Check your tires

This is an embarrassing story. 

In 2011, I blew out one of my tires on the highway on my way to teach school in the morning. Thank God for AAA, they came right away, put on my donut, and I went to school and promptly made an appointment to get a new tire. Not knowing much about cars, tires, or anything outside of my neighborhood in DC, I picked Sears- it seemed like a safe, retail-chain bet. A sad "adults know this but kids don't" thing I learned is that when you blow out one tire, you actually need to replace a pair of them, because you have to keep the wear on the treads even. What a buzzkill. Hundreds of dollars and two new tires later, I left Sears. 

For the next two years, I drove around on my new tires. Now, I live in DC- the district of congestion- and after I stopped teaching, my commute shrank to 3-4 miles, mostly at speeds of 15mph or lower. I kid you not, sometimes I think I could have jogged to work faster than I drove for the last two years. Alternately, I took the metro. So needless to say, my car didn't see very much action, save a rare trip to a concert in the suburbs or to BWI airport. 

But things changed once I started my new job this summer. Now, I spend hours each day in the car, driving all over the highways of Northern Virginia, the beltway around the city, and even up into Montgomery County. One huge pro to driving my car at highway speeds is that my gas mileage has really improved! But after a few weeks, I realized that my car was shimmying. Any time I hit 55mph or more, my steering wheel wiggled and if I looked over at my purse in the passenger seat, I could see it shaking. 

I got scared. I remembered a fearful story from a friend about this exact symptom, followed by her tire LITERALLY falling off her car. Google told me it was probably just a tire-balance issue, but just in the same way that WebMD will convince you that you have Lupus every time, my internet search on "shaking steering wheel" didn't do much to calm my fear. I brought my car in to the dealer the next day. 

My mechanic's name is also Tori, so we have a pretty good bond going on. She called me back to the desk just 10 minutes after I turned over the keys. I didn't even have time to connect to the waiting room Wifi. "Tori!' She called. "Did you by any chance lend your car to someone who may have blown out a tire and replaced it?"

Uh, what? 

"No, why?" I responded, baffled. 

"Because you actually have one tire that is a DIFFERENT SIZE from the other three tires on the car. Have you ever had any tires replaced from a blow out?" 

And here's the embarrassing part of this story: Yes. In 2011. 

Apparently, I have had a wrong-size tire on my car for more than two years and never noticed. I felt so stupid, but then I asked my mechanic why they hadn't noticed it either during the full circle inspections I've gotten in the last two years... her response? "If you're not looking for it, well, you're not looking for it!" 

Luckily, I still had my receipt from Sears, and they replaced the tire for me without any hassle or cost, even two years later. But buyer beware: As I have started telling this story to friends, two other people have had the exact same thing happen to them! It's insane to me to think that someone whose job it is to put on tires would put on two different sized tires, but I guess they kind of are all round, black and made of rubber. The moral to the story is this:

1- If you have new tires being put on your car, check the sides and make sure they are all the same size!

2- SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!!!!!!!!! 

Cheers to a wobble-free future. 

Peace and Love. 

Meet Basil

A few weeks ago, I bought a bunch of basil at the supermarket. I was going to make pork banh mi sandwiches (a new obsession!) but realized that I wasn't going to be home for most of the week at dinner time. I didn't want my basil to go bad, as it was key to the recipe.

I figured fresh basil couldn't be that different from fresh flowers. So to keep it green, instead of just throwing the package in the fridge, I clipped the bottoms on an angle and stuck it in a vase on my windowsill.

Fast forward to the end of the week. I was so impressed with how green and pretty my basil had stayed, no wilting whatsoever and adding a lovely fragrance to my little kitchen. But upon closer observation, I realized that there was something else going on here-- my basil had grown roots in the vase! The clippings were growing into their own plant!

I had no idea you could do this with basil, but I have seen my dad do this for years with Christmas cactus clippings. I decided to plant my newly-sprouted clippings in a pot with some dirt I covertly stole from my apartment's flower beds using a laundry detergent cap as a shovel, and hope for the best.

I am happy to report that a few weeks later, and with some proper pruning, my basil is growing strong!! And more exciting news-- my friend Holly has given me some mint clippings, which apparently do the same thing. I guess I might need to pick up some actual pots and soil from the hardware store soon.

My mini-ist of gardens. 

I'm so excited about my little urban garden! If any of you have any other plants you think could do well in my studio apartment windowsill, I'd love to know!

Peace and Love.

Playing Pioneers

What was life like before the advent of smartphones? I completely admit, I am addicted to mine. I am that sicko millennial who checks Facebook 20 times a day, texts more than is humanly possible, has every email forwarded to my phone from both my work and personal inboxes, and... I confess... who sleeps with her phone under her pillow so as NOT TO MISS ANYTHING!

Things were bad enough when my Internet shorted out this weekend. So, imagine the creep of cold dread that happened as I scooted across my couch, reaching for a book, landed on my purse, and heard a faint, sad crackle.

Yep. Goodbye LED screen! And goodbye phone! And goodbye remaining connection to the Internet! Thankfully I know that I'm prone to klutz moves like this one, so I have insurance. I will get a new phone in "3-5 business days," but until then I figure I will just have to use my oven timer to wake up in the morning (no, I don't even own an alarm clock), check emails at work, and take this new-found freedom to update my blog from the public Internet in my building lounge!

It's actually been a very creative few weeks so there's lots of fun to tell about! Even though my phone is busted, the memory card is OK, and I was able to salvage a few pictures from my recent adventures.

Following in my Dad's weird hobby footsteps, my friend Kate and I decided to take a random pickling class. I actually thought it was one of the most useful of the cooking classes I have taken so far in DC. You can pickle pretty much anything and I felt like I learned so much about not just pickles, but preserves and food safety in general. In the class, we made pickled oysters, pickled vegetables, and even pickle cocktails! (I'll pass on the cocktails from here on out, but I have to say that the pickle juice does cut the alcohol flavor entirely, a lot like a martini.)

Pickles on the left, pickle cocktail on the right. 

