Santa and his new elf, Meester. Weegles, are having a conversation. Santa is giving Meester. Weegles relationship advice.
December 9, 2010
My morning at work
Santa and his new elf, Meester. Weegles, are having a conversation. Santa is giving Meester. Weegles relationship advice.
November 9, 2010
Wagamama
I'm not sure whose feet I have to kiss, whose ear I have to twist, or who might read this but at least it's out there in the universe. Earlier, Washington Business Journal, and We Love DC reported that Wagamama (the best restaurant on earth!) was coming to DC. Then they reported that it wasn't. Then DCist posted this article this morning that the higher ups had maybe reconsidered but since no one at Wagamama headquarters was returning their phone calls I don’t know how true that is either. Either way all I have to say on this subject is “PLEASE COME TO DC! PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE.”
::ahem:: I’m now done groveling and I’ll get back to reading my Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe book for my Early Modern Europe class. Ahhh, there’s the connection. ::smirk::
I also think it’s really funny that it’s referenced under Gay and Lesbian>History. I’m on page 1 so I really don’t know why but this book has become interesting all of a sudden. Finally, no more fire and brimstone preaching. Okay, well we didn’t read a lot of those either but it’s definitely more interesting than this one.
Anyway…
To sum it up, Wagamama, PLEASE come to DC because as soon as my classes are done for the semester I want to eat there at my celebratory “I Survived My First Semester of Grad School” party. :D (I know it’s not possible but I’m an optimist.)
::ahem:: I’m now done groveling and I’ll get back to reading my Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe book for my Early Modern Europe class. Ahhh, there’s the connection. ::smirk::
I also think it’s really funny that it’s referenced under Gay and Lesbian>History. I’m on page 1 so I really don’t know why but this book has become interesting all of a sudden. Finally, no more fire and brimstone preaching. Okay, well we didn’t read a lot of those either but it’s definitely more interesting than this one.
Anyway…
To sum it up, Wagamama, PLEASE come to DC because as soon as my classes are done for the semester I want to eat there at my celebratory “I Survived My First Semester of Grad School” party. :D (I know it’s not possible but I’m an optimist.)
October 19, 2010
What made my day...
This morning when I was leaving the house, Owen, the little boy from two houses down was out with his mom. She and I wished each other a good morning and then he noticed that I was out there walking to my car. He said "good morning" in the funniest tone and then turned to his mom and whispered something. She then looked up at me and smiled and said "you have an admirer. He's flirting with you." Apparently he thought I was really pretty.
Also, I did some math and I realised today that school probably won't take as long as I thought it would and I should be done by summer 2012.
Woot!
Also, I did some math and I realised today that school probably won't take as long as I thought it would and I should be done by summer 2012.
Woot!
August 9, 2010
Allie Brosh
So I'm basically in love with this blogger. Her name is Allie. She's fantastic. All 2 people that read my blog MUST read hers. That's all.
Best. Blog. Ever.
Best. Blog. Ever.
April 16, 2010
DAR Museum opening April 2010
I love museum openings. I just ate a brownie the size of my palm and as thick as my fist.
April 9, 2010
April 1, 2010
The One Where I Go Speed Dating.
Speed dating rules: Try and arrive by 7 to grab a drink, check out the opposite sex and assess the competition. Speed dating starts promptly at 7:30. (Okay, those aren't the rules but they should be.)
I arrived at 7:30, was greeted by my lovely and gracious host Megan, grabbed my Hurry Date materials and my name tag, I was Nadine #5, and then hopped on over to the bar to get a glass of water. A quick glance around the room made me think "Oh this wasn't going to be so bad because there are some cuties here." In hindsight I either needed to wear my glasses or the guys I saw earlier did not come to the Hurry Date event. Anyhoo! Our dates started right after that. I chose a table and awaited my fate. (Too dramatic?) My plan was to write their name next to their number on my scorecard and a word or two that would help me to remember them after the "date" was over. Let's begin shall we?
Date #1: Dennis #13: Unlucky number 13. Need I say more?
Date #2: Scott #41: I have no notes next to his but i do remember that he was roommates with the guy that came after him.
