National Christmas Tree

I went downtown on Saturday to check out the National Christmas Tree. It's something I hadn't done since I went to the tree lighting my first year living here. Honestly, the tree is a little underwhelming. Apparently they don't turn the lights on during the day.

There are also smaller trees to represent each U.S. state and territory.



I was pleasantly surprised to see there was a nativity scene!



First Snow

We got our first significant snow of the season today! I have mixed feelings about it; it's pretty to look at and fun to photograph, but on the other hand it's a nuisance to get around in, a pain to shovel, and a reminder that it will be a long time before I feel the warmth of spring.

I got home a little early today, took a walk, and snapped some pictures before it got too dark. I've been living here for so long that I feel like I'm starting to take pictures of the same things over and over again, especiallly when it snows. Hopefully I can keep things from looking too stale.

Yes, the river is frozen.

A White House Christmas

I had the privilege of visiting the White House this past Wednesday. My office had organized a tour, and I use the word "tour" loosely. Basically you're let into the house (after multiple security checkpoints), you walk through some of the public rooms on your own, and then you leave. There are Secret Service agents stationed in each room to answer questions in addition to watching everyone like hawks.

I had been to the White House once before when I was an intern in the summer of 2001. Those were innocent days and the rules were a little more relaxed. I think we actually got a guided tour that time. But I had never seen the White House all decked out for Christmas, and I was really excited about that. Unfortunately they do not allow cameras inside the house, so I couldn't document my visit like I wanted to. (The White House website has a brief behind-the-scenes video about their Christmas decorations.) The only proof I have is this little souvenir booklet:

There weren't any actual photographs in the booklet, but it did contain some nice drawings that depicted some of the themes.

And there were some recipes from the White House kitchen! You know I'll be making this apple cake...

I'm so fortunate that I had this great opportunity. Merry Christmas to everyone! I'll be seeing some of you very soon. :)

Audra's wedding

Last weekend I went to Audra's wedding. It was fun being with all my girls, and of course Audra looked beautiful!

Congratulations, Audra and Dan! I love you guys!!

Fall Fun

Fall sure did sneak up on us! It seems like we were suffering through hot weather not too long ago, and now suddenly the leaves are changing and there's a slight chill in the air. I've been busy with fall-related activities lately. I went to Shenandoah two weeks ago, and last weekend I went apple picking at a farm in Maryland. Here are a few photos documenting the trips.

A view of the Shenandoah Valley, starting to take on its fall color.

Down on the farm...

Orchid Madness

I went to an orchid show at the Arboretum today, and I actually bought an orchid! Isn't she pretty?

Let's just hope I don't kill her within a week. (I've never been that great with plants.)

Also? It's starting to look like fall!

Twilight cruise and BONUS: Celebrity sighting!

Last night I went on a twilight cruise down the Potomac River (using my handy dandy Groupon). It was a lovely evening; the reflection of the lights on the water created such a peaceful ambience. As I sipped my plastic cup of riesling while watching the sun go down, I suddenly realized that we had a bona fide celebrity in our midst. None other than Dennis Kucinich and his gorgeous Amazon wife! (They had actually been standing right next to me practically the whole time.) So of course I did what any normal person would do: I had my friend take a picture of me with Kucinich in the background.

The picture actually turned out kind of cool, although you can't tell that's Kucinich. Hence my awesome Photoshop skillz pointing him out.

Other than the excitement of the celebrity sighting, it was a nice quiet cruise. Unfortunately the dark lighting combined with the movement of the boat prevented me from getting any really good pictures. Here are a few "highlights:"

Peace like a river

The weather has been lovely this weekend, and yesterday I drove out to Great Falls in search of some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, everyone else had that same idea. Eventually I found a little secluded area along the river and was able to sit undisturbed for a while.

I also discovered this dam on the northern side of the park, which reminded me of that scene in Robin Hood where he battles Little John.

Happy Labor Day, y'all! Hopefully you were able to get outside and enjoy the weather.

Sweet Home California

I recently returned from a week-long vacation to California. I keep raving to everyone about how perfect the weather was out there. After living in this swamp for so long, I had forgotten what comfortable weather felt like.

The first few days were spent in Fresno. My dad and I went biking in the park one day and we came upon a flock of ducks and geese hanging out in the shade. I stopped to take a closer look, and apparently they thought I had food because they all started charging towards me while making loud noises. It was slightly terrifying. I almost had to make a break for it.

Fortunately they didn't attack us and eventually they calmed down. So we sat and watched them for a bit.

Also while in Fresno, we did one of my favorite things: drink wine! We visited a couple wineries, and Ficklin Winery was my favorite in terms of their facility. The winery was started in the 1940s by a Portuguese immigrant and they still use the same equipment today.

These bottles of wine date back to when the winery first opened.

Grape vines as far as the eye can see.

The sight of canals makes me a little nostalgic. When I was training for basketball, we had to run the length of the canal in front of our high school - about two miles - twice a week. It felt so far.

Now for the really exciting part of the trip: Disneyland!

I hadn't been there since our senior class went on a graduation trip in 1998. It's amazing how much smaller the park feels when you're a grown-up. For instance, I could've sworn that Sleeping Beauty's castle was the size of a small skyscraper. It's not.

Little Alex was in a foul mood for the first half of the day.

We went on the Jungle Cruise, which was always one of my favorites.

Everyone had a good time...

Except Alex. I guess he doesn't like animatronic elephants.

We then took a steamboat ride on the Mark Twain, which I think made everyone happy.

Grace and I getting ready to go on Thunder Mountain, during which I discovered that I still scream like a little girl.

Hanging out in New Orleans Square.

The Teacups and Matterhorn.

Action shot!

It's a Small World: The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed!

We saw Mary Poppins and Burt! I kind of wanted to ask them to sing "Jolly Holiday."

The day ended with fireworks over Sleeping Beauty's castle. The whole day seemed to go by so quickly! Sigh.

The next day we had cake for Tricia's birthday, which of course mesmerized the kids.

Then on my last day in town, we visited the Simi Valley Historical Museum.

They basically moved all of the city's oldest buildings onto one site. This was Simi Valley's first church.

The oldest house - El Rancho Simi - was built in 1795. I was surprised they had anything that old! This is the only building that is original to the site.

This building was used for fruit packing. I love the murals; if I remember correctly they were painted from actual photographs.

I enjoyed my visit with everyone, and I wish I could've spent more time out there. It's too bad we didn't make it to the beach! Maybe next time.