Continuing the creative trend, my coworker Rachel came over to my house and taught me some cake decorating basics! I know how to do a basket weave now, everyone! And stars! And bows and leaves! This is something I've wanted to learn since high school so I'm glad I finally took a stab at it. Roses are still a mystery to me and I can't even picture how my mother had the patience to create all the amazing cakes she did throughout our childhood, but I will say this: homemade birthday cake frosting RULES. I forgot how good that awful stuff is. Check out my handiwork below!

Finally, it was a great party weekend and I've been so lucky to be extremely well entertained and well fed for the last five days. The gluttony peaked this weekend at one of Jason's colleagues' weddings. The bride and groom's families are both from India, so this was a humongous traditional Indian wedding, and it was a blast! No expense was spared, and it was so cool to see a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. The outfits are stunningly beautiful, and the traditions are at once meaningful and playful between the bride and the groom. And of course, the authentic Indian food literally made my nose run, but it didn't stop me from eating platefuls. Delicious!

So, that's all for now. Looking forward to reconnecting with the universe in just a few days. Until then, off to read the paperback book I picked up from my apartment building's club room.

Peace and Love,
Tori

A Dream is a Wish...

"...If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true."

What bunk. I've been wishing hard every second since I got home that I was back in Disneyworld, but every time I wake up, I'm still in my own bed!

That's the amazing thing about Disneyworld. Everything about it is just so...darn...perfect! I can't figure out how something this enormous, with this many moving parts, works so well. Everyone is so happy, from the bus drivers to the ride operators to the waitresses. It reminded me of my summer at the Dodgers, where Dr. Charles had a group of us doing research on the total experience of going to a ballgame. He proposed that the experience started the moment you entered the parking lot to the moment you left. How was the view as you walked in? Where did you eat? Was ketchup available? Did the bathrooms have a hook on the door for your purse? It was those details, he hypothesized, that were more important to having a returning fan base, than if the team won or lost. Well, this is what I mean by the perfection at Disney. Everything, and I mean everything, was ideal. And that perfection, and that happiness- manufactured or not-- does rub off on you!

Jason and I only had two days of park passes, and with his conference, we probably couldn't have done it any differently. Saturday we took on Magic Kingdom. We slept in and got to the park around 2pm. It sounds late, but we realized that we had an extraordinary advantage over the vast majority of people there: No strollers! With nothing to hold us back and map in hand, we plotted our path and then boom! boom! boom! ran from ride to ride to ride. Disney has an amazing system now called "FastPass." It's included with your admission. You pick a ride you really want to go on (Say, Space Mountain.) You put your card into the FastPass machine. You'll get an entry ticket for a future time, usually about an hour or so later. At that time, you can return to Space Mountain, and cut the entire line and hop right on! Disney also has cellphone apps now that tell you the actual wait time at any ride around the park. So if at 3pm you get your ticket for a 4:30 ride on Space Mountain, you can check the app and see what other rides that have short waits to fill in the times... Pirates of the Caribbean here we come! That's where our mobility came into play. We probably zigzagged back and forth across the whole park 15 times. Then something else glorious happened...at 8:30pm, the park became empty. We could walk on to any ride we wanted between 8:30 and 11pm. So we did just that! By the end of the day, we were totally sweaty, filthy, and gross, but we had taken Magic Kingdom by storm and even rode Space Mountain twice. Somewhere in the middle of this day, my camera broke, but not before getting this one happy picture:

Our second day was at Epcot. Ugh, if there was ever a park that needed more time! Epcot is huge and definitely more "adult-y." I remember thinking it was kind of boring as a kid and now I know why. The rides are definitely not the best part. The best part is the "World Showcase" where Disney has basically blown up "It's a Small World" and lets you walk around to different "Countries." The people working at these little villages are all authentically from those countries, and you can buy food and booze all along the way and shop and dine. But with just a half day there, we did the FastPass war again and suddenly found ourselves at 8:45pm with the park about to close at 9pm. (The 11pm close at Magic Kingdom really made a huge difference!). We had just started our "around the world" journey and suddenly realized that we had no time! The last boat back to our hotel left at 10pm, so we sat down in "Germany" for dinner and had to call it a night.

There's so much more I could write about Disney. The hotels could be a vacation all by themselves. The restaurants, the water slides, the sand-bottom pools, the towels wrapped up to look like Mickey, it was all too perfect and too fun. Jason and I were actually and truly sad at the airport on our way back, in disbelief that it was over. At least I had a smile this morning while I drank my coffee:

I hope that if you're reading this, and you're a grown-up, you think about going back to Disney soon. It could be with a group of girlfriends, your parents and siblings, or maybe someone special! But doing Disney as an adult is just as awesome as it was when you were a kid. If anyone is planning a trip, find me and I will be happy to share what I learned!!

Peace and Love.

Ticklin' the Ivories

Tonight, as a conclusion to one of my New Year's resolutions, I had my first ever piano recital.

I have performed in so many venues in my life, from massive crowded ball parks to intimate family picnics. It's always interesting to me what situations make me nervous and what situations feel like a breeze. Playing the piano in a small college auditorium, hilariously enough, was one of the more nerve-wracking encounters in my performing career!

This is pretty ironic considering that less than a year ago, I sang in front of 35,000 people at Fenway Park. But it's a totally different feeling. By and large, big audiences feel anonymous. You can't actually see whom you are singing to, so it feels almost like you are performing by yourself. But put me in front of a small crowd (that included my boss, by the way) and it's a whole different world. You can see people's faces, hear their voices! They can see your mistakes UP CLOSE! 

Obviously that's a silly thought, because they don't notice your mistakes ever. But it just feels that way, especially when your hands are visibly shaking over the keys! And especially when it's your first stab at really performing an instrument that still feels so new to you! 

Besides the super shaky hands (thanks, Dad, for the genetically inherited occupational tremor!) tonight actually went very well. I was the last act in the recital of all of the vocal and piano students for the semester. My friends Amanda and Meredith came to listen to me play and Jason was there, too! It was so nice to have my friends there to cheer me on. Even though it made me nervous to have them there, it was also really joyful! 

If you are a real piano player and you watch this video, you will laugh because it is so simple. But I am really proud of how far I've come in just 12 weeks of lessons. When I started, I couldn't play a scale or even read a bass clef. I have decided to keep taking piano for a little while even though the school year is over-- it's just too fun, and I'd like to eventually be able to accompany myself when I sing! Maybe next time there won't be so much shaking! 

