Joy to the Weekend

Hmmm, no posts in awhile so I figured I'd check in. Today is a cool but sunny Saturday, which mean I should (?) be out and about exploring the city.  Instead I've been quite content hanging out at the house and being productive around here.  My housemates LA and D are traveling, so I've had the whole place to myself since Wednesday.  I was looking forward to solo time and a little peace and quiet, but when I came home the other night it felt surprisingly... empty.  I lived alone for years (in a basement, no less!) in State College, but I guess I've gotten used to coming home to friendly faces.  I've really come to enjoy weeknights cooking dinner and sitting around the living room and unwinding with my new friends.  I was feeling a little bummed until Jesse popped in with Sky and the baby, a welcome surprise for a weeknight.  

Things have slowed down a lot around here since the Inauguration.  Did I tell you that I got to go?  I meant to post a recap of those few days and never got around to it, so maybe I'll do that later tonight.  Socially things may have quieted down but it's been crazy at work.   Everyone is running around (literally) trying to respond to urgent requests from the Transition Team for this stimulus package ordeal.  I'm not sure if you heard, but the House has 400 million dollars specifically for geothermal, which all comes from our office.  Our little office, which now manages only 20 million.   It's a little hard to grasp (I'm still not used to talking about money in millions) and we are literally scared of what this means.  If this indeed passes, what it means is that we have to a) put a LOT of thought into how to spend this wisely, b) spend it FAST, which is more difficult to do than it sounds, and c) justify everything we do, how many jobs it creates, etc.  It's exciting to be involved in the process and I'm learning a lot.  It amazes me how quickly certain things can change in government while other simple things can take FOREVER.  

Last night I went to see Thievory Corporation at the 9:30 Club, a place I've been meaning to check out for awhile.  They played a great show, which inspires me to see more live music here in DC. 

I'm traveling back to the west coast on Friday, so today I'm doing tasks to put my life together - aka, laundry, dishes, sorting mail, grocery shopping.  For me this is always extremely therapeutic.  I'm trying to figure out what to make for Missy's superbowl party tomorrow.  There will be plenty of I.C. Light and pierogies, so I'm thinking about sharing some of the hot peppers and making banana bars.  They aren't exactly Pittsburgh-esque but I'm thinking I can doctor them up with a little yellow food coloring in the cream cheese icing :) I am excited to watch the game with some Steelers fans.  I'm off to the store now...  Steelers here we go!

Here We Go

Inauguration weekend is finally here.  Everyone who lives here in DC has been scared to death to see what will happen when 1-3 million people come to town.  Last night didn't seem too crowded, but it was soo cold out;  I expect most everyone to be here by tomorrow morning for Sunday afternoon's free concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring Beyonce, Bruce Springstein, and Garth Brooks (to name a few...).  

I'll be sleeping in my own bed instead of my car since we never ended up renting out our apartment.  I posted an ad once on Craigslist after the New Year but didn't receive any inquires.  I was a little surprised until I read this article in the Washington Post and discovered that lots of people in the city have the same experience.  The demand for housing here in DC essentially crashed about a week after the election, probably due to all the warnings about how bad it was going to be when people got here.  In my opinion not renting our place is a win-win situation.  With what some are calling 'crush level crowds', packed metros, and temperatures barely at 30, it will be great to be able to walk a few blocks back to our place for our own bathroom and a warm couch in front of the TV.  Reporters say that anyone who wants to see the ceremony should probably be on their way at about sunrise.  Since the bars are open until 5 AM this week, maybe that plan will work out perfectly.  

So yes, I'm fortunate to be a D.C. resident during this important event, but I'm not sure how crazy I'll feel to venture deep into the madness.  I'll do my best to take and post some photos of what I do experience.

il a ete un bon week-end!

It was a good weekend!  Nothing spectacular, but in case anyone is interested in hearing how yours truly passes a 'normal' weekend in D.C. here we go...

Friday was my day off.  It felt great having a short 4-day week after the long holiday period.  We're given the option to work a 9-80 schedule, meaning nine hour days and one day off every other week.  Given that everyone in the office is on 9-80 and I would probably work a 9-hour day regardless, this is a great perk to my job.  

