posing as DC tourists (without the matching hats or t-shirts)

Around these parts, the summer season is FULL of tourists. They're everywhere: wandering aimlessly along King Street, trying to blend in at farmer's markets & parks, but fooling no one when it comes to the escalators at metro stations (unless you're intending to continue climbing the stairs or wish to face the wrath of a commuter, it's an unspoken rule that you keep to the right to allow others to pass). It's a season that makes us really glad we live in Virginia rather than the District where everything is ten times worse. 

However, every now and then the tourist bug bites us, too, so we play the part & galavant about seeing things we haven't in seen in awhile/ever & eating at restaurants we've been meaning to try since we moved here for months. 

A couple of months ago, we went so far as to pen a mega list of everything we've been meaning to see so that we'll finally make the effort to go. Some of the things on our list: actually seeing all of the Smithsonians, instead of just the popular ones, because frankly we don't have the excuse of only visiting for a week; having a "Lost Symbol Day" because we embrace the facts that a) we're Dan Brown nerds and b) we love that the book was based in the DC area; embarking on a ghost tour of Old Town Alexandria, thanks to the recommendation of my good friend, Sarah (Enrichment Thursday: Ghost Edition!); & hitting up some lesser frequented places like Dumbarton Oaks and the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Garden.

Basically we got a list as long as Santa's, so recently we began checking things off. This time around we hit up the Botanical Gardens to see the corpse flower (yes, it's a real thing), the National Zoo (somehow I had never been?), the Natural History Museum, & took a few walks all around the National Mall.

^^Meet the corpse flower, which at its most alluring really does smell like rotting flesh so as to attract pollinators from miles around. We caught it on its last day of being in bloom, and as a point of reference it stood at 5' 2"^^

^^Em & I decided we might fit in quite nicely at the zoo (our husbands probably agree)^^

^^this is what resulted when I got pinned with a tail & asked to make an elephant sound. I clearly lost character fast.^^

^^However upon comparison, this guy at the Natural History museum looks far more regal than I ever could, so I've since traded in my ears & tail^^

^^reminds me of a certain Boston Terrier back home... Perhaps a relative? ;)^^

^^While trekking it to Good Stuff Eatery post-museum visit, we stumbled upon a peaceful oasis that we never knew was there (part of the Botanical Gardens). It should be understood that if I worked near the Hill, this would be my refuge from all the hulabaloo^^

^^still daydreaming about that cinnamon sugar pop tart from Ted's Bulletin^^

^^it's possible that the Washington Monument looks better with all that industrial scaffolding on it. Definitely is prettier at night from our viewpoint across the Potomac^^

^^impromptu pizza & concrete night. Our Shake Shack order probably wouldn't have resembled Frosty the Snowman on the first day of Spring had the waiter not put it under the name "Gordo"... Lizzie McGuire flashbacks, anyone?^^

^^A stroll about the Mall just isn't complete without seeing something weird. Yes, those are fish fashioned out of fruits & veggies mounted on top of cars^^

^^Yet another cupcake place beats out Georgetown Cupcake. Red Velvet in Chinatown- yum! (Baked & Wired is still our fave, though)^^

^^We couldn't pass up trying new things in Old Town, too. Killer ESP had some pretty tasty chocolate birthday cake gelato, while Haute Dogs was just so yummy. Ten points for guessing which was mine ;) #plainjane4life ^^

life lately, mostly according to my iphone

^^Missing this little nugget, despite her perfect record for scratching up my legs every time she sees me. Interpretation: I'm her favorite. Also, it's remarkable that she sat still for this picture.^^

^^He burns, & it turns to tan. I burn & return to porcelain. And so it goes. Good thing I love him lots ;)^^

^^I managed to get two holes-in-one, but neither were on the gimme on the 18th hole... Because I'm awesome like that.^^

^^I have a serious love affair going on with Old Town. Don't worry, my husband knows & has the same problem.^^

^^While wandering the streets one day I stumbled across this little beauty of Washington's. As if he didn't have enough land at Mt. Vernon... This townhouse was used as an office & a receiving house for his belated guests.^^

^^For those of you who don't follow me on instagram, I'm starting up a little stationery & paper goods business, & this was the night we bought a computer for it! Obviously I'm beyond giddy in this take but manage to compose myself for the next. More details to come soon ;)^^

^^Random fact #57: Trader Joe's has the prettiest flowers I've ever seen at a grocery store. And I hate to say it, but I think the tulip has a tight race against the peony for my favorite flower these days. I mean seriously, look at how gorgeous they are! Please note the mint julep cup that's finally claiming a purpose in my life. Might mean an excuse to buy fresh flowers for my desk on the reg... fingers crossed.^^

Hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe) Fourth of July!

random musings from old town & hometown

+ I think I'm officially becoming acquainted with the local life. Case in point: while watching an episode of West Wing {second episode, second season} the other night, I recognized the diner where the scene was filmed. It's a neighborhood diner in Old Town that has since been changed from a BBQ joint to Greek, but that's not the point. The point is that I know. Gosh the embarrassing amount of pride I felt was on the level of gooby news you hear about hometown progress, and I haven't even lived here for a year. Now that I've admitted how nerdy & dramatic I can be, let's change the subject.

