Happy birthday to me!

This post is a little belated, but I celebrated a milestone birthday a few weeks ago. My girlfriends and I were supposed to go to Bedford Springs for a spa weekend, but the crazy snowpocalypse hit and our trip got postponed. So we wound up going last weekend and luckily the weather cooperated this time.

The destination was the historic Bedford Springs Resort in southern Pennsylvania, about two and a half hours from DC.

And let me tell y'all, this place was NICE. Everything was so luxurious; I definitely could have stayed an extra day or two.

When we arrived on Friday night, there was a little cake awating me in my room (thanks, ladies!). And it was delicious. (The champagne was supplied by yours truly.)

We basically didn't leave the hotel the entire time. There wasn't really a need to.

There were cozy fireplaces and wing-backed chairs everywhere. (These are my girls Kim, Kara, and Audra.)

The library was my favorite room (obviously).

They had puzzles set up on various tables in the library. Those were easy to get sucked into. I think we may have lost some sleep trying to figure them out. Here's Kara and Kim diligently working on one.

The indoor swimming pool was just lovely. I felt like I was in the private mansion of some Gilded Age tycoon.

We spent half the day Saturday at the spa, which I don't have any pictures of (but trust me, it was amazing). I got an aromatherapy massage, then sat in the "relaxation lounge" with a cup of tea for about an hour. Then we sat in the whirlpool for a while.

In the afternoon we participated in a cooking class with the hotel's top chefs. That was a lot of fun. I don't have any pictures of that because I was too busy cooking lamb (and it was delicious). I know one of the girls has a picture of me holding a chef's knife. I'll have to post that if I ever get a copy of it.

Saturday night we got all dressed up for dinner.

And we got some free pre-dinner cocktails because it was my birthday. :)

On Sunday we walked around downtown Bedford. Unfortunately most shops were closed because it was Sunday. Including the Banjo Shop, which every town needs.

It's a quaint little town though, with some nice historic architecture.

Then we drove through the beautiful Pennsyvlania countryside back home to DC.

The weekend went by way too quickly, but I think it's safe to say that I had the best birthday ever. Thanks, girls, for sharing it with me! And thanks for the great birthday present!

P.S. You can view more photos here.

Snowpocalypse: The Continuing Story

Today the federal government was closed for an unprecedented fourth day in a row due to weather. We had yet another blizzard yesterday that brought about 10 inches of snow on top of what was already on the ground. The snow on our back deck was about waist-high.

While I am sick of the snow by now (not to mention sore from all the shoveling), it has been nice not going to work all week. It's like vacation! Except I can't really go anywhere.

The aftermath

Today was a beautiful day; everyone was outside shoveling sidewalks and digging cars out. I only wish I had a sled so I could really enjoy the snow day.

I cleaned my car off, but I don't think I'll be driving anywhere for a while.

I also tried making a snowman, but it just turned out looking like an amorphous blob. The snow was pretty fluffy and it didn't stick together very well. I might attempt to beef him up tomorrow.

It was a great day for a walk. Here's another picture of Christ Church (which was featured in yesterday's post).

And I really like this tree:

Now for the good news...NO WORK TOMORROW!!! The roads are pretty messy. Who knows when they'll be able to clear everything up. But I'm ok with it!

The Blizzard of 2010...

...a.k.a., "snowpocalypse" or "snowmaggedon." The snow finally stopped around 5:30 today, and I think the official accumulation for DC is 20 inches. Needless to say, I've been stuck inside practically all day. And to make matters worse, the cable is out!!! Seriously, how am I supposed to survive?? Thank God for Netflix and Hulu.

I did manage to go out for a walk this afternoon with my roommate Kristin and her mom, who is in town from California (and was supposed to fly out today). Conditions were very cold and windy, but the scenery was so pretty. It was also rather quiet and peaceful.

Walking down King Street. Surprisingly, there were a few restaurants open.

We saw a few downed tree branches...

And even a bent lamp post.

Kristin got in the spirit and made a snow angel.

Here's our house before I shoveled the walk...

And the "after."

It'll be a lot of working digging out tomorrow. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the federal government will be closed on Monday!

Library of Congress

*Sigh*

The snowpocalypse is underway, thus ruining my birthday weekend plans. Looks like I'll be stuck inside for a few days. However, I now have plenty of time to post some pictures I took recently.

I've been participating in the Modern Archives Institute for the past two weeks. Yesterday we visited the Library of Congress and got a personal tour of the Jefferson Building. I can't believe I've lived in DC for over 7 years and have never toured the Library of Congress. The public spaces are gorgeous.

Also, look what I found while taking a tour of the stacks:

Façade

I came across this building downtown today and I was so intrigued by the façade on it. I have no idea what the building is or why it was built that way. It almost looks like a fake movie set.

Home for the Holidays

I just returned from another whirlwind tour of California, visiting family members that live all over the state. My first order of business, aside from getting an In-N-Out burger, was going to Yosemite. My family used to go there all the time when I was growing up, but I hadn't been there in years. I was itching for that fresh mountain air and the aroma of pine trees.

Behold! Yosemite Valley in all its glory.

We ate lunch at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel.

The interior is always decorated so charmingly during Christmas.

After lunch we took a walk and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery.

That's Yosemite Falls off in the distance.

*Sigh* I miss it already.

On Christmas Day we went to my brother's house.

The happy family.

Dad and my brother...wearing one of his famous Chuck Norris t-shirts. (In case you can't read it, it says "Chuck Norris doesn't break hearts; he breaks legs.")

John with Sierra. I love this picture.

Two days later we went to my sister's house to visit her clan.

Tricia with Alex and Corinne.

Dad and Grace. I can't believe she was born when I was a sophomore in college! Yikes.

Baby Elise.

Little Alex got glasses!! So cute.

Well, that's it. It was great seeing everyone. I wish we could do it more often. Happy New Year!

A Day at the Newseum

I recently visited the Newseum, just before departing for Christmas vacation. It opened in its new space in 2008 and I've been wanting to check it out for the longest time. But with its steep admission price, the free Smithsonian museums were always an attractive alternative. Luckily I got a discounted ticket through the amazing Groupon website. I emphasize "luckily" because, although it's sleek and high tech, the museum is not worth the price of admission.

The Newseum is a museum dedicated to telling the story of journalists and the history of the media. It's also home to the Freedom Forum, a group that is focused on defending the First Amdendment.

Even though I didn't find the content of the museum to be all that exciting, the building and the views are spectacular.

Next door is the Canadian Embassy, and a few blocks down the street is the Capitol building.

Across the street is the National Gallery of Art. (Notice the melting snow trickling down the glass.)

There's a view of the Mall and the Smithsonian Castle.

Ok, so there was one pretty cool thing in the museum. A piece of the Berlin Wall and a guard tower.