Curling, a Parade, etc

This past week has been mighty eventful. Let's see... there was trivia on Tuesday, a Tegan and Sara concert on Wednesday, a conference call on Thursday (not exciting), finishing season 1 of Veronica Mars on Friday, failed attempt at curling, a walk to the Jefferson Memorial, and dinner and a movie with Suz, Steph/Greg, and Stan Saturday, successful attempt at curling, Chinese New Year Parade, and Nat'l Museum of Crime and Punishment with Stan and Carla on Sunday. Need I even mention that Jeff was involved in all but the conference call?

Trivia went well - we got fifth place! Now onto the more interesting stuff. Jeff had bought me tickets to see Tegan and Sara for my birthday and now the time was upon us! We headed to the Warner Theatre after eating at Chopt which was yummy. They had assigned seating and we were on the balcony. The opening acts were Steel Train, an all-guy band that I really liked, and Holly Miranda, a band with a chick lead singer who had an amazing voice but thanks to me being tired the mellowness of that act nearly put me to sleep.


Steel Train


Holly Miranda

Then Tegan and Sara came out. They started off playing a lot from Sainthood, then started interspersing it with older stuff. They played a lot of songs I really like, including "Hell," "Nineteen," and "The Con." I was only disappointed that they didn't play "Take Me Anywhere," but that's okay. They are amazing live. They do a lot of funny bantering, and interact a lot with the crowd. After leaving the stage they came back on without their band for an acoustic set which included the popular "Living Room" which I didn't know I knew, but I did. Basically, I loved it.


Tegan and Sara

One weird thing did happen at that concert - Erica clone was there! She's this girl who goes to W&M and looks exactly like my friend Erica and she was standing really close to us. Bizarre. Skipping to Saturday... Jeff and I tried to go to the Capital Curling Expo but there was a three hour wait for curling. Instead we wandered towards the mall, finding a big giant map in a square...


Jeff is totally inside the Capital Building here.

Next we decided to wander towards the monuments, after looking at an imposing-from-afar building which turned out to be the EPA. We walked by the Washington Monument and then I realised I had possibly never been to the Jefferson Memorial, so we walked there. We walked by the water where the cherry trees are and noticed a lot of storm damage, including to a great big lovely elm that is apparently well-known. We noticed there's paddle-boating you can do so that might be something to remember (though Carla says you can do it for cheaper elsewhere). Anyway, we made it to the monument and admired how tall Thomas Jefferson was.



It was a nice day and we walked a lot. From there we walked to the Smithsonian Metro and met the people mentioned above for dinner at the Arlington Diner, which was mediocre or less but cheap. Then we went to Greg and Steph's apartment and watched Away We Go (review to come), which Jeff and I really liked.

On to Sunday! We made a second stab at the Capital Curling Expo and this time were some of the first people there. Jeff, Stan, and I gave it a go, though it was fake ice and no sweeping.


Stan curling

Basically it was a little taste and I learned a lot of things, including that you can go curling for real in Laurel, MD, which I'd really like to try. Next we ate at Subway, then went to the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown, which was pretty cool.


Lion Dancers

Next we went to the Museum of Crime and Punishment which I got into for free with my Smithsonian badge. It was decent but not the best museum I've been to.


Jeff on a police motorcycle

Today I got a haircut at Bang Salon on U Street. It's fabulous and was inspired by a girl I saw at the Tegan and Sara show. Now here's hoping this week is great as well!

TV Show Review: Torchwood

Air Date: 2006-2009
Created by: Russell T. Davies
Starring: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori

I'm guessing you probably know by now that I've in the last year become totally obsessed with Doctor Who. Well, while I was feverishly waiting to receive Season 4 in the mail I started watching Torchwood, which is a spinoff featuring Captain Jack Harkness (Barrowman). It begins with Gwen Cooper (Myles), a policewoman, finding out about and joining Torchwood, an organization based around the Rift in Cardiff whose purpose is to protect Earth from alien life. It is often referenced in Doctor Who, and often Torchwood and The Doctor have different stances on how to deal with aliens.