Date #3: Jordan #26: He was a comedian but he didn't know who Mitch Hedburg was. EPIC FAIL!
(These aren't in order anymore cos I don't really remember.)
Date #4: Michael #27: No notes, no memory, so I say NO. Sorry dude. (I just remembered that he was the psychologist for FCPS and he knew Burke because that's where they send the crazy kids before they send them to be put down. I told him not to associate me with that.)
Date #5: Matt #28: Disc golf. Basically he told me that Burke Lake Park (5mins from where I live) has a place to play frisbee golf. I thank you for your advice. Good luck with speed dating. Oh and cut your hair.
Date #6: David # 29: The word next to him? Proposal. The words after that? Guy who stepped on my foot. The first sentence out of his mouth was "why are you wearing your sunglasses indoors?" Strike one. The second sentence out of his mouth "Is this what we're going to do on our second date? Will you be seeing other guys after we get married." I know you're joking and all guy but after the sunglasses thing, you're done. No matter how great your hair was.
Date #7: Juan #31: His word "Air Force." It should have been "too short." Sorry bub!
Date #8: Dan #33: I might have said yes to this guy if he hadn't have mentioned how he's not liking the sales business (sells insurance to hospitals) because he's too emotional. Yep, his words. Oh well.
Date #9: Thomas #34: OMG I want to say yes to this guy and hope that he's said yes to me too so we can meet again and I can make him realise that he's gay and he should have been hitting on Matt #28 instead of me. The words next to him? Travel Thai. He was really cool otherwise though.
Date #10: Tim #35: Tim was actually one of the cool guys and seemed like he was there to meet girls and wasn't confused. Civilian in the Coast Guard. Not bad.
Date #11: Biniyam #38: He was from Ethiopia. NEXT! (There's a story to this. I swear I'm not being racist or something stupid like that.) I mean he's getting his Ph.D in Electrical Engineering so I'm sure he's a catch for someone else.
Date #12: Mark #39: Oh poor, unfortunate Mark. Take the money that you spend on all these Hurry Date events and use it to get that wart/mole/thing on your face removed. I kept staring at it (while feeling awfully shallow) and thinking "moley moley moley mole." He did have the word lawyer (cos he's one and works up the street from me) next to his name, but I'm not that desperate.
Date #13: John #40. Oh. Dear. Lord. Ridiculously gay. At the end of the date though he says "I put yes to your name." Of course you did. I just told you I'm training to be a MMA fighter and you're hoping I can give you tips on how to be more manly. I might put Yes next to his name though because I might meet some of his cute Navy friends. :D (Totally kidding.)
So anyways, those are my stories for those of you I won't be able to share it with and act it out in person.
I arrived at 7:30, was greeted by my lovely and gracious host Megan, grabbed my Hurry Date materials and my name tag, I was Nadine #5, and then hopped on over to the bar to get a glass of water. A quick glance around the room made me think "Oh this wasn't going to be so bad because there are some cuties here." In hindsight I either needed to wear my glasses or the guys I saw earlier did not come to the Hurry Date event. Anyhoo! Our dates started right after that. I chose a table and awaited my fate. (Too dramatic?) My plan was to write their name next to their number on my scorecard and a word or two that would help me to remember them after the "date" was over. Let's begin shall we?
Date #1: Dennis #13: Unlucky number 13. Need I say more?
Date #2: Scott #41: I have no notes next to his but i do remember that he was roommates with the guy that came after him.
Date #3: Jordan #26: He was a comedian but he didn't know who Mitch Hedburg was. EPIC FAIL!
(These aren't in order anymore cos I don't really remember.)
Date #4: Michael #27: No notes, no memory, so I say NO. Sorry dude. (I just remembered that he was the psychologist for FCPS and he knew Burke because that's where they send the crazy kids before they send them to be put down. I told him not to associate me with that.)
Date #5: Matt #28: Disc golf. Basically he told me that Burke Lake Park (5mins from where I live) has a place to play frisbee golf. I thank you for your advice. Good luck with speed dating. Oh and cut your hair.
