The day we DID NOT go to the Air Show

Once upon a time there were two young girls who moved to Northern Virginia, just a few miles outside of DC. It so happened that Andrews Air Force Base was also just a few miles outside of DC. Their first year there they saw signs, just a little late, advertising an air show at the Air Force base. They made a promise that the following year they WOULD go to the air show.

The year passed quickly, the air show lost in memories...until one day while riding the metro the girls spotted a sign...and what did that sign say? AIR SHOW! Yes! Their promise was remembered and plans were made. However unbeknownst to the girls if you want to go to the air show you sure as heck better get there EARLY! Really early...as in early bird catches the worm early...or in 'military' terms, Oh-dark-hundred...and what does the 'oh' stand for? OH my goodness it's EARLY!

Well needless to say they didn't get there that early. Still living in their delusional world they left about 12 pm-ish and as ecologically conscientious members of society they took the metro...an hour and half later they arrived at end of the Green line only to be told that the LAST bus to the air base left in 30 minutes and the wait in the line was about 90 minutes...hmmm you do the math...

There were tears...well not really, but there might have been in the privacy of their own rooms later that night.

Therefore, finding themselves in downtown DC with time on their hands...they wandered, because that's what they do best.

Seeing that they had lived in the DC metro area for well over a year there weren't many places they hadn't seen before, but don't worry they found their way to a new place...The Constitution Gardens and what fun they had...these pictures are evidence.


They sat on a wall to eat lunch...yummy






The Constitution Island - From a distance
It has the signatures of all the signers of the Constitution craved in stone.





This is Melanie's step ancestor.

Despite not going to the Air Show it was still a great day!

Time's aflyin'

So my baby sister turned 21 today. (The one in the dipper)

It's kind of odd. I left home when she was 12. Sure, I would go home during the summer and such, but I never really lived with her after I went off to college and she never really grew up to me. In my mind she was always 12 or so, until 2 Christmases ago I went home and she had a boyfriend...that's when I realized she wasn't 12 any more. (this is her getting ready to go on a date with said boyfriend) I mean, I knew logically that she wasn't 12, but I always viewed her as my baby sister. So here's to you Sarah, forever and always my baby sister.

Happy Birthday! You're now Legal.

I love you and I'm so proud of you!

The Simple Pleasures of Life

I've mentioned my friend Melanie quite frequently in these posts...part because we spend a lot of time together and also because we have a lot in common and one of our commonalities is our love of water.

This is Mel....just in case you guys haven't figured that out yet :)



I love listening to water fall or run and to watch the way the light refracts through and reflects off the water.



Mel and I have spent many a happy hour watching water and one of the best places is the World War II Memorial.

See...I'm happy!

I won't bore you with all the hundreds of pictures we've taken of water, but here's some of our favorites from the World War II Memorial...

It's the Simple Pleasures of Life that can make your day.

Ducks Don't Get Wet!

Growing up one of my favorite books was called Ducks Don't Get Wet! It discussed how ducks can't get wet because of the oils on their feathers. They will spend hours preening themselves spreading that oil. And as we know oil and water don't mix so when ducks swim the water slides right off their backs. I've always had a fascinations with Ducks.

So on May 16th, the day we DID NOT go to the Air Show, Mel and I wandered around DC and found our way to the Constitution Garden and there we saw...

DUCKS! And lots of them!





Aren't they CUTE!?

The daddy duck...or at least one of them :)

We watched this momma duck attach and chase off at least 3 squirrels

Don't mess with momma!

Congratulations Emma Lin!!!

Yup it's true...She survived! Emma graduated from Marymount on Sunday. She made it through her master's program and now has to grow up and become a real girl...adult.

Emma and her parents after the graduation ceremony

We threw her a fun a little party to show her how proud we are of her.

Some of the party goers

Emma's cake - my best one yet...I still need a lot of practice. Brian was teasing me that Congratulations was spelt wrong and I freaked out for a second because I checked it about 5 times before a I put it on the cake. Geez!

Congratulations Emma! You're Awesome!

Valory Comes to Visit!

My former roommate Valory Kneib just graduated with her master's degree in Speech Pathology. YAY VAL! Congrats! And in celebration she decided to take a vacation and come visit me. (or at least I like to think she was coming to visit me and not just because I lived near DC) She spent about 2 weeks visiting us and her Aunt. I've had a most fantastic time. I've been trying to convince her the whole time that she should move out here, but she doesn't feel that this is the place for her. I can respect that and will just have to visit her where ever she may end up. Here are some pictures from our activities.

Valory arrived Saturday, May 3rd and we planned on just sitting around and doing nothing when I got a text from Kendra. It was her birthday and she wanted someone to help celebrate. So we hopped on the metro and head up to Clarendon to the Cheese Cake Factory for some birthday celebration!

Happy Birthday Kendra!

I took Monday and Tuesday off and spent those days wandering DC with Val
Yes that is someone wearing a space suit or something. They were having a Military fair on the Mall and well...


We made it out to the Kennedy Center for a concert of the Millennium Stage

The Library of Congress - Jefferson Building

Kendra works for a congressman and took us on a tour of the Capitol Building, however my batteries had just died so Val has the pictures. Afterwards we went to find lunch. Basically we followed all the workers from the Hill and ended up in an area with long lines. We decided to go to this little store and just make due with whatever we could find...besides they had batteries for my camera.

I've now lived in the DC area for nearly 2 years and I still find it amazing that I live here. It's so odd, but I love it and I love it when people come to visit so I can share it with them.

I've been remiss...

I was reminded by my friend Mel that I neglected to publish a post about my Caterpillars



That's right caterpillars. I lived in a small little hick town, or wide spot on the road for many years and in that place there was a house. We called it the Caterpillar House. Why? You may ask. Well, because every spring the porch and yard would be covered with caterpillars! I mean, they were everywhere!



Image my surprise when one day I was walking home from the metro and I noticed what looked like huge spiders' nests in the trees near our townhouse. Although I don't like spiders (at ALL) I was curious enough to investigate. As I got closer to the tree I saw millions of little black bugs moving. Even closer I realized they were young caterpillars! Millions of them. All over the tree.



Later that week Mel and I went for a walk in the forest near her house. As we walked a long noticed the same web/nest things in several of the trees. Walking under the trees we notice again, millions of caterpillars.



Because of my Caterpillar House background I have always had a strange fascination with caterpillars, so we stood around for several minutes watching the caterpillars. Sadly I didn't have my camera, but fortunately my phone has a camera.




Aren't they cute?! There maybe more caterpillar pictures to come.