The first season establishes Torchwood as a show for more mature audiences. Friends of mine have complained that they try to force in sex scenes (much like, say, True Blood does) and I can see that as a valid point. However, I enjoyed it. The second season is much more compelling than the first. The characters are better portrayed, and we see more into their psyches and relationships. The third 'season', a 5 episode miniseries arc called Children of Earth, was fantastic (and the most popular of the seasons at the time it aired).

It helps that John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd are quite attractive, I won't lie. Basically, it has a much darker, more adult feel than Doctor Who, and I can't say I liked it quite as much. They did start tying it in more in the second season, but it was still a definitely separate show. I kept hoping the Doctor would show up in some episode... no luck. It certainly made me laugh and cry and I really did enjoy the series.

Grade: A

Snowmageddon

As you've probably heard by now, DC was pummeled this weekend with somewhere around 20 inches of snow. Jeff and I ventured out yesterday to check out what was going on. It was pretty epic. There were drifts up to something like 6 feet, and on one side of most roads there were cars completely under the snow. Unfortunately, all of my camera batteries were dead so I was only able to get four pictures.





Those are just out our window and right on our sidewalk. After that we went to look at the hill on 13th Street near Cardozo High School. People were sledding, skiing, and snowboarding down it. It made me wish I had a sled, even a makeshift one.


Here's a picture of 13th St. from DCist.

Then we decided to trek over to Meridian Hill Park. There were several hundred people there, playing with their dogs, making snowmen (and in one instance a snow phallus), sledding, skiing, and snowboarding down the stairs, and having massive snowball fights (including a bunch of people trying hard to knock people off sleds with snowballs or big chunks of snow).


Snowball fight at Meridian Hill Park.

It was a lot of fun, we tried to pelt sledders and got in on the snowball fight (especially against people who had foolishly decided to sit in a fountain). After that we made our way back home, making sure to jump or fall into big snowdrifts as often as possible. Friday we had made a big batch of chili so we warmed up and had chili nachos. Mmm, perfect for a snowday. Today it's sunny and it looks like the snow's starting to melt; the roads, at least, look half-driveable. It's unfortunate that Jeff's parents were supposed to fly in yesterday... they're hoping to get in tomorrow at least. I don't have work Monday anyway but I'm hoping Jeff gets off too so we can do fun stuff.

What's Going on Now

So I've been a little lazy in my blogging, it's true, and so I'm way out of date at the moment. So a quick overview:

-I graduated from college, summa cum laude. I'll be getting my diploma in the mail any day now.

-I moved to DC to live with Jeff.

-Jeff and I went to his parents' house for Christmas day, and my parents' the day after.

-For New Year's, we had a gathering in DC.

-Jan. 2 we went to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's for a general holiday celebration.

-Jan. 3 we went up to NYC, Jeff on the train and me on the bus. We ate a lot of great food and I did lots of fun things including meeting up with Michelle (for more info look at my Yelp reviews).

-Jan. 5 I was offered an internship at the Smithsonian, and ended up taking it.

-Jan. 9 we returned to DC.

-Jan. 13, my 22nd birthday, I started an internship at Amnesty International. I'll mostly be doing admin stuff, and working there Wednesday through Friday until the end of April.

-Today I got fingerprinted for the Smithsonian and made the first attempt to apply for food stamps, unsuccessfully, because they weren't taking any more new people today since they were full. Alas... I'm going to watch an episode of Dexter then try to make some vegetarian chili.