Date #6: David # 29: The word next to him? Proposal. The words after that? Guy who stepped on my foot. The first sentence out of his mouth was "why are you wearing your sunglasses indoors?" Strike one. The second sentence out of his mouth "Is this what we're going to do on our second date? Will you be seeing other guys after we get married." I know you're joking and all guy but after the sunglasses thing, you're done. No matter how great your hair was.
Date #7: Juan #31: His word "Air Force." It should have been "too short." Sorry bub!
Date #8: Dan #33: I might have said yes to this guy if he hadn't have mentioned how he's not liking the sales business (sells insurance to hospitals) because he's too emotional. Yep, his words. Oh well.
Date #9: Thomas #34: OMG I want to say yes to this guy and hope that he's said yes to me too so we can meet again and I can make him realise that he's gay and he should have been hitting on Matt #28 instead of me. The words next to him? Travel Thai. He was really cool otherwise though.
Date #10: Tim #35: Tim was actually one of the cool guys and seemed like he was there to meet girls and wasn't confused. Civilian in the Coast Guard. Not bad.
Date #11: Biniyam #38: He was from Ethiopia. NEXT! (There's a story to this. I swear I'm not being racist or something stupid like that.) I mean he's getting his Ph.D in Electrical Engineering so I'm sure he's a catch for someone else.
Date #12: Mark #39: Oh poor, unfortunate Mark. Take the money that you spend on all these Hurry Date events and use it to get that wart/mole/thing on your face removed. I kept staring at it (while feeling awfully shallow) and thinking "moley moley moley mole." He did have the word lawyer (cos he's one and works up the street from me) next to his name, but I'm not that desperate.
Date #13: John #40. Oh. Dear. Lord. Ridiculously gay. At the end of the date though he says "I put yes to your name." Of course you did. I just told you I'm training to be a MMA fighter and you're hoping I can give you tips on how to be more manly. I might put Yes next to his name though because I might meet some of his cute Navy friends. :D (Totally kidding.)
So anyways, those are my stories for those of you I won't be able to share it with and act it out in person.
February 24, 2010
Just a few of my favorites to remind me that there are happier days ahead.
Morning at the DAR.
Lounging by the pool (obviously) in Naples.
January 29, 2010
The one where I slug
I've been inspired to write a new post but don't worry it won't last for very long.
I'm awful at this blogging thing. Yeah sure I have lots of thoughts (great ones too) about lots of things but I'm not eloquent or funny enough to bother writing about it.
Okay I could rag on myself for forever but I wanted to discuss something very important today. Slugging. Best. Invention. Ever! Seriously.
So Slugging is a term used to describe a unique form of commuting found in the Washington, DC area sometimes referred to as "Instant Carpooling" or "Casual Carpooling". It's unique because people commuting into the city stop to pickup other passengers even though they are total strangers! However, slugging is a very organized system with its own set of rules, proper etiquette, and specific pickup and drop-off locations.
When Did Slugging Begin Anyway?
It’s hard to believe that slugging has been around in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, area for about 35 years! That’s right; slugging debuted in around the 1975 timeframe, shortly after the HOV lanes were opened to carpools and vanpools. Of course, the exact date is uncertain because there really aren’t any official government records that have studied slugging from its infancy. The best source of information has been individual interviews (I interviewed a man who started slugging back in 1982—that’s 20 years of slugging!). The next source has been the numerous newspaper articles written on the subject over the past few years. I’m sure that whatever I determine as the "origin" of slugging, somebody will have a brother-in-law with a Ph.D. in ‘Slug-ology" with undeniable proof that slugging starting years prior….okay, fine.
How Slugging Began
Slugging can trace its roots back to the Arab oil embargo of the 1970’s. During this era, gas prices soared, as it became apparent that the United States was dependent on foreign oil. In an attempt to reduce its dependence, the United States adopted a number of measures to curb gasoline consumption. Speed limits were reduced from 65+ m.p.h. to 55 m.p.h., car manufacturers were told to make cars more efficient, and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were constructed. These lanes were for vehicles with more than three occupants. The benefit for the government was twofold: reduced gasoline consumption as well as some environmental benefits.
Where Did the Word "Slug" Come From?
The term "slug" itself did not derive from the word that means mollusk, as some people think. Instead, the term appears to have originated from bus drivers as a derogatory term.
