Snowicane 2009

The Snowicane landed in DC Friday night. (Also called the Snowpocalypse.) Emily was already snug in a hotel room at the Hotel George near Capitol Hill. I was less snug finishing my last final for my third semester of law school. Once I finished my exam I headed home packed up for our second annual stay-cation in the city. After a few minutes of frantic packing so that I could get me and Octavia (our scooter) to the metro station before the snowicane got going in full force.

I made it safely to Emily and the Hotel George after a stinging ride on the scooter. The rest of the evening was spent watching weather forecasts exclaiming, "Worst storm of the century!" "Lock up your windows and doors, we're in for the long haul!" "One million inches for sure!" Looking out the window of our hotel room confirmed, in part, the forecasts.

We woke up in the morning to several inches, but we had great plans for our stay-cation, so we bundled up and forged into the winter wonderland.

The metro escalators were dusted with a healthy layer of snowdrift.



To our dismay, the Smithsonians were all closed. But that didn't keep us from touring the city. Here's a couple of pictures of us in front of the Smithsonian castle.



We trekked past the Smithsonians and on to the Washington Monument. (Can you see it to the left on the first picture?)



And finally, we made some snow angels.




























So, now we are still at the Hotel George waiting for the Metro to offer above ground service, or for the buses to start up service again. Otherwise, we will be staying in the city for always and forever.

Top 5 Best GRE Words

The GRE is over and done with... horah! horah! I made a vow immediately after taking it that I would no longer try to incorporate silly GRE words into my every day life anymore, because (a) I was probably using the words incorrectly some of the time, and (b) it tended to make me sound bombastic.

However, I have a special place in my heart for these 5 special GRE words that I will never forget (sadly, none of them were actually on the test, but no matter):

(1) Quaff- Official definition: to drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily. Why I love it: Kristen and I were reviewing some GRE words on the way down the Florida Keys a couple of months ago, and came across this gem. It was sort of a running joke on the trip, and last week I received a frantic voicemail from Kristen saying she was "going to quaff some alcohol" if I didn't call her back immediately (joking, of course). Also, it makes me think of ducks.

(2) Hummock: Official Definition: A small hill. Why I love it: As soon as I read this definition, my two completely adorable nephews (with the last name Hill) flashed into my mind. My sister cleverly added on to these nicknames, and they are now known around our apartment as Chop and Squash Hummock.

(3) Gossamer: Official Definition: any thin, light fabric. Why I love it: The day after I learned this word, I was rereading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" for the 80th time and they use this word twice within like 2 chapters! I had been reading over it for years without stopping to think about what it meant. I was so excited that these words were actually used in real life!

(4) Pariah: Official Definition: an outcast. Why I love it: The sentence in Barron's for this word is "If everyone rejected Mariah Carey, would she then be Mariah the Pariah?" It made me laugh and momentarily contemplate a job as the person who comes up with vocabulary sentences. I have since reconsidered this career choice.

(5) Avuncular: Official Definition: of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an uncle. Why I love it: First of all, it's just a fun word to say! Secondly, it inspired the Peterson Family Mascot: "The Avuncular Canadians." [T-shirts and more info about this mascot to come]

Merry Christmas!

Editor's Note

If you wrote me a comment in the last blog, I have responded in the comments section!

...And we're back!

Okay, okay. Let's skip the formalities - I know we have been noticeably absent from the blogosphere for the past few months. I've been wanting to update for awhile, but it seemed like the more time went by, the more daunting the task was to retroblog, so I wouldn't... and the vicious cycle continued until 5 minutes ago [for some reason, watching Donny Osmond perform on Dancing With the Stars suddenly inspired me, for what reason I know not].

So here you go: Top 5 Things That Have Been Taking Up Our Time:

1. Running: Richard and I ran the Baltimore Half-Marathon [not pictured for a reason, i.e. red faces and crazy hair] with our friend, Britni. Richard did amazing and finished under 2 hours! I had pulled my hamstring a few weeks before, so I didn't do quite as well as I wanted to, but we had lots of fun [okay, that was a lie. It was not fun running it... but it was fun after, and it is fun to think about now!]. I also ran a 5k with some friends from church a few weeks ago. I am now getting ready to run the Illinois Half-Marathon in May with Kate [although, let's be honest, the real reason for going is to see my little hummocks!].