Enjoy! Peace and Love. 

Blossoms by Night

I have bad luck trying to visit the Cherry Blossoms. It seems like every year, I'm just a little bit off and I always wind up disappointed. One year, I was on vacation during peak weak. Another year, I helped a friend schedule a visit with her whole family, only for them all to bloom and and fall off extremely early before they arrived. Even this year, my grandparents visited last weekend, scheduled to be the "peak," only to find that most of the blooms had not yet arrived. But I was bound and determined that this year, I'd go see them in all their glory! 

Jason and I decided to go Friday after work, but a batch of loud morning thunderstorms that day had taken their toll. The ground was covered with petals like snow, blown off by the wind and the rain, and green leaves dominated most of the trees. As we approached the tidal basin, I also realized our timing was off. At close to 8 pm, it was dusk more than sunset, so already it was hard to see the expanses of pink and white in the distance that make the experience so breath-taking. 

"Ugh," I sighed. "We missed it. And it's dark. This is very underwhelming." 

"Just keep an open mind," Jason replied. "We'll just go for a walk, it will be nice up close." 

So we carried on, and decided to loop the trail and just enjoy an evening stroll since we were there already. But we hadn't gone far when I noticed a bobbling white paper lantern, and a small group gathered around the distinctive shape of a park ranger hat. My grandpa has always taught me to stop and listen to these kinds of things, since volunteers and tour guides will always know more and be able to tell you the inside story, so I tugged on Jason's sleeve to stop and listen, if just for a few minutes. 

Well, before I knew it, the park ranger, Doreen, had passed off her lantern to me so she could hold up photos as she told the incredible history behind the Cherry Blossoms in DC. I was entranced, right along with the rest of the tourists. Doreen was someone with passion and warmth, she loved her job and was such a good storyteller.

Doreen is in the background!

A few minutes quickly became more than an hour as we followed Doreen around the basin path, stopping every so often to learn about the people, history and science that lead to the amazing festival we have today. For example, I didn't know that the trees we see today were actually a second batch sent from Japan-- the first batch arrived to Washington infested with insects and disease and had to be burned. And I'd never heard about the society ladies that chained themselves to the cherry trees in protest over the construction of the Jefferson memorial (Sadly, their noble efforts didn't amount to much-- the memorial stands, as FDR wasn't interested in their environmental "flim-flam.") We also learned about the conflict the park rangers face each year as trees' natural predators, beavers, try to make a home by chewing down these diplomatic gifts! 

I love cheesy things like this tour, and couldn't have been more pleased that we had run into this group. I left the tidal basin skipping and smiling, and Jason teased me with a healthy dose of "I told you so." Running into that tour was a complete surprise for both of us, but proves that you never know what amazing things can come out of a situation if you refuse to write it off as a failure. Just take a walk and see what you find!

You can read the official history here: http://www.nps.gov/cherry/cherry-blossom-history.htm

Peace and Love. 

Wowee... Grandma and Papa visit DC

It's been a long time since I last wrote in this blog, and with Lent over and my return to social media, I decided now was the perfect time to revisit my writing. Especially because this blog's two biggest fans-- my Grandma and my Papa-- were here to visit me in DC this weekend!

I've worked with children of all ages for a very long time, and one of my favorite things about working with kids is how differently they see the world. It's refreshing to look at life through that different lens, to feel their energy and appreciation for the little things like lunchtime or discovering a dandelion puff. But spending the weekend with my grandparents this weekend (as well as with my other Grandma a few weeks ago) has really got me appreciating the view of the world through the eyes of people who have been on this planet for 8 decades.

My grandparents are still very active, and wanted to visit the Air and Space museum, the cherry blossoms, and the World War II memorial, which wasn't there the last time they were in DC. It was a lot of walking and rides on the metro, but they were troopers! We decided to go to Air and Space first.

I have been to Air and Space a half dozen times, and have reached the point in my life where the Smithsonians are old news. But being there with my grandparents made the museum come alive in a whole new way. My grandparents wanted to check out the WWI and WWII exhibits. For them, it was not just a museum, it was a trip into their past. It's incredible to me to think that my grandparents lived through these times. For me, WWII is the fodder of American Girl books and TV miniseries. But for my grandparents, looking at a plane isn't just looking at a plane, it's realizing it's the kind of plane that my grandmother's cousin died in. Seeing the pilot's pamphlets and wartime pinups bring my grandparents back to their childhoods. They remember living on rations, listening to the Pearl Harbor bombing on the radio, the people in their towns who earned the medal of honor. I suppose that one day, I'll feel like that walking through the 9/11 exhibit at the Newseum. I'll be able to say, "I was there...I remember that day."

After a long day of sightseeing, we all went out to dinner to Buca di Beppo, which delighted my grandparents with its decorated walls and Italian music. "Wowee!" my Grandpa said. "Never in my life have I been to a place like this!"

Over dinner, even more amazing stories came to out-- for example, I learned that my Grandpa had a speaking role in a John Wayne movie, and that John Wayne was always bumming my Grandpa's cigarettes. I learned that my Grandma's cousin who died in the war was abandoned by his mother who ran off with a man to Reno, and was raised by my great grandparents. If anyone reading this is related to a certain Effie Brown in Reno, our family still has it out for you!! And of course, my grandparents finally met Jason, and loved him, which made us all very happy.

Overall it was a lovely weekend with my grandparents, and I'm thinking of my Grandpa's advice: "Just look forward, no more looking back!!" He and my grandma living it up in Florida this winter, sightseeing all over Williamburg, VA and Washington, DC, and sharing their memories and enjoying each day was a great reminder to love every day that you're alive. Thanks G and P-- I love you!

Peace and Love,
Tori    

Fabulous Florida, YEP and the power of new sneakers

Oooo, those Sunday night jitters. That icky feeling before you head back to the office, a feeling that's somewhere in the middle of "I know I forgot something important" and "Do I have to?!" Are they ever worse than after a long weekend, when they're actually Monday night jitters? Time to update the blog and take my mind off of whatever is coming up tomorrow! 