Despite the fact that it was my day off, I still had to go to a meeting for coffee at 8:30 with my boss and the head of a big organization in DC that we work with.  The meeting was at Starbucks in Capitol Hill so I didn't mind the motivation to get myself up early and make the most of my day.  I was hit with feelings of nostalgia as I packed my bag in the morning, ready to head to the coffee shop.  Snacks... laptop... gym clothes... current book I'm reading... check! It was just like grad school!  It was only five months ago that I would set out the same way - no particular agenda, just a long and varied to-do list and hopes to get most of it done.  I can't say I was all that productive, but I was pretty good for a Friday off.  

Friday night was incredibly fun as we ended up back at the Ghana Cafe in Adams Morgan.  The Ghana Cafe is a small bar/danceclub that plays west african and american hiphop music (alternatively... every 20 minutes or so) in the upstairs bar.  The walls are covered in mirrors just as they are (apparently) in Africa.  Everyone is friendly and dances the entire time and it's just a lot of fun.  After dancing pretty much nonstop from 10 until 2 I literally almost couldn't walk.  It's a good thing we took the cab ride home!

Saturday was supposed to be cool and wet so my plans were to hibernate pretty much all day, which was fine until I realized we could venture down to the gym to use the sauna and steam room.  I really like everything about the gym I joined but I absolutely LOVE the steam room.  I've used hot dry saunas before but never these that surround you in warm wonderful mist.  It's perfect after a tough workout but just as perfect on any random day you want to feel like taking a trip to the spa ;)  Then on Saturday night I made a ham and bean soup in the crock-pot and we all hung out at the house and played our favorite games: Apples to Apples and Catchphrase.  I still can't beat my roommates yet at A-to-A but at least I'm catching onto their humor enough to keep up. 

Sunday was... long.  We got up early to say goodbye to LA's friend and ate an awesome breakfast that she cooked for us.  LA wanted to try something different with spaghetti squash and I had no ideas so we ended up using them to make fritters, which were more like pancakes but so delicious.  For his birthday, Dennis got a growler of dark beer by Dogfish Head but it went bad and he needed a way to use it, so I suggested cooking with it and remembered a recipe for Emeril's chili that calls for dark beer and dark chocolate.  Who could argue with ingredients like that?  I've had this chili before but never made it myself, so this became my project for the day and it turned out great!  I used a combo of turkey and ground beef... the beer makes it slightly sweet and you can taste just a hint of the chocolate... so I think it's a keeper.  Let me know if you want the recipe.    We finished off the weekened with an awesome win by the Steelers and that's about it.  Ive got my house into Season 2 of Dexter, which I've seen before but it's fun been fun to watch with friends, although I find myself thinking of blood and duct tape just a little too often and in a whole different way.  Hmm, could this be the cause of my nightmares?!

I dream of... tornadoes?

I'm a pretty heavy sleeper and rarely remember my dreams, but I do have one reoccurring dream element that's been popping up for several years - tornadoes.  The story line always involves me stuck somewhere, usually in a car or a house, surrounded by tornadoes.  Sometimes there's only one, but I often see multiple funnel clouds dangling from the sky.  I never die in these dreams, and rarely do I remember actually getting swept up in them, but usually I'm very, very close. In these dreams I'm terrified, hiding or dodging them, but I'm never physically running away.  

I realize this is a pretty obvious dream symbol: emotional turmoil. Dreams of air represent thought and the thought process, whereas water is more emotional.  I've had a water storm dream only once, but I think the tornado is specific to me and my life based on my historical fear of tornadoes...

  

This all started on a camping trip with my friend and her parents.  This was probably almost 18 years ago, but I remember driving down the road to the campground and getting a very bad feeling in my gut as I noticed dark, charcoal blue clouds way out in the distance.  I was assured it was nothing, but sure enough, five hours later, we're trapped in the camper.   It's rocking back and forth and hail is pounding on the window.  We lose power after we hear the tornado warnings come through the TV.  I am young and with strangers.  My friend's dad is outside, cooking corn on a wet fire, a bowl over his head for protection.  He gave us strict instructions that if he came inside and said GO, we were supposed to run out for the ditch.  Needless to say, I did survive this catastrophe and there was never actually any tornado, but I think I was scarred for life. 

I love the thrill and beauty of big storms, thunder, lightning... just as long as these natural forces come without the threat of a tornado.  As a child, the first thing I'd do after school ever day was come home and turn on the Weather Channel (just in case...) but I'm a little better as an adult.  If I am driving on a highway, out on the water or outside somewhere and dark heavy clouds roll in, I usually have some sort of mild panic attack - at least until I plan my safety strategy (e.g., ditch, running for a stranger's house to use their basement) or call someone to check the weather and assure me conditions are not primed for a tornado within 50 miles.  