The story goes like this. Bus drivers had always been warned to be aware of counterfeit coins (also known as slugs) from people trying to pass off this fake money in the coin collection tray.
When slugging was in its infancy, commuters stood at the bus stops, waiting for a driver to pick them up. Bus drivers, thinking these people were waiting for the bus would stop to pick up the passengers only to be waved off, frustrating many of the drivers. As this event became more and more frequent, bus drivers began recognizing the real bus riders from the fakes. Because the people weren’t really waiting for the bus, drivers began to simply call them "slugs." This definition seems to make sense because these people weren’t real bus riders or even real car poolers in the usual sense of the word. They were, just as the name implies, counterfeit riders or slugs. Hence, the term was born.
Over time, the less-attractive term "slug" has had many contenders, such as "instant carpooler," "hitchhike commuter," and "casual carpooler," but tradition has continued to outlive the newer, more politically correct terms.
There you go ladies and gents or whoever reads this, slugging has been demystified! Hopefully.
http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp
I'm awful at this blogging thing. Yeah sure I have lots of thoughts (great ones too) about lots of things but I'm not eloquent or funny enough to bother writing about it.
Okay I could rag on myself for forever but I wanted to discuss something very important today. Slugging. Best. Invention. Ever! Seriously.
So Slugging is a term used to describe a unique form of commuting found in the Washington, DC area sometimes referred to as "Instant Carpooling" or "Casual Carpooling". It's unique because people commuting into the city stop to pickup other passengers even though they are total strangers! However, slugging is a very organized system with its own set of rules, proper etiquette, and specific pickup and drop-off locations.
When Did Slugging Begin Anyway?
It’s hard to believe that slugging has been around in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, area for about 35 years! That’s right; slugging debuted in around the 1975 timeframe, shortly after the HOV lanes were opened to carpools and vanpools. Of course, the exact date is uncertain because there really aren’t any official government records that have studied slugging from its infancy. The best source of information has been individual interviews (I interviewed a man who started slugging back in 1982—that’s 20 years of slugging!). The next source has been the numerous newspaper articles written on the subject over the past few years. I’m sure that whatever I determine as the "origin" of slugging, somebody will have a brother-in-law with a Ph.D. in ‘Slug-ology" with undeniable proof that slugging starting years prior….okay, fine.
How Slugging Began
Slugging can trace its roots back to the Arab oil embargo of the 1970’s. During this era, gas prices soared, as it became apparent that the United States was dependent on foreign oil. In an attempt to reduce its dependence, the United States adopted a number of measures to curb gasoline consumption. Speed limits were reduced from 65+ m.p.h. to 55 m.p.h., car manufacturers were told to make cars more efficient, and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were constructed. These lanes were for vehicles with more than three occupants. The benefit for the government was twofold: reduced gasoline consumption as well as some environmental benefits.
Where Did the Word "Slug" Come From?
The term "slug" itself did not derive from the word that means mollusk, as some people think. Instead, the term appears to have originated from bus drivers as a derogatory term.
The story goes like this. Bus drivers had always been warned to be aware of counterfeit coins (also known as slugs) from people trying to pass off this fake money in the coin collection tray.
When slugging was in its infancy, commuters stood at the bus stops, waiting for a driver to pick them up. Bus drivers, thinking these people were waiting for the bus would stop to pick up the passengers only to be waved off, frustrating many of the drivers. As this event became more and more frequent, bus drivers began recognizing the real bus riders from the fakes. Because the people weren’t really waiting for the bus, drivers began to simply call them "slugs." This definition seems to make sense because these people weren’t real bus riders or even real car poolers in the usual sense of the word. They were, just as the name implies, counterfeit riders or slugs. Hence, the term was born.
Over time, the less-attractive term "slug" has had many contenders, such as "instant carpooler," "hitchhike commuter," and "casual carpooler," but tradition has continued to outlive the newer, more politically correct terms.
There you go ladies and gents or whoever reads this, slugging has been demystified! Hopefully.
http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp
September 29, 2009
Lady Gaga!