It's been a great and productive start to the New Year, and I just got back from a work trip to Florida. It sounds pretty luxurious, but trust me, I spent the majority of it in my classy rental Kia Rio driving down the west coast and back up the east coast. Florida is deceptively big. But I did come back with two positive impressions from my trip. First of all, I'm pretty convinced that if I'm lucky enough to grow old, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I can move to one of those amazing retirement communities they have down there. It's like college all over again: You arrive to a totally self-contained campus that's loaded with tons to do, plenty to eat, and everyone living in your building is your age! And they DO have classes, but just like in real college... going is optional! Everyone I met on this trip was having the time of their lives at these places and really living life to the fullest. I was really inspired by the joy with which they embraced every day. 

Secondly, I loved seeing some of Florida's nature up close. Florida had beautiful flowers and tropical trees, but the animals were by far my favorite. There were lizards everywhere! And awesome seabirds and pelicans. And, best of all, I saw this guy! A local told me he is a "gopher tortoise" and that they dig holes and burrow, hence the name.  He looked just like a cartoon, and I almost died when he hid in his shell. If I ever go back for vacation, and have some spare time, I plan on doing a tour of the everglades. I read up on them when I was down there, and they really do seem like the most fascinating place. Plus, what's a trip to Florida without seeing a gator or two? No such luck this time!

Well, hello there.

Back in DC, I've taken on a new challenge. Before Christmas, I applied to be on the board of a national organization called Young Education Professionals. It's a totally volunteer-run non-profit that serves the pretty unique role of uniting everyone in the education area-- teachers, policy makers, non-profit workers, and more-- under one umbrella where they can network, train, share ideas, and more without the traditional "ed reformer vs. traditionalist" battles getting so much in the way. It's primarily targeted at people in their 20's and 30's, and I've enjoyed their events and programming for some time now, so it's great to be in a position to give back. My job, as the Vice President of Development and Partnerships, will be to help raise support for the organization with local individuals, businesses, and foundations. I'm really excited for the role and the chance to rock out E-board meetings again (APO shout out!) Check out the organization here: http://www.youngedprofessionals.org/yep-dc.html

Finally, I'm progressing slowly but surely on my goals for the New Year. I am registered for a piano class (yay!) and got some info about retirement plans from HR. I still haven't called any doctor's offices yet, but I haven't forgotten. I checked off all of my "mini resolutions" last weekend, which was great, and now I'm trucking forward with my other big goals I carried over from last year, including my goal to run a half-marathon in March. I'm reaching that point in my training where I can't chicken out anymore and things are starting to hurt. My "easy" runs are now 4 miles, which means I can't do them so easily on a lunch break if I actually intend to shower, and my hard runs have reached 7 miles, which, well, just stops being fun around mile 5. You real marathoners out there are laughing at me, I know, but sometimes I need to get myself little treats to keep myself going. A new little treat arrived for me in the mail this week: New running shoes! They are Mizunos, my favorites, and I swear-- just like when you wear a new shirt or something for the first time and it feels so glamorous, that's how putting on new running shoes feels. It makes your run so much easier! Just look at my purple shiny feet go!

Zoom zoom.

Anyhow-- that's all for now. My birthday is coming up, and my sister Kat is on her way to visit next weekend. Updates on those adventures next time!

Peace and Love. 

The Token New Year Post.

In every tall building pretty much everywhere, architects decided to skip the 13th floor. 13 is supposed to be bad luck, so, why not just pretend it doesn't exist? Unfortunately, Pope Gregory XIII decided to pass on this option when he signed off on the modern calendar. But, since the Mayans were wrong, and we've all got a nice long 13-ish year to look forward to, I guess now is as good a time as any to make some resolutions for the upcoming year, may good or bad luck prevail!

I debated blogging about my resolutions because, like so many other aspects of my life these days, on paper they look rather boring and adult. But since sharing resolutions makes it statistically more likely that you'll keep them, here we go:

1. Get a primary care physician. Although I've had my own health insurance since I graduated college, I somehow dodged this obligation by using walk-in clinics for the occasional Z-pack and relying on my OB-GYN for pretty much anything else. I have been telling myself for a while that this is a dumb system, and this time, I really intend to do something about it, be a big girl, and get a doctor.

2. Meet with a financial adviser. I now have the opportunity to get a match from my work for money that I put away for retirement. So how much should I put in? How much should I save? Can I ever get back that money I have hidden somewhere in the depths of the State of Maryland's retirement fund from when I was teaching? How much is too much to spend on delivery sushi? Time to let someone who is good at math tell me what to do. Maybe I'll even get crazy and buy some stocks! I've always wanted to buy some shares of Krispie Kreme ever since I picked it for an economics project in high school. Is 2013 the year to invest in sweet and delicious sugar and grease? Maybe....

3. Take a piano or guitar class. At one point in my life, I was learning piano. Then I quit because I was 8 years old and hated practicing. At another point in my life, I was learning guitar. Then I quit that too. (My primary reason for learning that instrument was to take revenge on my 8th grade nemesis by starting my own band, and as you can imagine, that didn't work out well for me.) Unfortunately, the only instrument I did take seriously when I was young was the clarinet. And more unfortunately, you can't sing and accompany yourself with the clarinet at the same time. I really, really regret not learning an instrument I can sing with. So that's changing in 2013!

There are lots of other little things too, (GET NEW WATCH BATTERIES FOR THE DEAD WATCH THAT HAS BEEN IN YOUR JEWELERY BOX SINCE 2010) but those are far too many to list here on this blog.

I'll close this entry out with one final resolution. It's a cliche, but I've always liked it. "Be the person your dog thinks you are." Wouldn't that be great? Have I mentioned I love my dogs? They're not even mine anymore. They belong to my parents. It's very sad. All the same, it's amazing to go home for breaks to visit and play with them, even if just for a little while. Going home for Christmas was so much more special because of my pups! Here's a video of them getting a stick on a beach in Rhode Island!!

Happy New Year! Peace and Love.

Hickory Dah

Do you know who Andy Williams is?

If you’re a grown-up reading this blog (and by grown up, I mean, someone older than 40) you probably do.