So yes, it's probably no surprise I dream of tornados.  Although I do still find it fascinating, and usually try and look for meaning in these dreams.  There's nothing serious going on now that anyone reading this would need to be concerned about, I just thought I'd share a little piece of what goes on in my head when I'm fast asleep ;)   

Ten years since we've partied like it was 1999

Happy New Year 2009!  Pete and Jill hosted a fabulous party last night and the pomegranate martinis I brought were a hit ;)  In case you're interested, the recipe: 2 parts vodka (I highly recommend Kettle One), 1 part orange contreau, lots of ice, 2 parts pomegranate juice, lime - shake and serve.  Today I'm cooking my first pork and sour kraut for everyone and then watching Penn State and the Rose Bowl.  This will be my first personal experience with a crock pot so wish me luck (and send me your recipes!).  But before that, I am cleaning everything... laundry... taking a trip to the gym (mainly for the sauna...) then taking a nap!  

We've had at least ten people in the house at all times since I got back from my Christmas trip home.  It's been pretty hectic around here, but in a good way.  Jesse's parents flew in from Oregon so they've spent a lot of time at the house with Jesse, Sky, and baby Byrom (who is getting bigger EVERY day - it's amazing).  We've also had some of LA's peace corp friends here.  It hasn't exactly made it easy for me to get up and go to work this week but it's a small price to pay for the good company.  Evening activities mainly consist of playing catchphrase, drinking wine, and eating fantastic food.  The other night Jesse's parents bought a huge ham and served homemade scalloped potatoes and I made a green bean casserole.  Last night he made two crockpots full of delicious chili, enhanced by the Reed's soon-to-be-famous hot peppers.  It was the perfect thing to have around with people coming in and out of the house all day.  

It's great to have parents in the house.  In addition to eating well, we are also enjoying improvements to the house.  Jesse's dad fixed a drawer, helped keep the front door closed, and then went around and insulated all of the windows in our place, which should make a huge difference in our gas bills!  You can see the plastic bubbling out constantly which makes me realize what a draft we had coming in every day.  We may not get much snow but it's cold and windy here in DC! 

playing catch-up

hello to anyone who still might be reading my blog!  yes, it's been awhile.  we've had internet troubles again at the house, but these are finally fixed and so i'd like to get back into blogging.  as a start... it's been a hectic few weeks and there's a little too much to catch up on, but here are some highlights as to what's been keeping me busy:

- a surprise trip to see spring in gettysburg, and visits from dawn, sarah, and warren.  all of these visits were wonderful and i am so thankful for these (and other) special people in my life. 

- nighttime tour of mount vernon (george washington's estate), sunday runs on the mall, and a trip to the museum of natural history.  (if you go there, be sure to check out the nature photography display, it's quite good)

- movie nights, house dinners (i cook, they eat), and late night dance parties at our place.  i really enjoy our house -  we've been taking advantage of the space and also exploring the neighborhood a little more.  there are some great restaurants right down the street allowing me to recently discover an appreciation for belgian beer and cuban cuisine :) 

in the new year i'm looking forward to:

- a trip home for christmas and NYE in DC

- experiencing the city during the inauguration.  not sure that i will get tickets, but i AM keeping my fingers crossed to go to the renewable energy inaugural ball ;) 

- running a half marathon with Lee-Ann in the spring

- a second trip to San Fran for a geothermal conference - hopefully with more free time

- book club with the girls

- checking out more of what D.C. has to offer.  next on my list is the IMAX theatre, ice skating at the mall before the winter ends, visiting the buildings museum, the newseum, and some photography exhibits. 

- becoming involved with some volunteer activities

and, if i have it my way, i'd also like to:

- travel to northern france to see their geothermal demonstration site (this was promised to me a few months back, but we'll see if it materializes)

- visit my brother during his study abroad in england

- visit shelly in texas

- do a work rotation in colorado?

it's an optimistic list but it fits my mood at the moment. more posts and pictures are coming soon. i hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! merry christmas!!

the education of a co-ed household - (the LBD)

It's a typical Sunday morning.  Jesse, Lee-Ann, and me are all sitting around in the living room discussing our holiday plans for the week.  Lee-Ann starts talking about a taffeta dress she may wear for New Years Eve. Jesse is clueless about taffeta, but curious.  LA brings in the dress for show, displaying the taffeta fabric.  Then she comments about her little black dress (the LBD).