In related news, we joined a gym - Ballys! Richie and I have a standing date to go spinning on Wednesdays and yoga on Thursdays. I must say, it makes my week to see Richard ceremoniously "cradling his leg" with a soundtrack of running water [he's actually quite good] - I knew I married him for a reason. Girls like guys with skills.

2. GRE: Okay, you've heard enough about this, so I will not say anymore except that I take it on December 5, and tell anyone who will listen to me that I am sooooo ready for it to be over! I don't even have the energy to pepper this post with will-only-be-seen-on-the-GRE-and-not-in-real-life words. You're welcome.



3. Dinners at the Petersons: We made a goal to have friends over for dinner once a week. It's been really fun for many reasons: [1] we can't afford to actually DO things with people and this is something social that we can afford, [2] I get to try out some fun new recipes without having tons of leftovers, [3] We have greatly honed our Boggle and Scattergories skills, and [4] we've enjoyed getting to know law school and church friends better!

4. Law School "Stuff": I am lumping Richard's life into one bullet point, because to be honest, I only vaguely know what he does all day. This is what I do know: he is getting ready for finals, doing stuff for Moot Court and the law journal, and interviewing for externships for next semester. Busy guy! I'll let him comment if he wishes to elaborate further.

5. Making fun of Sarah Palin's new book - Just kidding.

5. Delighting in the successes of BYU Football - REALLY just kidding. Although, how 'bout 'em Horned Frogs? Power to the MWC!

The Real #5- Work: My fab boss Sarah is currently MIA on maternity leave [okay, so I guess she's not technically "Missing in Action" since I know exactly where she is, but Mya is now performing on Dancing With the Stars], so I am now solely in charge of PRing 12 hotels in the area. It's been really busy, but it's also been really fun. Also, I'm going over to Sarah's house on Sunday to bring her some dinner and [more importantly] meet baby Christopher, my work-nephew!


What the next couple of months will bring us:

1. A final, quick trip to Omaha for Thanksgiving
2. Going to Utah for Christmas, including an extended trip to St. George [my first time there!]
3. A painted bedroom! Richard promised he would do this as soon as finals are over. There will be pictures [if he does a good job].
4. Lots of fun Christmas parties and dinners

kbye.

RyLu's Wedding

Richard and I went back to Utah for Labor Day (story for another day), and while we were there, we were able to download some pictures from Laura (my sister-in-law) and Ryan's wedding last month.

At the morning brunch before the wedding

The happy couple, just married!

Some family pictures

The Coldstone bar, yum!

Utah Trip

As most of you know, we just returned from an excellent 10-day trip to Utah for my SIL's wedding and a side vacation down to Lake Powell.

Here's our 10 Top exciting events from the past 10 days [in no particular order]:

1. Laura's Wedding! Of course, I have ZERO pictures of this, but hopefully will soon!

2. Eating ice-cream at the Creamery on 9th at BYU:

3. Eating lunch at Cafe Rio, yummmmm

4. Meeting our ADORABLE niece Stella

5. Eating the top layer of our wedding cake (Richard thinks it still tasted good, Emily does not)

6. Hanging out at the Petersons' pool and waterslide: Check out the pool house Richard's dad built for the wedding reception and my new, short hair!

7. Wakeboarding and surfing at Lake Powell for 4 days

8. Going to see Harry Potter: Even better the second time around! We are a happier family than we look in this picture :)

9. Playing card games every night: We learned some really fun new games!

10. Spending lots of quality time with family!

Now we are home and ready to welcome in the new school year. Three cheers for a great vacation! Thanks, Petersons!

My Current Obsession

Some women have an obsession with shoes. Others drool over handbags or scarves. I thought I had made it through life without a "[insert clothing item/accessory] fetish" until I started running, and discovered the beauty that is women's running gear. I'm not sure what attracts me to it so much. Perhaps it is the delicate material that so skillfully wicks away my massive [TMI] amount of sweat or the brightly-colored tops with those adorable matching shorts. Either way, I'm addicted.

Fortunately, Richie also shares my athletic apparel ardor [note: for him it is men's running gear, just to clear that up], so we often take shopping trips to Sports Authority, Runner's World, REI and Target just to sit and salivate over the newest trends.