But if you’re a “millennial” grown-up, like me, you probably don’t. Well, you might not know him by name, but you WILL know his voice, especially if you listen to the Pandora Christmas station. And if you’re anything like me, you had no idea that this guy singing “So whoop-de-doo and hickory dah” was such a big deal.  I certainly didn’t, until my mom visited me and turned on Andy William’s Christmas special on PBS.

This Andy Williams Christmas Special blew my mind.  I'm still struggling trying to figure out anyone or anything to compare him to in our current entertainment scene. Not even Justin Beiber is this cuddly and innocent. Anyways, let me try to explain what I mean: Andy Williams was a pop star. And every year, he did a Christmas Special that was broadcast on national TV. And in this Christmas special, he and a supporting cast sang Christmas carols on a tacky sound stage wearing tacky costumes. Sometimes there was a coordinated, Broadway-esque dance scene --or!-- choreographed ice skating! to go along with the singing. And then, there were times when he would just be sitting on a couch snuggling with his wife and kids, singing Christmas carols.

 

And apparently, the American public gobbled up this corny goodness for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My mom said that you simply DID NOT MISS THE ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. It was just what everybody watched. And everybody loved. For more than a decade!

"This was the era when there were only three channels on TV, and they went off at midnight," she remembered. "If something like this was on, you watched it! People couldn't believe they had this kind of entertainment in their houses, for free!"

I confess that I started watching this show sarcastically. I had a "get a load of this, it's so LAME" attitude. But when my mom went to change the channel after about 20 minutes, I heard a voice say "Stop! leave it on..." and it was ME! Something about that show had totally enchanted me, and dare I say it, inspired the warm fuzzies. I found myself so happy to just be sitting there with my mom, bundled in a blanket, watching something so PURE and HAPPY and KIND. There just isn't anything like it anymore, and now I get why old people think our country is going to the dogs and young people are all miscreants. I mean, my favorite TV shows are about zombies, drunk guidos, adulterous advertising executives, and psychotic self-centered brides. What IS wrong with America?

So, in the spirit of Christmas, and an ode to my mother's visit, I give you Andy Williams, everyone. Enjoy, and I won't judge you if you accidentally love it.

Just try not to be obsessed:

 

Peace and Love.

Aventuras, Actualmente.

This blog, and its title, was born in 2008, when I went to Spain to study abroad. Spain was the first time I fully immersed myself in the Spanish language. It was also my first life experience where I felt really, truly uncomfortable and out of my element every single day. Someone once told me that living through another language is like using a prosthetic limb: you can get by, but it's awkward, and you can never quite feel 100% of what is going on.

Despite my "Aventuras" in Spain being one of the most challenging chapters of my life, it was also incredibly special. Learning a second language has been the one of the best decisions of my life. It has opened so many doors for me, and I've never stopped using it. From giving tours in Spanish of Dodger Stadium in LA, to teaching Spanish in Washington, DC and now, using Spanish to communicate with a variety of communities at my current job, I can't emphasize enough how important this "accidental" major has been to my career. But I do have one regret. I have never fully immersed myself in the language since that rocky semester in 2008.

So, when I got an email through some TFA contacts inviting me to apply for a professional development conference in Mexico, I was thrilled. An application process was involved, and I was accepted with a generous grant that would fly me to Mexico for four days to engage in a conference with other young non-profit leaders called "El Arte de Dar: Ladrillo Por Ladrillo" (The Art of Giving, Brick by Brick.) I peer pressured some other TFA friends to apply, and they were also accepted. We were so excited!

But as the week of the conference approached, I started feeling apprehensive. I remembered all those moments in Spain where I felt so lost and confused. I remembered a tearful breakdown my first week in the hotel, and missing classes and even a FINAL EXAM because I never quite understood what was going on. I thought about how hard it was to scrap by then, when I was at the peak of my Spanish learning. That was when I was 20 years old. Now I'm nearly 26. How was I going to make it through this week?!

What I didn't account for was everything else that has changed me as a person in the last six years, and how much I've grown since I was that timid student stepping out of her comfort zone for the first time. I remember our professors encouraging us to make friends with the young local Spaniards, telling us it would be the best way to enjoy our time in the country. Ugh, I wish I was mature enough then to have taken their advice then, because after this trip, I realize what I was missing out on the whole time.

In Mexico, I met young Latinos from all over the world. Participants arrived from Spain, Cuba, Miami, Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, and many other places. Everyone there was enthusiastic, kind, passionate and so much fun. And to my relief, I was able to dive right in to speaking Spanish without too much pain at all! It was so invigorating to  dust off and actually use the language I worked so hard to learn for four days straight, day and night! One moment that really struck me as special was making friends with participants from Brazil. For them, Spanish was also a second language, and I was taken aback by the fact that we were able to communicate despite not knowing anything at all of each other's native tongue.

Besides the thrill of making so many new friends and learning about their countries, their lives and their non-profits, the conference itself was a really valuable experience that would have been fantastic in any language. We had typical "retreat"-style leadership and trust exercises, and there were also excellent sessions on topics like personal branding, or how religion influences our work in the non-profit sector. Best of all, conference participants got the opportunity to partner with a Mexican non-profit called "Ayudame, soy Tambien Mexicano." (Help me, I'm a Mexican too.) It is a Habitat for Humanity type non-profit in Mexico that works to provide sustainable housing for some of Mexico's most poor.

We spent a full day hauling adobe bricks and building two homes alongside families in rural Mexico (about 3 hours outside of Mexico city). The power of this day is something I'm still processing. This is the first time I have truly witnessed what life is like in the "third world." No water, no electricity. No medical care. No nothing! It felt both powerful and hopeless to work in this community, due to the vastness of the crisis I witnessed.

I returned home fully exhausted, yet fully thrilled with my experience last week. My only regret is that, apparently, speaking Spanish is STILL too mentally taxing for me to handle gracefully, as somewhere between the bus from the hotel and my arrival in DC, I lost my digital camera. Not entirely surprising, but I was mad at myself all the same. So the pictures below are thanks to the beauty of social networking, and the talents of my new friends!

Hasta pronto, todos. Paz y Amor!
A special thanks to the Schusterman Foundation for sponsoring the trip!

America!!!!

Cleaned apartment? Check.
Baked cookies? Check.
Watched at least 5 episodes of "Parenthood"? Check.
Worked out? Check.