Jesse: What's a little black dress?

LA: You know, the little black dress.  Every girl has a little black dress.

Jesse: Oh.. Nicole, do you have a little black dress? 

Me: Yes, of course I do. 

*thoughtful pause*

Jesse: So, if a girl wears a little black dress out with me on a date, that's a good sign that she likes me, right?

Me: Hmm, well no, not exactly.  Actually she's probably just wearing it for her, to make her feel good about herself. 

LA: Agreed.  Now, if you've been dating a girl for awhile and she wears her LBD knowing that you like it, that's a very good sign. 

Jesse: Oh... right.... 

Jesse: So... then you wear it for special occasions?

Me: No, that's the point of the little black dress.  You can wear it for any occasion. 

LA:  Like a party, a wedding, a funeral, or even to work.  Yes, it's all in how you accessorize.  

Jesse: Right... got it. 

Back in Cali

So for work I get to spend a week in my favorite place to visit in the U.S. - northern California.  Every time I go there I get to experience new aspects of the San Francisco bay area, all of which have been fantastic.  This was the fourth time I've been there in the past three years and yet every trip has been so different.  This time being there was interesting because it caused me to think a lot about each of those trips and where I was in my life at that time compared to where I am now.  That usually happens when I travel and that's one of the reasons I like to get out of my usual routine and environment. I can think a lot. 

This time I get to see the world's largest geothermal field, the Geysers, and some of the sites for our field demonstration projects.  We started our trip this afternoon with a trip to Sausalito to visit Altarock, one of the newest and most sophisticated geothermal companies around.  Their office was gorgeous and the dinner we had that night at a local italian place was amazing.  Walking along the sidewalk you can look over the water and see the lights of San Francisco.  It's no surprise that people pay big $$$ to live there!  Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed at was not so posh... an old-fashioned charm, at best :) Fortunately we were only there one night.

Actually, we were at practically every hotel only one night which meant I was unpacking and packing up every morning.  

The field visits to the Geyers was amazing.  We got a tour from Joe, the resident geologist at Calpine.  He first gave us a presentation in the office which almost put himself to sleep.  Clearly this was not his interest.  However, as soon as he took us out into the field you could see his energy rise.  The more questions we asked the more excited and lively he became.  What was supposed to be a two hour tour turned into a seven hour excursion all around the area.  We climbed up hills and dug through rocks learning the local geology.  We saw and old cinnabar (mercury) mine and even found a few rocks to take home.  We also got to see some of the surface manifestations of a geothermal site - the fumaroles.  Fumaroles are basically just hot steam jets coming up to the surface.  I couldn't think of a more beautiful site to put geothermal power plants, and I can't believe how much we learned!  Check out the pictures here if you want to see what we saw out on the mountains.  

You will notice in the pictures that I have changed the color of my hair!  I have been thinking about making this change for awhile and finally just decided to do it.  It's only hair.  I have received mixed emotions about this decision, some love it and some just can't get used to it.  I'm not sure if I will keep it myself, but it has faded even from last week and who knows?  Sometimes I miss being blonde but I might like to settle on something a little more natural.  Any thoughts?

Terminal Ramblings

In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I just want to express how thankful I am to be at the Pittsburgh airport. I have been to, from, in, and out of so many airports these past few months.  Although I don't mind flying or even hanging out in terminals reading a book every once in awhile, there are obviously better ways for me to spend my time.  

I am sitting in the airport silly amused over little things.  I am amazed at how easy the signs were to get here, and more in shock with why other airpots don't follow suit.  Despite the fact that it is the Sunday after THanksgiving, I breezed through security and had a lovely woman help me locate my ticket number during check-in.  And can you believe they have FREE wireless internet throughout the airport? And plugs, plenty of accessible plugs to recharge your electronic devices.  I've tried to find these outlets at other airports only to discover that they are strategically placed in locations that charge you several dollars to power up.  And finally, right by my gate is a post office.  I'd been carrying several cards and bills that needed to be taken care of and was able to quickly get these out of the way with the help of an extremely social and pleasant post office woman.  I feel guilty for not knowing her name. 