She's here! Finally! I'll definitely post pictures when I take them tonight but in the meantime I just had to shout it out to the world that she's here! Okay, I honestly don't know why I'm that excited to see her. She's great and I love her music because it's fun and easy to dance to but in all honesty I shouldn't be this excited. I think it's mostly because I'll be seeing a concert where I can sing all the words to for all the songs. Plus my friends will be here. Blair, Yessica, and Hibben....awesomeness is about to happen! :)
August 21, 2009
The Calamari I have known - Naples, FL
Pinchers Crab Shack
Kelly's Fish House
I guess I should preface this posting by saying that I love calamari. Every time and I really mean every time I visit a restaurant and they serve calamari I MUST try it. So now I've decided to blog about the calamari I've tasted and the best and worst places to get it. Keep mind I'm no food critic so I'll mostly use words like yummy, not yummy, fried, oily, grilled, etc. Please don't expect too much.
My dad and I were in Miami earlier this week and decided to drive down to Naples for the night. Such a quaint little town. They were in their off-season which is what I think I really liked about the place.
For dinner the first night we went to Kelly's Fish House and it was the most awful experience ever. The wait staff was nice but the food was horrendous. My dad ordered salmon and thought he was getting fresh salmon but it was the same thing you'd get if you ordered it at Outback or TGIFridays. I'm not necessarily slamming those places but we expected more from a seafood place right on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. I felt that it was worthy of a mention because of how bad it was. I got the calamari, oyster, shrimp and grouper platter. Everything was quite average. Nothing I consumed was memorable. The location was great and the tabletop was quite interesting. I'm not going to slam the restaurant itself because the location and ambience of the restaurant was quite appealing but the food just completely lacked flavor. I'm sure you could have fun there if you just went for drinks or something.
Pinchers Crab Shack was where we had lunch the next day. I'm insanely happy that we went to lunch there. It made up for our dining experience from the previous night. My calamari was just regular fried calamari but one noticeable and memorable thing about it was that it wasn't very oily. It was crisp and yummy without being drenched in oil. My dad had that Mahi Mahi and although I was against trying it I finally gave in and had to admit that it was delicious. It was worthy of a mention because of how awesome (thanks to E for getting that word stuck in my head) it was.
So that was my attempt at being a food critic and bringing information to you on calamari. I know I strayed a bit but I just had to mention how good and awful the other dishes were. For my three followers I hope this helps one day. Ciao ciao.
Kelly's Fish House
I guess I should preface this posting by saying that I love calamari. Every time and I really mean every time I visit a restaurant and they serve calamari I MUST try it. So now I've decided to blog about the calamari I've tasted and the best and worst places to get it. Keep mind I'm no food critic so I'll mostly use words like yummy, not yummy, fried, oily, grilled, etc. Please don't expect too much.
My dad and I were in Miami earlier this week and decided to drive down to Naples for the night. Such a quaint little town. They were in their off-season which is what I think I really liked about the place.
For dinner the first night we went to Kelly's Fish House and it was the most awful experience ever. The wait staff was nice but the food was horrendous. My dad ordered salmon and thought he was getting fresh salmon but it was the same thing you'd get if you ordered it at Outback or TGIFridays. I'm not necessarily slamming those places but we expected more from a seafood place right on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. I felt that it was worthy of a mention because of how bad it was. I got the calamari, oyster, shrimp and grouper platter. Everything was quite average. Nothing I consumed was memorable. The location was great and the tabletop was quite interesting. I'm not going to slam the restaurant itself because the location and ambience of the restaurant was quite appealing but the food just completely lacked flavor. I'm sure you could have fun there if you just went for drinks or something.
Pinchers Crab Shack was where we had lunch the next day. I'm insanely happy that we went to lunch there. It made up for our dining experience from the previous night. My calamari was just regular fried calamari but one noticeable and memorable thing about it was that it wasn't very oily. It was crisp and yummy without being drenched in oil. My dad had that Mahi Mahi and although I was against trying it I finally gave in and had to admit that it was delicious. It was worthy of a mention because of how awesome (thanks to E for getting that word stuck in my head) it was.