Sadly, we are usually not able to participate actively in said trends because they are ridiculously priced, and I can't justify the cost. Until... I came up with this brilliant idea after a particularly wistful trip to Sports Club on 19th and L. Why not buy a new outfit for each race I run, and wear it for the first time on the race? I know, great idea right? That way, whenever I wear it I can nostalgically remember that time I finished that 10k in under 50 minutes, or [more likely] passed out on mile 12 of the Baltimore Half!

Why this is a good idea:

1. I'm Emily, and I only come up with good ideas.

2. It gives me something to look forward to, and I really feel like I "earned" it [even though I will have technically earned it either way, since it is coming out of my paycheck].

3. I won't buy a bunch of running clothes and then stop running. My apparel cost will be commensurate with how actively I am running/racing.

4. The nostalgia thing, delineated above.

I've already picked out my outfit for Baltimore. But I can't find a picture of it on-line :( Let's just say it is cute and pink.

Just for the record, my dear husband does not think this is a good idea. Sigh. He says that there's a chance that a new outfit could rub wrong or would need to be broken in and I wouldn't realize it until I was too late. But he's totally wrong, right? Right?

"I want to go to there." -Liz Lemon

Sometimes, Richie and I like to go driving around our neighborhood to learn more about the cool side roads and parks of Virginia. One Sunday, we decided to pack up some oatmeal creme pies and head out to explore the area surrounding the Fairfax courthouse, where Richie used to intern.

Imagine our surprise when we happen to come across a Zion Road! Being Sunday and all, we decided it was probably a good idea to drive around in that area, and not too much longer we ended up on Hill Cumorah Drive! What are the chances?? There are exactly 3 houses on this street, and I hope that when it comes time for us to buy a house, one of these will go up for sale, so I can say things like "take a right off of Zion St. and then a right on Hill Cumorah Drive and we are the first house on the left."

For those of you who don't know why I find this exciting, check out: http://www.hillcumorah.org/

For those of you who don't understand the title, check out: www.nbc.com/30_Rock/

Bichon Frise = my BFF

Considering moving apartments just to get a bichon frise. (Our apartment doesn't allow pets.) Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen??

Mid-Year Resolutions

Ok, it's almost been 6 months since we all made our new year resolutions... who remembers what they resolved to do? Not me! So I'm going to make this more manageable for myself and make resolutions for the next 6 months. Inspiration: Britni's goals that she blogged about this morning!

Mid Year Resolutions:

1. Take/Rock the GRE: I know what you’re thinking – haven’t you been studying for like… forever? And the answer is yes, but I keep on taking month-long study breaks because I haven’t had a goal date to take it. I hereby resolve to take it by the end of the year to make sure I stick to it.

2. Run a half-marathon: Specifically, the Baltimore Half Marathon on October 10th (Happy pre-Birthday to me!) with Richie and our friend Britni.



3. Read at least one good book a month: Including but not limited to the following: John Adams, Les Miserables (abridged version… sorry Hugo), Team of Rivals, Walden by Thoreau.

4. Keep a $40/week household budget: Couponing is the key to this! And yes, I still love it!

5. Become proficient* in sewing: To do this, I’m going to start attending the ward’s monthly sewing club to glean information from the awesome sewing queens that surround me. I already have some fun beginner projects in mind, including this adorable scrap-pieced baby bib… good thing everyone and their dog is preggers right now!



6. Make 3 homemade meals per week: I’ve learned that the easiest way to do this is by cooking on Sunday and then making two additional meals that I can freeze and reheat when I get home from work during the week.

7. Set aside at least $500/month to pay back law school student loans: Blahhhh, I don’t like this one. But it must be done.

8. Take fun vacays to Gettysburg, Salt Lake/Lake Powell, Miami, Baltimore and Omaha: Who says you can’t have fun resolutions?

9. Go through all of my stuff and get rid of anything I don't need or use: Taken from Britni’s list -- awesome idea.

10. Make sure I tell the hubs I love him at least once every day: Corny, sorry. But it’s important!

*Proficient = able to do all three of the following: basic mending of clothes (hemming, etc.); make matching Christmas PJs for Richie and I, and make several of the cute bibs mentioned above!

Bodies = Amazing

Over the past few months, I've been increasingly amazed at how quickly our bodies develop and adapt to new situations, and basically just how amazing they are.