+ After introducing our guys to the wonder of Despicable Me this past weekend, I think Emily & I have made the case to see its sequel in theaters when it comes out this week. It's been awhile since I've heard 4 adults belly laugh as hard as we all did watching that animated movie. All I'm saying is as long as Agnes & her obsession with fluffy unicorns is still in the script, I'm golden. And just to spread the fun facts around, anybody else think it was hilarious to see "Bank of Evil, Formerly Lehman Brothers" over the door? Gets me every time, but probably because Lehman Brothers was founded in my lovely river city, Montgomery, AL.

+ Speaking of Montgomery, my recent brief stint in that fair city was nothing short of wonderful. Mainly because it tickles me pink that downtown has become so cool! Cool enough that we felt compelled to support the hometown team & buy two Biscuits t-shirts for ourselves & a Biscuits hat for a friend at the Biscuit Basket in Riverwalk Stadium. Sadly the one we bought wasn't a real biscuit hat {picture a cheesehead in the form of a biscuit}. #hometownpride

+ And why might you ask did I disappear for over a week after I said that I was coming back? We hit up Seagrove Beach with my former roomies {my parents} for a week. And it was awesome, other than the sunburned shins I managed to get as well as a frisbee induced skinned knee {clumsy Kat strikes again}. If I get my act together around here, I'll post some pictures of our adventures. Did I mention I reclaimed my honor at goofy golf... by almost 20 strokes? Boom. Roasted. Sorry husmate.

+ Finally, I'm in the market for any and all interesting documentaries to watch on Netflix. Every now & then I have this overwhelming itch to watch something incredibly involved & academic & possibly propaganda-esque that can quell my thirst for fixing all the world's problems. Lately I've watched documentaries on Arlington Cemetery & the Honor Guard of the Unknown Tomb {their jobs are intense, I kid you not}, the growing social divide between the wealthy 1% & the rest of us & what power politically they wield {this documentary has forced me to add Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged to my reading list just to be better informed of their argument}, & dramatic food movies that cause me to actually eat better & buy what seems like 80% or more of my grocery list from the perimeters of the grocery store rather than the maze of the middle aisles {for you foodies out there, a wonderful (& short) book to read is Michael Pollan's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. Seriously, so good. Next on my list is his In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto}. So hey, any fellow nerds or people passionate about something that have some good documentaries up their sleeves, please give me suggestions to watch for my late night viewings! 

reason #266 why I love this city

^^So these have nothing to do with the story, but they could qualify for reason #267 why I love living here.
 Walks around Old Town are made perfect by lovely flowers to accompany the brick sidewalks.^^

It's an ideal spring day outside: sunny with some clouds, perfect temperature, gusts wind to keep me cool; and I'm on the last leg of a pleasant three mile run on the trail. I've had quite the throwback to high school with my selection of Snow Patrol's Final Straw album, and all in all it's just a good run. With 200 yards to go though, something else has caught my attention: the 10+ police motorcycle escorts tag-teaming with at least 5 additional police cars ambling along on the parkway. Curiosity, as always, beats out the inner desire to have a good time, & I stop to watch along with a few cyclists. 

Just as one cyclist is telling me it could be David Cameron, I realize what the hubbub really is about: this is the group of policemen who have cycled from Richmond this morning {after starting in Charlotte, NC} in honor of National Police Week. 500 miles in 4 days. The pack by this point was 30+ strong all in varying shades of black, blue, and white, & seeing them on their last leg made me smile & realize once again that this big ole world is bigger than just me & the small-minded concerns about my life. It's about listening to & serving others, just as these incredible policemen do every day. So once again DC, thanks for the reminder & many thanks for timing my run to coincide with their journey.

by the numbers, vol. II {first anniversary edition}

Top picture: cropped, Photography by the Robertsons; Bottom Row: some of our paper anniversary gifts 

{roof over our heads}

the travel time (in hours) between where we were married & where we live now: 13

the number of places we've called home in 12 months: 2

the number of times our GPS had no idea where our first place was: everytime

^^the pains of living in a newly developed land^^

the number of miles separating those two places: 45

the number of square feet we lost in the move: 90

the number of ways the second place is still better than the first: probably 73

^^other than the lack of bunnies on our runs now^^

the number of times we've said we never want to move from Old Town: 265

the first time we both knew we were deeply in love with our city: last night

{adventures}

the number of trip adventures we've had near & far: 15

the number of trips we're planning/going on soon: 4 {Gettysburg, Columbus, OH, Seagrove Beach, & Boston}

the number of pups we almost adopted: 3

the number of pups we've actually owned: 2 {sweet Riley & spunky Scout}

the number of pups we have now: 0

the amount of puppy fever we fight because we know it's not the right time for us yet: a lot

the number of times a week we miss our spunky Scout {& gentle Riley, too}: at least 3

the current puppy breeds we're swooning over: 5 {GSP, Westie, Beagle, Vizsla, & Lab}  

the number of times we've talked about running a half marathon in our relationship: 7

the only times we were really serious about it: the first & seventh

the number of runs we've gone on in the past 9 days: 7 {we're making progress now that it's spring} 

the number of planned runs we have once we can run 5+ miles: 4

{facts of the past year}

the number of months between the first time I tried to make spaghetti & the second: 6

the number of months we went without pictures in our picture frames: 10

the number of churches we've visited or will visit soon trying to find our home: 9