So that was my attempt at being a food critic and bringing information to you on calamari. I know I strayed a bit but I just had to mention how good and awful the other dishes were. For my three followers I hope this helps one day. Ciao ciao.
June 17, 2009
Hey pops,
Hey pops,
Rafting was amazing this weekend. We rafted The New River in West Virginia. Due to all the rain the river was 9ft higher than it normally is. It made for incredible rafting though (which of course mom was concerned about. Concerned = freaked.) Everyone who did this trip in the past kept talking about how amazing it was this time around. Even our guide said this was one of his most favorite trips.
Initially everything was going wrong. We arrived Friday night around 10:00 (I left at 1:30). It was such a hellish trip. There were accidents, traffic, rain pelting down so hard that I couldn’t see and keep in mind I was driving in the mountains up and down some very steep, two lane roads. When I had a quarter tank of gas I decided to try and find gas. I didn’t find a station until I had driven for 15 miles after my empty light came on. I had to backtrack a half an hour to find a station which just wasted an hour of my time. Everything that could go wrong went wrong but that’s alright because the next day made up for it. We rented a tent from the outdoor adventure company and for $20 it was already set up and three of us shared one tent. It was such a bargain especially since it was raining, muddy and I was exhausted and irritable after having driven for about 8 ½ hours. The next morning it was overcast and foggy and I was having second thoughts about it. Plus I didn’t feel well but I’m sure it was all psychological. So our group (my friends Kate and Steph and Kate’s friend Dawn and her boyfriend Ben) went down to breakfast (really great breakfast by the way) and got our briefing before rafting and then got outfitted and headed down to the river with our caravan. I was so nervous and I had this awful headache from being nervous. Things got better after we got there though. This is really random but I went to college with our rafting guide. We were both history majors and we took a couple of classes together. I remembered him just because I remember everyone. :) I’m like an elephant.
There were 10 people in our raft. 5 of us from one group and we got hooked up with another 5 person group. They actually camped in the lot right next to ours. They were a really cool group and we had so much fun with them. So rafting down the river we initially hit Class II – III rapids. About halfway through we had lunch and they provided an awesome lunch. My friend Kate who has been rafting at least 10 times said this is the best she’s ever eaten during a rafting trip. After lunch we headed out and that’s when we hit up all the upper level rapids. The waves were humongous because the river was so swollen from all the rain and there were a couple times when I thought I was going to fall out because of the sheer force of power behind those waves. One time the guy in front of me got hit from a really bad direction and I thought he was going to fall into me and we’d both fall out. It wasn’t scary though unless there were rocks in the vicinity though. We went down all types but my favorite rapids were the Class IV and V rapids. They had these crazy huge waves coming at us from all sides. I did not fall out of the raft (unless it was on purpose.) There were a couple of times where they let us jump out and swim around and then practice getting back into the raft. When I jumped out I thank God I did because I realized my helmet was loose (got it fixed afterwards) and my water shoes were dragging me down. I had to duck down and take them off and then swim back to the raft with them in my hands. Krav Maga and Jiu-jitsu have really prepared me. I wasn’t sore at all. My muscles were ready for the challenge. The food was awesome as well. They fed us really well for breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day.
I’ve included the terms and definitions for Class I – VI rapids so you can understand it a bit better. I’m not sure if you know exactly what I mean so I thought a little reference guide might be in order. Sorry for this long email but seeing as how it’s so expensive to talk when we finally do get to talk to each other I thought this would be the best thing. My next email will detail my adventures during the filming of the new Angelina Jolie/Liev Schreiber movie at my job. Spoiler: I saw them both!!!! :)
Love you daddy-o,N
Reference guide:
Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires no maneuvering. (Skill Level: None)
Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require maneuvering.(Skill Level: Basic Paddling Skill)
Class 3: Whitewater, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering.(Skill Level: Experienced paddling skills)
Class 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed. (Skill Level: Whitewater Experience)
aClass 5: Whitewater, large waves, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering (Skill Level: Advanced Whitewater Experience)
Class 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous as to be effectively unnavigable on a reliably safe basis. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 rapid has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes. (Skill Level: Successful completion of a Class 6 rapid without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of great luck or extreme skill)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewater
Rafting was amazing this weekend. We rafted The New River in West Virginia. Due to all the rain the river was 9ft higher than it normally is. It made for incredible rafting though (which of course mom was concerned about. Concerned = freaked.) Everyone who did this trip in the past kept talking about how amazing it was this time around. Even our guide said this was one of his most favorite trips.