At church, I teach - mostly play - in the junior nursery (18 months until the end of the calendar year), and I am amazed at how much my adorable little kiddos have grown over the past 6 months. In January, none of them could talk, they would cry a lot and steal things from each other. Just yesterday, I noticed how they are all talking now (including their "please"s and "thank you"s!), playing with each other and basically just growing up and maturing. It's been so much fun to watch them each week during this really formative time and see how quickly they change!


As most of you know, I've also been getting into running lately and ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k on June 6 and the Lawyer Have Heart 10k last Saturday (finished in just over an hour!). I actually only started running consistently in April, which means in about 3 months, I've increased my running ability from a half mile (literally) to the 6.2 that I just ran.

I really do think that one of the best things in life is looking back to see how far you've come in anything, and it's been really fun to track my progress in running. My next goal is to do the Baltimore Half Marathon in October! Wish me luck :)

Corporate Life: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good: Thinking it's Thursday when it is actually Friday.

The Bad: Thinking it's Friday when it's actually Thursday.

The Ugly: Thinking it's Saturday when it's actually Friday, turning off your alarm and going back to sleep.

From One Washington to the Other / One Short Weekend in the Emerald City

Preface: Before I begin, let me explain the title(s). As we all know, there is a lot of pressure to get the perfect title post when you blog. The cover of the book, if you will. On the airplane on the way to Seattle, my mind drifted to "what will I name put as the title for when I inevitably blog about this trip?" In the end, I couldn't choose between these excellent (if I do say so myself) choices, so I put both up. Anyway...

Begin Post here: Basically, I <3 Seattle. It actually reminds me a lot of Alexandria because there are tons of trees, and everyone loves doing things outdoors (although, I must admit the kayaking is more popular in one than the other). After a jam packed week of working (26 hours of overtime!), we had an equally jam packed -- but much more fun-- weekend exploring the beautiful city.

After a yummy lunch in the restaurant on top of the Space Needle we headed to a duck tour. I decided to test our driver's sense of humor by answering "the better Washington!" when he asked where I was from. He did not pass my test. He just went on the next person. No friendly East Coast/West Coast banter!! Lame-o!

To get back at me, he decided to tell me that in order to get the boat to the water from the road, we would have to start going really fast and go over a ramp at like 40mph and "bump a few times in the water." At which point, Kristen leaned over to me and whispered "Oh, I hate this part!! It's really scary!" BOO. It's not true. You go at like .01mph.



Next, we got pedicures - I got my classic french tips, natch. The lady who was doing Kristen's feet kept on tickling her (not hard to do), and then all the ladies would all start laughing and then talking super fast in Korean/Japanese/Chinese. Ah, good times. Also, we learned that Nicole Richie is Lionel Richie's daughter! But she's got to be adopted, right? Anyone know the 411 on that?




Next on the list: Mariner's game. They lost. I got my souvenir of an ice-cream helmet.


Next day: Church, the troll, the temple...





Then Kristen and her roommates made me and some other guys friends some excellent dinner. Seriously. It was great. I wish I could cook. (I did attempt to make the syrup for pancakes, but bad things happened.) There are no pictures of the syrup. It's probably for the best.

On Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day by going hiking. Mark, a guy from Kristen's ward, headed it up and told us "oh, there might be a little snow on the ground." Um... you can't really tell from the below pic, but there was a TON of snow. We were walking on it most of the time. But it was still really fun!! PS- the super tall guy is our long-lost cuz. He is cool.




Then, we took a ferry ride of Seattle...



Went to Pike's Peak:



And went to sleep. Tuesday, we went kyacking which was kind of scary :( Only because I'm a wimp and kept on imagining boats coming at me at speeds of 100 mph+ to run me over. Maybe I have an overactive imagination. One of thing of note: they told us to stay to the right because the boats would stay on the left. Not true!! The craaazzzyy Seattle police drive their boats on the right! Someone needs to inform them of this. Maybe Kristen should organize a protest.

Anyway, it was a great weekend with great company!! Thanks Kristen! Now I have to make sure I plan an equally fun trip for when she comes out to DC in a month!

Well this was a super long post. Thanks for hanging in there. To reward you, I will share this lovely pic of Richard (until he tells me to take it down):