I start at the Smithsonian Feb. 1, hopefully. I will try to blog more.

sorry about all these surveys... blame tumblr

breeawnuhh:followmeunder:gruesomegabby:beedonk:

A - AVAILABLE: No.
B - BIRTHDAY: January 13th
C - CRUSHING ON: Jeff :)
D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Water
E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: Jeff
F - FAVORITE SONG: dunno. Really addicted to Bad Romance right now.
G - GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: Bears.
H - HOMETOWN: Melfa, VA
I - IN LOVE WITH: Jeff
J - JUGGLE: Yes, I can.
K - KILLED SOMEONE: No.
L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: 14 hours.
M - MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Chocolate.
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 1
O - ONE WISH: to travel the world.
P - PERSON WHO CALLED YOU LAST: Jeff
Q - QUICKIE: mmkay :)
R - REASON TO SMILE: life!
S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Clockwatching by Jason Mraz
T - TIME YOU WOKE UP: 1 pm
U - UNDERWEAR COLOR: gray.
V - VEGETABLE(S): delicious!
W - WORST HABIT: cracking my knuckles.
X - X-RAYS YOU’VE HAD: teeth, maybe some others.
Y – YO-YO’S ARE: so 90s.
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn.

Random About You:
—Spell your name without vowels: rchl.
—What color do you wear most?: green and red
—Least favorite color?: hmm... bright yellow.
—What are you listening to?: Set Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainwright
—Are you happy with your life right now? yes!
—What is your favorite class in school?: it was probably Global Sex and Gender
—When do you start back at school/college?: I'm finished. Potentially forever.
—Are you outgoing?: yes
—Favorite pair of shoes?: sneakers
—Where do you wish you were right now?: in DC already.
—Can you dance?: yes
—Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth?: no.
—Can you whistle?: Yes.
—Write with both hands?: Yes.
—Can you walk with your toes curled ?: maybe?

THE DO’S:
—Do you believe there is life on other planets? I won't discount it completely.
—Do you believe in magic?: Yeah, sort of.
—Love at first sight?: Not really.
—Do you believe in Santa?: no.
—Do you know how to swim?: Yes.
—Do you like roller coasters?: Yes.

THE HAVES:
—Have you ever been on a plane?: Yes.
—Have you ever asked someone out?: No, actually.
—Have you ever been to the ocean?: Yes.
—Have you ever painted your nails?: Yes.

THE WHATS:
—What is the temperature outside?: 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
—What radio station do you listen to?: 100.5, 94.9, 96.1
—What was the last place you ate at?: Jamestown North.
—What was the last thing you bought?: Pizza.
—What was the last thing on TV you watched?: hmm... How I met Your Mother probably.

THE WHO’S:
—Who was the last person you IM’d?: umm... Jeff? Zach? Carla?
—Who was the last person you took a picture of?: Jeff?
—Who was the last person you said ‘I love you’ to?: Jeff

CRYING SECTION:
—Ever really cried your heart out?: Yes.
—Ever cried yourself to sleep?: Yes.
—Ever cried on your friend’s shoulder?: Yes.
—Ever cried over the opposite sex?: Yes.
—Do you cry when you get an injury?: Sometimes.
—Do certain songs make you cry?: Yes.

LOVE SECTION:
—How many times have you had your heart broken?: Once.
—What is your current hair color?: Dark blonde/light brown.
—Current piercings?: Ears X2 in each
—Have any tattoos?: 5
—Eye color?: Brown.

IN A BOY/GIRL:
—Favorite eye color: don't care.
—Short or long hair: Short.
—Height: Any.

HAVE YOU EVER:
—Been to jail: No.
—Mooned someone: No.
—Ran away from home?: No.
—Laughed so hard you cried?: Yes.
—Cried in school?: Yes.
—Thrown up in a store?: No.
—Is there something really stupid that you still laugh at today?: Yes.

THIS OR THAT
—Pepsi or Coke: Coke.
—McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald’s.
—Single or Group Dates: Single.
—Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate.
—Strawberries or Blueberries: Strawberries.
—Meat or Veggies: Veggies.
—TV or Movie: Movies.
—Guitar or Drums: Guitar.
—Adidas or Nike: Nike.
—Chinese or Mexican: Mexican.
—Cheerios or Corn Flakes: Cheerios.
—Cake or Pie: Cake.

Quirky personality traits

Here is a list of quirky personality traits! Bold what applies to you, strike what you can’t stand.