Initially everything was going wrong. We arrived Friday night around 10:00 (I left at 1:30). It was such a hellish trip. There were accidents, traffic, rain pelting down so hard that I couldn’t see and keep in mind I was driving in the mountains up and down some very steep, two lane roads. When I had a quarter tank of gas I decided to try and find gas. I didn’t find a station until I had driven for 15 miles after my empty light came on. I had to backtrack a half an hour to find a station which just wasted an hour of my time. Everything that could go wrong went wrong but that’s alright because the next day made up for it. We rented a tent from the outdoor adventure company and for $20 it was already set up and three of us shared one tent. It was such a bargain especially since it was raining, muddy and I was exhausted and irritable after having driven for about 8 ½ hours. The next morning it was overcast and foggy and I was having second thoughts about it. Plus I didn’t feel well but I’m sure it was all psychological. So our group (my friends Kate and Steph and Kate’s friend Dawn and her boyfriend Ben) went down to breakfast (really great breakfast by the way) and got our briefing before rafting and then got outfitted and headed down to the river with our caravan. I was so nervous and I had this awful headache from being nervous. Things got better after we got there though. This is really random but I went to college with our rafting guide. We were both history majors and we took a couple of classes together. I remembered him just because I remember everyone. :) I’m like an elephant.
There were 10 people in our raft. 5 of us from one group and we got hooked up with another 5 person group. They actually camped in the lot right next to ours. They were a really cool group and we had so much fun with them. So rafting down the river we initially hit Class II – III rapids. About halfway through we had lunch and they provided an awesome lunch. My friend Kate who has been rafting at least 10 times said this is the best she’s ever eaten during a rafting trip. After lunch we headed out and that’s when we hit up all the upper level rapids. The waves were humongous because the river was so swollen from all the rain and there were a couple times when I thought I was going to fall out because of the sheer force of power behind those waves. One time the guy in front of me got hit from a really bad direction and I thought he was going to fall into me and we’d both fall out. It wasn’t scary though unless there were rocks in the vicinity though. We went down all types but my favorite rapids were the Class IV and V rapids. They had these crazy huge waves coming at us from all sides. I did not fall out of the raft (unless it was on purpose.) There were a couple of times where they let us jump out and swim around and then practice getting back into the raft. When I jumped out I thank God I did because I realized my helmet was loose (got it fixed afterwards) and my water shoes were dragging me down. I had to duck down and take them off and then swim back to the raft with them in my hands. Krav Maga and Jiu-jitsu have really prepared me. I wasn’t sore at all. My muscles were ready for the challenge. The food was awesome as well. They fed us really well for breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day.
I’ve included the terms and definitions for Class I – VI rapids so you can understand it a bit better. I’m not sure if you know exactly what I mean so I thought a little reference guide might be in order. Sorry for this long email but seeing as how it’s so expensive to talk when we finally do get to talk to each other I thought this would be the best thing. My next email will detail my adventures during the filming of the new Angelina Jolie/Liev Schreiber movie at my job. Spoiler: I saw them both!!!! :)
Love you daddy-o,N
Reference guide:
Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires no maneuvering. (Skill Level: None)
Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require maneuvering.(Skill Level: Basic Paddling Skill)
Class 3: Whitewater, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering.(Skill Level: Experienced paddling skills)
Class 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed. (Skill Level: Whitewater Experience)
aClass 5: Whitewater, large waves, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering (Skill Level: Advanced Whitewater Experience)
Class 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous as to be effectively unnavigable on a reliably safe basis. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 rapid has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes. (Skill Level: Successful completion of a Class 6 rapid without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of great luck or extreme skill)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewater
May 19, 2009
Yummmy tapioca
I'm eating my tapioca pudding this morning at my desk and then all of a sudden I start singing "tap tap tap tap tapioca." Why you may ask yourself? Thoroughly Modern Millie is why! I <3 that movie!