^^but I think we're getting close, thankfully!^^

the number of times Kat has seen Monarch the Mouse in the dead of night: 4

 the number of times husmate has: 0

the number of times Kat has had to look up specialty stain solutions for husmate's shirts: 8

the number of times husmate has taken over the entire bed & couldn't be moved: at least 20

the number of times we've dropped the resident charade & resembled tourists when sirens are heard/dark vehicles go by/streets are closed off: everytime

the number of things Kat would never had admitted to trying & liking if husmate didn't test it first: 14 {I'm finally growing up parents!}

the number of times we belted out lines from "We are the Champions" yesterday: 5

the number of years we've been married: 1 & a day :)

here we go, round two!

a weekend of camping... sort of

From the Marlins game a week & a half ago. Notice the heavy jackets?
Yeah the temperatures were in the 30s that night...

Yesterday our air conditioner went kaput. At least I think it went kaput... See it already got some TLC last month at the suggestion of our condo's owner... & it already doesn't work? Sounds a little iffy to me {but I'm no AC expert}.

Did I mention that I'm a temperature wimp yesterday the highs were in the mid-80's? Thankfully a cold front moved in last night, so we slept to the music of the rain (after watching The Hunger Games) with the windows open. And considering the repair company has yet to call me, it looks like we'll be making forts & camping out in our den allllll weekend... Thank goodness the temps this weekend will be in the mid-60's to low-70's {& that this happened now and not during the heat of the summer}!

Looking forward to welcoming the weekend (& our camping) with a hotdog at Nationals Park as the Nats take on the Braves tonight {my new team vs. my childhood team- which do I pull for?? I think my diehard fan grandmother would be disappointed if I didn't say the Braves...}. Somehow hotdogs are only satisfying to me at a baseball park {I know I'm not alone in that sentiment}. 

And just to make it a whole thing, I've already suggested we go hiking tomorrow. Camping + Hunger Games + Hotdogs + Hiking... Seems fitting doesn't it? Happy weekend to all of you!



+ As a completely non-related afterthought, the chocolate chip cookie dough at Trader Joe's? Delicious. I don't think husmate will let us buy cookie dough anywhere else from now on... If you're a lucky individual living near a TJ, try it out sometime! You will thank me later. The dough itself is actually kind of chocolatey, so you know it's going to be GOOD.

a weekend of flora + fauna

It's fiiiiinally spring around here, & simply put, it. is. glorious. Husmate & I spent the majority of our weekend trying to catch the cherry blossoms blooming around the tidal basin {with about a zillion other people}, but wouldn'tyaknowit, they just aren't ready yet. So while the much coveted blooms thwarted our plans, we found a few other things to take their place, like the Baltimore National Aquarium residents, long walks across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Mall & Georgetown, & cupcakes at Baked + Wired. Here's a few of the things we discovered this weekend:

+ We came across the coolest fish at the aquarium: the Seven Spot Archerfish, which can spit water up to 3 meters at an insect in a low hanging tree to knock it into the water & eat it. Seriously an incredible thing to watch, especially amongst an audience of elementary-aged kids :)

+ A dolphin show at age 24 is just as awesome as a dolphin show at 13. & getting splashed by a dolphin? Hilarious. 

+  For any & all who think that Georgetown Cupcake is the best thing in the world, you are wrongggg. Baked + Wired, another Georgetown bakery, is without a doubt SO much better {& bigger proportions, too- in fact, two people could share one & should for calorie reasons...} than anything I've tried at Georgetown Cupcake. & as usual, husmate & I preferred each other's choice over our own. We tried the Red Velvet & the Pretty Bitchin' {chocolate cake with crunchy peanut butter icing & the closest thing I've come to Muddy's Bake Shop's Tomboy in Memphis}, and both were delicious.

+ FYI that whole "don't take naps after 3" thing is definitely true, considering that both of us took a late afternoon nap yesterday & neither one of us really slept last night. Never before have I been so wide awake at husmate's alarm at 4:45 am. Just call us the Zombie Berrys.

And for any of you who haven't seen in the past month or so, we'll be saying RIP to Google Reader come July. I finally bit the bullet and switched over to Bloglovin' & you can follow me and all your other blogs there! And for those of you who think I'm talking in gibberish, Bloglovin' (and Google Reader) are sites that pull the recent posts from the blogs you follow & compile them onto one site so you don't have to hop around all day to a zillion other pages. Pretty handy if I do say so myself.

& in case you missed it last week:

a sunrise at arlington

uva crush

married life observations

a melodramatic moment