Yes, folks, that's my version of "Hurrication" and I couldn't be any happier. As of right now, Monday at 10:30 PM, I still have power and internet. Yay! I've just been hunkered down in my little studio apartment, waiting it out. It is VERY windy, and I feel lucky. The internet tells me trees are down all over my neighborhood, cars are smashed, Connecticut Ave is flooded, and lots of people are without power. I'm crossing fingers that I stay connected to the world and that all of my friends and family stay safe!

Being trapped inside is kind of a blessing in disguise. I'm using this unexpected break and imposed solitude to catch up on all the things that have been lingering on the back burner. (My ironing pile, for example.) On that list of "to-dos" is this sad little blog. I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but knew this entry was dependent on photos. And editing and uploading photos takes time. But, thanks to a day off, and a gloriously lucky power grid, I am finally ready to write! Now to the real story...

___

As many of you know, I do a lot of traveling for my job. My trips are busy, but my hours are odd. I might meet someone for lunch one day, and then dinner. But what to do with that pesky 3pm-6pm time frame when I don't have a meeting? What about a day where I'm attending an event late at night, but the day is free? Well, as thrilling as hanging out in a Holiday Inn Express can be, I've decided to try and sight-see, no matter where I go, or how "boring" it is. I have been so surprised at all the hidden treasures I have found!

I started this process in the NYC suburbs of Connecticut. I was too far from NYC to play in the city, and had time to kill between a morning coffee meeting and an afternoon tea. So, after lunch, I pulled out my GPS and had it search for nearby attractions. It found something called the "Eli Whitney Museum." Somewhere in the back of my brain, covered in cobwebs, I remembered learning about this guy in AP US History. With nothing to lose, I hit "go," and found my way to a beautiful park tucked into the middle of nowhere in CT! There was a tiny educational museum, and better yet, this historical covered bridge. There were trout swimming below, and the sun and smell of the woods was wonderful. Such a lovely detour!

More recently, I had a trip to Cincinnati and Cleveland. When I told people about this trip, it was pretty uniformly met with sympathetic groans. "So boring, Cincinnati, ugh" people said. But this time, I decided to do a little research ahead of time. Unfortunately, a lot of museums are closed on Mondays, when I had a window of free time. One museum that WAS open, however, was the childhood home of President William Howard Taft. I decided to geek out and give it a shot. And lucky me! Since there were no other dorks trying to see a presidential childhood home at 3pm on a Monday, I got a private tour-- for free!! It was wonderful, and so fascinating, especially during election season. I can't speak highly enough of the hospitality and knowledge of the park ranger who gave me my tour.

You can't go traveling to a different city without learning what you MUST eat when you are in town. Friends told me about some freakish chili in the Cinci area that I had to try. To my surprise, this chili isn't to be found at one famous restaurant. It's actually available in a series of chains that battle it out for prominence in the region. The most famous is called "Skyline" chili, and it's more of a meat sauce than a chili in my book. Made with Greek flavors of cinnamon and chocolate, it's unlike any chili you've probably tried. Oh, and they serve it on spaghetti!

Now that I've got a little taste of all that is out there, hiding in the not-quite-off-the-grid nooks and crannies in America, I am obsessed. There are so many wonderful tour guides and joyful volunteers that want to share their time with you. There are so many beautiful gems to be discovered. It's made me wonder why, for example, I've never visited the Crane Paper museum in Dalton. Or why I pass by the countless historical road signs I see around DC. I'm making an effort to change that and learn about the amazing history (and hokey tourist traps) all around me. For example, I found this pumpkin cannon about 45 minutes outside of DC last weekend. I fired it for $3. It was worth every penny!

What is hiding in your neck of the woods? This weekend... go find out!

Food and Friends

Most of the time I think people who post pictures of food on Facebook are annoying, so I suppose writing a blog about it is even worse! If that's the case, this entry officially makes me a hypocrite. But, the adventures of my life this week have seemed to center around food, so, away we ago...

First food adventure: Making Asian pork-filled dumplings from scratch. This was a real project, not for the faint of heart, and brought me back to the one time my mom and I tried to cook pierogies from scratch and ended up doing more cursing than eating. You'd be shocked how little filling you can put in each dumpling. I'm telling you, it was not even a teaspoon. And if you get a little too aggressive, they break and won't seal. Gah, so many wasted wrappers!  These came out delicious, albeit a little bit ugly, but in the end I decided that the frozen ones from the super market are just as good and don't take two hours to make.

Pork dumplings take over my tiny kitchen

Second food adventure: I traveled to the NYC area this past week for work and was lucky enough to hang out with my college roomie and dear friend Stacey! She always plays a great NYC tour guide, and this time we started our evening at the High Line, a public park in Chelsea build on an abandoned stretch of elevated rail road track. It was really cool and a beautiful night! But the real adventure was dinner at Stacey's pick: Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man. The restaurant blends chocolate factory and fine dining and we ate an embarrassing amount of food, and of course, chocolate! Check out the chocolate in action:

A beautiful evening to look over the Hudson!

Yeah, I'll have some of that.

Third food adventure: Today, I finally took a much-anticipated cooking class in downtown DC with a new friend from book club, Kate. We signed up for a gluten-free baking class, and although I'm certainly not a gluten-free eater, I was excited to learn about ingredients and techniques that I wouldn't normally use. The class was part of a series from Living Social, and if you have the ability to sign up for classes in your city, I highly recommend it. I was pleasantly surprised to see how delicious our treats came out, and how applicable the techniques were to non-gluten baking as well: for example, how to make a good meringue and fold it into a batter, or the right way to boil and peel fresh fruit to use in a tart. I had a blast and our food was so delicious! Many thanks to the instructor and chef, Emma, who owns the Happy Tart bakery in Alexandria.

Kate in the beautiful test kitchen

Finished product number one: peach and blueberry tart!

Baking project number two: almond chocolate apricot cake!

So, I didn't do a beautiful job spreading the ganache...

Well, that's about all I can muster to write at the moment. This food coma's got me dragging!

Peace and Love. 

August Rewind

Here are a few reasons why, despite some funny challenges and odd situations, August was one of the busiest, happiest months on record!