"Everybody tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tapioca, Everybody, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slapioca.If ya got the dap, dap, dap-dap-dappier flappers flap-flap-flappierEveryone is happier when the do the tap tapioca.When they do the flap flapioca.Tap, tap, tap, tapioca,Slap, slap, slap, slapioca,Tap, tap, tap, tap the tapioca.Let's pretend we've got a bowl, we're gonna have some sport.Ha!Add trumpled licks and a rag-time beat, let's say about a quart.Yeah!Ya stir and stir it with your knee, adding a bump or two.Ya heat it, mash it, beat it, smash it, if there's a lump or two.Don't let the temperature drop to many degrees,Or you'll wind up with what is called the frozen tapioca freeze!Everybody, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap tapioca, everybody freeze!Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap slapioca everybody freeze!"
"Everybody tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tapioca, Everybody, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slapioca.If ya got the dap, dap, dap-dap-dappier flappers flap-flap-flappierEveryone is happier when the do the tap tapioca.When they do the flap flapioca.Tap, tap, tap, tapioca,Slap, slap, slap, slapioca,Tap, tap, tap, tap the tapioca.Let's pretend we've got a bowl, we're gonna have some sport.Ha!Add trumpled licks and a rag-time beat, let's say about a quart.Yeah!Ya stir and stir it with your knee, adding a bump or two.Ya heat it, mash it, beat it, smash it, if there's a lump or two.Don't let the temperature drop to many degrees,Or you'll wind up with what is called the frozen tapioca freeze!Everybody, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap tapioca, everybody freeze!Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap slapioca everybody freeze!"
April 15, 2009
April 12, 2009
April 10, 2009
April 9, 2009
Turbulent Sea
Darkness lives inside me
A secret that I hide
The light that comes from all the rest
Is lost upon the tide
A touch of lightning – magic
Has left me marked and cold
I want…I need…I crave for me
A love that sells my soul
Like a turbulent sea
Pulling at me
I’m drowning in passion and fear
With all that I am – or ever will be
I must fight for what I hold dear
And I fight
For what is right
But shadows follow…
Me into the night
I sing and I cry and I scream at the night
To change an unchangeable fate
The wave crashes
In my heart
Darkness follows
Light departs
Like a turbulent sea
Pulling at me
I’m drowning
-Sheila Clover English
A secret that I hide
The light that comes from all the rest
Is lost upon the tide
A touch of lightning – magic
Has left me marked and cold
I want…I need…I crave for me
A love that sells my soul
Like a turbulent sea
Pulling at me
I’m drowning in passion and fear
With all that I am – or ever will be
I must fight for what I hold dear
And I fight
For what is right
But shadows follow…
Me into the night
I sing and I cry and I scream at the night
To change an unchangeable fate
The wave crashes
In my heart
Darkness follows
Light departs
Like a turbulent sea
Pulling at me
I’m drowning
-Sheila Clover English
April 1, 2009
Happy April Fool's Day!
Best prank ever! My girl officemates and I pranked the dude in our office today. We stole his badge and ransomed it back to him for food. It would have been fantastic but he was already pranked out because it was our third one for the morning. See the pictures below and you'll understand it a bit better. :)
March 22, 2009
Undo send
Thank you Gmail! It's obvious why Microsoft Outlook has the recall message function. In the business sector sometimes emails go out that are no longer pertinent, sent by mistake or whatever the millions of reasons are for wanting to retrieve that mistake of a message. The problem is that the mistake also happens in the private sector too. As in, yeah I send angry messages to my ex-boyfriend because I want to rant but I don't really want him to read it. Unfortunately I can't take it back once I've sent it and then it requires another email explaining why I sent it and that it should be disregarded. Why oh why can't I just recall the message?!?! Thank you for listening Google!!!!!!
Google's Undo Send, I can tell we're going to become very close and intimate friends. I'll use you often but know that I have only your best interests at heart and we'll be together forever as long as you're around. :)
Google's Undo Send, I can tell we're going to become very close and intimate friends. I'll use you often but know that I have only your best interests at heart and we'll be together forever as long as you're around. :)
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