All of these tiny little pleasantries make me happy to be flying today and I don't even mind not getting a snack on the plane.  I know this charge irritates a lot of travelers, which is why I don't understand why the airlines don't just sneak in an extra dollar or two in the ticket cost to cover a snack?  No one would notice a dollar difference in their 400 dollar plane ticket, but they sure do notice when they have to fork it over on the plane for some stale cookies. 

My silly blog on the positives of an airport (keep in mind I got up at 4:30 AM) is evidence that these nice things add up and can really make people feel good.  In the age of convenience people really do not want to be inconvenienced, and this is probably a lesson that applies way beyond the airline industry. 

In the area of renewable energy, I think this means that people simply do not want to be bothered with the details as to how they are able to run their business or talk on the phone, they just want it to be easy and they'd like it to be green.  And they just want someone to make it happen or tell them how to do it, in plain english.  Just like the airport signs, they know where they want to go and they don't se why it has to be so darn hard to be shown how to get their.  

That's all for now - I think my flight is departing on time!

Real Estate

The parallels from State College = Football with D.C. = Politics are amusing to me.  For example, people here play drinking games at the bars to go along with political debates/events shown on TV.  I was never business-minded enough to capitalize on my prime location (downtown, near the stadium) and rent out my apartment at PSU for big football games.  However, I would have to be crazy not to at least 'consider' taking advantage of my new locale during Inauguration week here in January.  It looks like people are renting out rooms, and their entire houses, for thousands of dollars.  Thousands!  Just check the going rates on Craigslist or eBay.   

Obama is president

As Election Night 2008 comes to a close, I can hear people running and yelling in the streets, honking their horns, celebrating the announcement of a new president, a new beginning for our country.  I knew that Obama would easily take D.C. but was surprised to see him win an amazing 92% of the votes in the District!  It was also interesting to see that (when polled) almost every country internationally favored Obama to McCain about 3 to 1, so I hope that the opinion of America will begin to change in the eyes of the world.  

Fortunately, I made it out of the polls in about 30 minutes.   Kudos to anyone who took up to three hours out of their day to stand in line and be counted after this long and grueling election season.  THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered to work the polling stations to make the voting process as pleasant as possible for the voters today.  Despite the long lines and the hot, crowded gym at 7:30 AM, I was greeted with cheerful smiles and enthusiasm, which is always a refreshing way to start the day!

I also want to take a minute and recognize/thank the hundreds of thousands of young people who volunteered as part of the Obama campaign.  Many of you I know personally.  Many of you took time out from schoolwork and work to help support this cause.  You got up early many Sunday mornings to make calls, knock on doors and speak to strangers, not to lecture them with a speech template but to have open, honest conversations on the relevant issues we face today.  You worked tirelessly for no financial reward.  

These aren't the people who want to sit back and watch the system work FOR them.  These volunteers, thousands of them, worked hours and hours to see their dream come true.  Not because they wanted life to be easier, they just wanted it to be different.  

To see it all come together tonight, to watch Obama make history, as he gave his acceptance speech, I was proud of the work he has done and especially proud of the efforts of our voting citizens to make it happen.  I hope that he treats this honor and responsibility with every bit of energy and sincerity that he has shown throughout his campaign.   

I have the utmost respect for John McCain and I have no doubt he has the ability to run this country well.  However, I am excited to see the new direction that our country is heading under our the president elect, Barack Obama.  

A day but a whole year older

I want to say thank you so much to everyone who took time out of their day to send me their fabulous birthday wishes.  All I really wanted today was to hear from all of you and I got my wish :)  I am so lucky to be surrounded by a loving and supportive group of friends and family - I really couldn't ask for more.

Not only did I get lovely messages, but a gorgeous package came to me while at work today.  I am not big on extra birthday attention caused by such gift items, but it was extra special in that it came all the way from the other (under) side of the world - Australia!  Well, the chocolate covered strawberries came fresh from DC, but the love came a far distance and it definitely made my smile.  Thanks Spring!  And, you couldn't help but notice the pretty balloon sticking up from my cubicle, so I didn't even have to tell anyone that 26 years ago I was born today ;)

 

For the occasion, a few office mates haphazardly organized a potluck.  Since no one confirmed that we were actually having the lunch I didn't make my apple cake.  And yes, I am more than happy to make cake on my birthday.  I always find reasons to make apple cake.  But I didn't want to bring it and make everyone else feel guilty for not bringing lunch, so only one person brought food, and his contribution was the rice.   Several of us had a 'potluck' around my desk which consisted of... indian basmati rice with peas (brought in this morning, cold), mixed with my standby lunch can of black bean vegetable soup (again, cold) and/or Franks red hot sauce.  Nothing fancy, but very cute and more I could ask for in the company alone. 