- I miss my family. Lately, DC and Massachusetts seem very far away from one another. But, this month, I did get to visit my sister in Boston, and spend all day with her. We had a great time. I feel the closest to her I’ve ever felt in my adult life, and I’m really, really proud of her.

- If you’ve met me, you know that I sweat. A lot. August featured the single sweatiest day of my life, despite about 1.5 lbs of deodorant and baby powder—but, it was with good reason. Singing the anthem at Fenway Park during the 100th Anniversary Season was worth every nerve-induced drop; because that’s something I’ll be able to tell my grandkids about!

- It’s sad that I can’t have a pet in my apartment, and if I’m realistic, I know I don’t have time to be fair to a dog anyways. But meeting and playing with Baby Bronco, the world’s most joyful Labrador puppy friend, helped ease my pain a little bit!

- My new neighborhood is literally NOTHING BUT HILLS. It is the worst for going on runs, and makes me miss the flat beauty of the national mall so much. But I haven’t quit my regime since January, and this month, I ran six miles for the first time, ever. The best part? It was with my healthy dad by my side!

- I bragged endlessly about the beauty of Berkshire County in the summer, so I was pretty bummed when it poured rain when I brought Jason home this month. But, watching him try Teo’s Hot Dogs, eat venison, and shoot a gun for the first time on his trip to my little town definitely made the trip worth it!

- It’s been an adjustment to pay for rent living alone in DC. But thank god for the discounts of DC’s restaurant week. This month, I tried literally 18 Mediterranean dishes in one $35 meal. It was quite a feast. My friend Kate put it best: “Dude, I got a cramp walking home from the metro.” See you in February, restaurant week, you glorious institution!

- My favorite babysitting family moved to the suburbs. No shock, considering the state of DC public schools. I’m going to miss babysitting those little munchkins! But, I did meet some fun new babies and lovely parents in my new neighborhood and am looking forward to watching a new batch grow up!

- I wish she didn’t live all the way across town, but the return of Kate Pennington in all her glory to Washington, DC has been great. I’m so happy to have one of my best friends back, and thanks to her amazing brain power, we’re going to the Nats game tonight with tickets won from a Trivia night at a local bar!

- Weddings are so expensive, and it feels like there’s so many on the horizon. But, there are rare times when I get to dance the night away with great friends. We went to one this month at the historic Hotel Monaco in DC, and I had a blast!

Feeling that first creep of coolness in the night air means that August is definitely over and fall is on its way. I’m noticing the days getting shorter. The beginning of September brings more weddings, dinner parties, and the return to work trips. Updates soon! Peace and Love.

The tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth.

Yesterday, I had my wisdom teeth removed.

Yeah, I know... it seems a little late in the game. Why? The doctors and dentists in my family have always advised against slicing and dicing when it's not necessary. But this spring, my dentist down here told me that yes- the time had finally come. My teeth were erupting, one was coming in crooked, and with thousands of dollars of orthodontia at risk, it was time to take the plunge.

Before the surgery, I asked my friends to recount their surgical stories. Most people said things were totally fine. One guy even told me he had all four teeth removed, and then hopped on his motorcycle and got back to work. Another girl said it was 10 minutes in and out and she was fine by the next day. What I've since learned is that every person- in fact, every tooth- has a different story to tell!

I like my dentist here in DC. She's got a nice office in a row house that reminds me a lot of my home dentist's office. The equipment is shiny and new and the service is wonderful. So when she referenced me to the oral surgeon I used, I trusted her. I even Googled him a bit, and read all positive things. So, I went there with confidence, sure it would be fine.

Sure enough, the people there were very kind- from the receptionist to my actual surgeon, everyone was very pleasant and comforting. But the office itself looked like a relic from the 1960's. I think I was in a Mad Men dental set, or maybe a forgotten Dharma station in the heart of DC. Here's a picture snapped of me pre-surgery while I waited. Look at that chair!!

* Gulp *

When it was time for my surgery, the dentist explained to me that he would be using local anesthesia and laughing gas to keep me relaxed. I signed my "You might die, and you enter this surgery willingly," papers, and off we went!

First, the surgeon stuck on a mask and asked me to breath through my nose. Almost instantly, I was in la-la land. It was like I had two brains- the brain that was aware of what was going on, and then the brain that was letting all these weird things come out of my mouth David-after-dentist style. I've never felt anything like it. I'm so glad I had the laughing gas on board though, or else I would have been a very unhappy camper for what followed!

The next thing the surgeon did was numb up my mouth locally. I have to say, it's incredible that they can find a way to avoid you feeling pain in your deepest of root canals. He gave me a few quick injections and suddenly I couldn't feel a thing. Before I knew it, he had one cheek pulled back and  starting pulling. The first tooth came out so quickly and easily I didn't even realize it was over. "Did you get it!?!" I asked incredulously. Yep, it was gone. But the second one was going to be a little more trouble.

The second tooth was impacted pretty deep and took a long while to wrestle out. I was so gassed-up that I'm not sure how long it took, but I do know I was asking some ridiculous questions along the way: "Is my jaw broken? Is it stuck? Is everything normal? I have to go to the bathroom!" I also have some hazy memories that freak me out, now that I think back about it. First of all, my surgeon wore glasses, and I was definitely watching parts of the surgery in the reflection of his lenses. Advice to future patients: Don't do that. It will panic you. Secondly, I was totally unprepared for when the saw came out. He had to saw the tooth, which must have been bent or buried in my jaw, three times. The sounds of that high-buzzing saw is terrifying, and the taste and smell of sawed tooth is utterly foul. I remember thinking at the time that it reminded me of the smell of my dog's feet-- like stale corn chips. But more bitter. Anyways, I was not prepared for that!

Then, without much warning- pop. It was out. And I was sitting up, without the gas mask, ready to go- silly state that I was.

The post-op recovery has definitely not been a walk in the park. One thing everyone likes to joke about is the awesome "free Vicodin" you get out of the deal. My body doesn't do well with narcotics, and apparently this has only gotten worse as I have gotten older-- they make me sick to my stomach. After two pills, I decided to quit them and try my luck with Motrin and Tylenol only. And the swelling, as you probably know, is comical. I feel like it will never go down. How gorgeous is this:

"I'm ready for my close up."

