on Halloween.  Blake's book costume was amazing.  I don't think I have ever heard so many differnt languages yelled at someone for a picture. 

Fall Fun

Pumpkin carving, the childhood traditions that never loose their luster.  AShley had the fabulous idea of pumpkin carving. We walked in the freezing cold DC wind to find the perfect pumpkin.  What a waste.  We found the one we wanted, adn then someone stole it right under our noses.  Oh well, the night was still wonderful.  Mitch, Blake, and John all joined in the carving.  I am so proud of John because he cleaned the pumpkin out, he was terrified of putting his hand in the seed goo.  I was in the kitchen making homemade hot chocolate, doing what I do best.  Loving every minute of it!  AS you can tell teh pumpkins are beautiful.  Blake is a huge fan of the Jazz, and I promise the other pumpkin is the Washington Monument!!!!!!

One little up

date.  I think Ashley and I were the first peopel 

from Salt Lake City/East High School to see "High School Musical 3."  It is probably the best movie ever created.  Not really! Anyway we had a blast going opening night at 12:01 am. Sometimes I have no idea what we are thinking.  If my expertise of sign language is correct, I think we spelled HS3 right.  

Catch Up

I hit the hill and am on my back to Salt Lake in just two months. I can't believe how fast time has gone by and that I will be home soon. Last weekend I went to Philly with Ashley, Mitch, Blake, and John. We stayed at Duffy's house and just had a blast. Yes, I ran up the Rocky steps. Not only did I run up them, but I have it on video to the Rocky music.

I ate a freaking delicious, legititmate, greasy Philly Cheese Steak. I had it "wit-out" cheese whiz. Sorry Tom! I LOVED it!!!!! My hands were so full when I got my cheese steak that I didn't realize how greasy it was. When we were walking the boys could stop laughing, they thought it was so funny that I had a huge grease stain down my skirt.

The day after we got back John, Tyler, and I decided to bike to Mt. Vernon. I was told it was a low key ride that was beautiful. Ya right. It was 18 miles one way. I will admit, I didn't ride back because my legs felt like Jello, but it was beautiful. On the last hill my bike chain

just happened to fall off. One, it was a steep hill and two, I know nothing about bikes. So, I looked like an idiot trying to put the chain back on. I got covered in grease and the nicest guy pulled over and helped me. Thanks to John and Tyler who sped way ahead of me!

Old Town Alexandria

Imagine walking down the water front road in the 1700's with your parasol and dresse that makes your butt look huge. That is where I was last weekend.  Ashley, Blake, Mitch, Kimball, John and I went on a short day trip to the past.  It was the most pictuesque town with old brick architecture, coble stone streets, and the houses right on top of each other.  The boys went off to Priesthood, but Ashley and I stayed and ate old-fashioned ice cream cones.  I love DC, or at least the East coast.  I could live here forever!

We also went on a fun trolley ride. Ashley and I go on these random, last minute adventures. Everyone can tell we are the typical tourists who take lots of crazy pictures, talk, and laugh really loud!

Solid vs. Liquid

When it comes to making choices, I tend to lean more toward the solid, concrete alternatives and avoid the liquid, unstable ones.  When I think of solid I see mountains, the best kind of ice cream, home, and friends.  Liquid means water, always changing, and horrible ice cream.  I thought when I came to DC that I was leaving a solid life and an idea that would never change.  I was freaked, yet I was afraid of something different. 

VS

Here I am, sitting in my apartment in a liquid situation.  Where even though I have a daily routine, things are always changing.  I couldn't be happier.  Why is it that some many of us are afraid of going along with the ebb and flow of life?  What is the beauty of having something so solid, that it ends up being boring and repetitive, almost like a cage?   What do you think, do you want a solid or liquid life?  If I could have perfection, there would be a bridge.  Connecting a solid foundation to the floating island.  I would have both.

Hollywood Connection

You would assume that since I am in D.C. if I ever saw anyone famous, he or she would be a prominent politician.  Well, we all know what ass-u-m-ing does.  On my first day of work my boss, Mary Beth, and I were walking to lunch.  We ran into a co-worker who said, "Hey, come and meet my newest team member.  His name is Andrew, you might recognize him, he is the BACHELOR!!!!!"  If anyone watches that show, he is the guy from the "An Officer and a Gentlman" season.  We were introduced, he shook my hand (what a freakin' grip), his eyes burowed into my soul, and he smiled a ton.  The peopel with me were just fine, having a normal conversation.  Then I was there, feeling like a wet noodle and if he would have said any more than he did, I would have fallen apart.  I am just ridiculous.  I would say something every once in a while, but I was mostly mum.  I wish I could have gotten a picture with him, but that will be the next time.   

Shoes

"Funny that a pair of really nice shoes make us feel good  in our heads - at the extreme opposite end of our bodies" -- Levende Waters

Shoes are one of my essential needs, especially nice ones.  They are with you all day, get you from place to place, protect you, and are constantly supporting you.  So, of course I brought a ton to D.C.; I need all the support I can get.  I carried them with me because I wasn't going to pay $50.  All I can say is I hated my shoes that day; my arms were jello.  It didn't help that my flight got canceled and I had to sit in the Atlanta airport for 8 extra hours.  The only good thing  about my delay was the thinking I was able to do.  I am a people watcher and I pay attention to the small things about a person, shoes.  Where have their shoes been, what does that person do, how many steps have they taken, whose shoes have these people tried to follow? This got me thinking: where have I been, who am I , where am I going, who are the people I follow, how am I going to last in D.C.?  BAD thing to contemplate because I definately thought about my family and friends.  Not the smartest thing to do when you are going to be away for four months.  My patton leathers, birkenstocks, and Jeffrey Campbells will get me from place to place, but keeping in contact with friends and my family will be my unfailing support and protection through the next four months of steps in D.C.