I always announce when I have to pee/use the bathroom.
I won’t eat my food if it touches a different food.
I will not blow my nose in front of other people.
I put my feet up on everything.
I say hello to everyone I see.
I have a tendency to make everything awkward.
My mind always wanders to the “sexual” side of things.
I always follow things up with “That’s what she said!”
I’m too embarrassed to ask my friends/family for tampons.
I use chapstick/lip balm religiously.
I check my accounts online in order every time I get on the computer.
If I get up from the computer, even for a second, I put an away message up.
I’m always leaving my phone in random places.
I always keep on earbud out, in case someone needs to talk to me.
I mark off every day on the calendar.
I have the same routine every time I take a shower.
I will not go out in public without makeup on.
Everything about my life is very neat. It has to be.
I make a to-do list every day, and I’m lost without it. (or most days)
I always check my phone the second I wake up.
I have to pee before bed.
I laugh when I hear/see the number 69.
I yell “Burn!” when someone disses someone else (or I do).
I take off my shoes when I get inside the house.
I can’t stand silence. Especially when I drive.
I have to listen to something or I can’t fall asleep.
I have to have the TV on or I can’t fall asleep.
I don’t use public bathrooms. Period.
I will NOT fart in front of anyone.

I will absolutely NOT fart in front of my boyfriend/girlfriend.
All my music on iTunes has to have album art.
Going a day without changing my underwear, NEVER, EVER happens.
I tend to skip showers frequently. (when I'm taking classes it's an every-other-day thing)
I count to 20 (seconds) when I wash my hands.
I’m always forgetting to take my pills.
I have panic attacks frequently.
The door(s) must be shut before I go to bed.
I’m always saying chat lingo out loud (example: “L-O-L” or “W-T-F”)
I swear way too much for my own good.
I re-write (or type) all my notes.
Without thinking twice, I always correct spelling/grammar mistakes.
I go for weeks without checking my email.
I show up late to work all the time.
I number my surveys (in the title).
I number the questions on all my surveys.

2009

things i did in 2009.

( ) stayed single for the whole year
(x) made out in/on a car
( ) kissed in the snow
(x) celebrated Halloween
(x) kissed in the rain
( ) had your heart broken
( ) broke someone else’s heart
( ) had a stalker
( ) went over the minutes on your cell phone
(x) had a good relationship with someone
(x) someone questioned your sexual orientation
( ) gotten pregnant
( ) had an abortion
(x) have a relationship with someone you’ll never forget
( ) done something you’ve regretted
( ) lost faith in love
( ) kissed under a mistletoe
( ) painted a picture
(x) wrote a poem
( ) ran a mile
( ) shopped at Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch
(x) posted a blog
(x) listened to music you couldn’t stand
(x) went to a sleepover
( ) went camping
( ) threw a surprise party
(x) laughed till you cried
( ) laughed till you peed in your pants
(x) visited a foreign country
( ) cut in a line of waiting people
(x) told someone you were busy when you weren’t
(x) partied to celebrate the new year
( ) cooked a disastrous meal
( ) lost something/someone important to you
( ) broke a promise
( ) lied
( ) went behind your parents back
( ) cried over a broken heart
( ) disappointed someone close
( ) hid a secret
( ) pretended to be happy
( ) slept under the stars
( ) kept your new years resolution
(x) forgot your new years resolution
( ) met someone who changed your life
( ) met one of your idols
(x) changed your outlook on life
(x) sat home all day doing nothing
( ) pretended to be sick
(x) left the country
( ) almost died
( ) given up something important to you
( ) lost something expensive
(x) learned something new about yourself
(x) tried something you normally wouldn’t try and liked it
(x) made a change in your life
(x) found out who your true friends were
(x) met great people
( ) stayed up til sunrise
(x) cried over the silliest thing
( ) was never home on weekends
( ) got into a car accident
(x) had friends who were drifting away from you
( ) had someone close to you die
( ) had a high cell phone bill
(x) spent most of your money on food
( ) had a fist fight
(x) went to the beach with your best friend
( ) saw a celebrity
(x) gotten sick
( ) liked more than 5 people at the same time
(x) became closer with a lot of people