Overall, the pain has subsided a lot in the last 48 hours, which is good. But I'm definitely relegated to bowls of bland mush- yogurt, scrambled eggs, apple sauce, chicken and stars soup. Chewing seems a long way off! But- it's an excuse to eat ice cream as a form of sustained nutrition, so I'll take it!

Thanks to everyone who has been calling and wishing me well the last two days. It means the world to me. And a super special thank you to Jason, who has been a wonderful driver, nurse, chef, entertainer and comforter through this whole ordeal!

Peace and Love. 

Summer Summer Summer Time

This past week was just one of those perfect, epic summer weeks that you dream about all year. Man, summer is the best- there is just such a joy and a magic to this season…the days are so long, and everyone is happier, even if it’s a sweltering hot and humid 100+ degrees.  I just love it- I love summer clothes, summer food, summer music, summer smells, summer everything! Here is why my week was so good:

Monday evening we said goodbye to our good friend JinSoo over a Mexican feast at local hotspot Alero. JinSoo is a TFA bud who is off to bigger and better things in New Orleans- starting a new school in fact, and bringing his love of technology in the classroom to a place where he’s going to be given the freedom to implement it throughout the curriculum. Good luck JinSoo, we’ll miss you!

Bye JinSoo!

Tuesday night I had book club. Book club is one of the more delightful additions to my life this year, it’s brought a whole new group of friends into my world that I never would have met before. We just finished the read “I Suck At Girls,” by Justin Halpern of “Sh*t my Dad Says” fame. It’s a light, fluffy summer read- perfect for the beach! And let’s be real- book club isn’t really about the book. It’s just an excuse to get a bunch of hens together to eat, drink and gossip. Fun!

Wednesday was the 4^th of July, one of my most favorite days of the year. This year was super lucky. Jason had the day off of work so we just got to play, play, play all day! We started out bright and early on our friends’ rooftop for a little celebrating before walking down the street to the Nationals game. What’s more American than baseball on the 4^th of July in Washington, DC? Later that night, we went to a different friend’s balcony in Arlington, VA with a spectacular view of the national mall. In fact, the local network puts their cameras on top of his building to film the fireworks for the TV special, so I guess you could say we had a good view. To top it off, we chowed down on catered BBQ from the best BBQ joint in town. I could not have ended the day more full or happy!

Our view, through the hot and haze as it was getting dark

Baby, you're a firework. 

Thursday I finally took a little rest and used the time to cook a fresh, delightful summer meal. Thanks to Shana Fisher, I found this blog, which is ironically appropriate. It’s called “The Shiksa in the Kitchen” and it’s about a not Jewish girl named Tori who likes to cook Jewish food. Her Israeli salad recipe was delish and I munched it for days! Mmmm!

Friday Jason and I had date night and went to Jazz in the Smithsonian sculpture garden on the national mall in DC.  They sell pitchers of sangria, and everyone likes to sit around, dip their feet in the reflecting pool, and enjoy a relaxing Friday evening of free music. This was an especially fun night- a note got passed around encouraging everyone to flash-mob the reflecting pool at 8pm. (yes, this is the naughtiest thing that DC nerds can think of to do on a Friday night.) We plodded out and danced with the rest of the crowd in the knee-high water! It was silly, but so fun and such a happy date!

Splashing around with some Jazz. 

Saturday, the festivities continued with Meredith’s birthday celebrations. More food, more music, more fun. By Sunday, I was completely caput- and yet, if I could have every week go like this one, I’d be the luckiest girl in the world. Cheers to summer!!

Peace and Love.

Holy Derecho

By now, everyone reading this blog has probably watched the news and seen that the entire mid-atlantic region is in a total state of chaos as a result of the "DC Derecho," a super-violent band of storms that rolled through our fair city Friday night.

The Derecho is a storm type that they say occurs annually in the midwest, and is more like a 1 in 4 years occurrence here in the mid-atlantic. However, the weather guy on TV at the gym today said that DC hasn't seen a derecho of THIS capacity in close to 20 years.

Jason has been harassing me for not "weather watching" this huge event and telling him ahead of time that it was looming, but in my defense, checking the weather forecast that morning at work told me nothing. This bad boy began brewing at about 1PM in Chicago and bowled its way across the country in 9 hours. Derechos are often called "land hurricanes" because of their intense wind power and widespread damage, but there's one important difference- real hurricanes give you days of warning and TV hype to get ready. (cough hurricane Irene cough.) I just hope everyone in the area still had their unused hurricane Irene supplies ready to go when this storm came out of nowhere!

As for me, I am safe, have power, and thankfully, a fully intact vehicle. Seeing everyone's cars mashed to bits on the streets has probably been the worst part of the aftermath. There are still massive trees and branches surrounded by caution tape everywhere. Electric poles were bent over like twigs.

"Free Firewood. You Haul." At least they kept their sense of humor. 

Where was I when this massive storm struck? Of all places, at a pool party. We watched the horizon flicker with lightning far away for a long while before I finally got out my phone to check the radar. When I saw what was coming, I FREAKED OUT. I could see how fast it was moving and how close it actually was. I shouted for people to get out of the pool and started scooping up all of our food and garbage. My apartment building was a short two blocks away.... I figured Jason and I could make it safely back in time.

About one block into our retreat home, the storm struck with brute force. I've never been outside in wind like that. We began power walking as fast as we could, dodging small branches and other debris that was starting to swirl around. It was very scary! We jumped into the lobby of my building JUST as the rain arrived. Not a drop hit us, but the torrential downpour was amazing. All I could do was stand at my 10th floor window and watch the almost incessant lightning flash and the wind gust.

But it wasn't until the next morning that I realized just how bad of a storm it actually was. Jason texted me on his way to the hospital, reporting the downed trees and crushed cars. When I crept out myself, around lunch time, I was appalled at the state of the city. All of the traffic lights were out, entire neighborhoods were (and are still) without power. It really looked like a true natural disaster.

Bit by bit things are clearing up, but the roads were pretty empty today as the government gave their employees permission to stay home. I am thinking of and praying especially for the elderly people who are struggling with no A/C during 100 degree heat. Thanks so much to everyone who has texted or called in the past few days!

Peace and Love.