This weekend I got to spend some time with both my brother and sister, which was really nice.  I love coming back to western PA in the fall.  The leaves have almost all fallen off the trees but they still have color; in DC they've hardly changed.  Despite the score, Shell and I (and friends) had a great time at the Steelers game on Sunday, with the pictures to prove it. 

All this traveling has me exhausted, so I'm looking forward to spending some time here in DC to recharge.  Does anyone have a good halloween costume idea?  I was thinking about being '"Josephine" the Plumber (haha) but I think I want to go with something a little... prettier...?

Day trip to Boston

I love Boston! And I got to go there for work this weekend.  I love it's oldness, and how pretty it is there... the buildings aren't too tall, there is so much to do, so much culture.  I guess these aspects are what I love about DC too, so it's similar... but different :) 

I got off to a bad start by missing my plane but caught the next one and went straight to MIT.  MIT hosts the 100K Challenge, a contest where entrepreneurs and engineers showcase and develop their new ideas in a competition made up of three parts: the Elevator Pitch, the Executive Summary, and the Business Plan.  Each of the three parts has it's own separate contest, and yesterday was the Elevator Pitch Competition.  Since the DOE sponsors their Clean Energy Prize, I got to volunteer as one of the three judges in the Energy Track. 

So here's how it works: each person has 60 seconds to "pitch" his/her idea to the audience and the judge.  No props or visual aids are allowed.  After the pitch, the judges have 30 seconds for questions before they quickly score the contestant and on it goes to the next pitch.  It all hapens VERY rapidly, especially as I was trying to understand what their brilliant (and quite technical) ideas are all about and then trying to ask concise, substantial questions after the pitch in order to score them fairly.  There were about 20 entries for the energy track ranging from a device that makes spare parts for oil rigs on the fly to a "green" way to produce silicon for solar cells. 

The winner of each track goes on to the Final Round later that night, where the ten best ideas are pitched again in front of three new judges and a packed auditorium.  No one knows who has been chosen for the final round until their names are called.  If it's called, they run down and just GO.  It was great.  

The second winner for the energy section was the last person to be called in the final round.  He gave a phenomenal pitch that earned him a huge round of applause from the crowd, plus the $5,000 prize.  His idea was a design for an ultra-capacitor (similar to a battery) that sores energy so that stop-and-go electricity sources, such as wind turbines, can provide a steadier flow of electricity.  Since one of the major disadvantages of wind turbines is that they are intermittent, his design could revolutionize the industry and a lot of other applications. 

So many of the students had brilliant ideas that really could work.  But not only were the ideas good, the people were wonderful.  I got to talk about ultra wide band radio waves, people developing solar panels in Africa, and RSS feeds I can use to gather more energy news - it was awesome.  I can't tell you how many energetic and motivated entrepreneurs and scientists talked to me about their passion for clean energy and asking how they can get involved.  There is already so much going on at MIT that I think they're on the right track, but I'd love to find more ways to interact with them.  I made some great contacts on the education side, and I'm hoping to come back in a few months and judge the Executive Summary and Business Plan sections.  It will be great to see how many of these ideas evolve and take form.  

It was a gorgeous, sunny, cool fall day in Boston but unfortunately I spent the day indoors and didn't have much time to walk around the city.  I did however get an added bonus to meet up with my cousin Matt, a talented aspiring actor just starting his freshman year at Boston University.  The rest of his family was in town and happened to be staying at the same hotel!! We went out to a restaurant where I had my first ever bowl of New England Clam Chowder (delicious...) and watched the Boston Red Sox win.  Good stuff.  

Debateness

Well, I didn't get to watch the debate in a public place, but i think staying at home was better because (although the crowd reaction would have been amusing)I actually got to pay attention to what was going on.  I liked the coverage by CNN - with the split screen showing both candidates, and I also loved the real-time graph tracking the impressions of men and women.  For one thing, it was interesting to just to see the difference and how the opinions merged and diverged.  It seems like obama's cool nature appeals more to women, whereas mccain's abrasive personality turns them off.  Plus, the technology aspect is fascinating to me.  It's like watching pro football, where ever move is tracked, recorded, and calculated - which simultaneously improves the game and engages the viewers.   The amount of thought that goes into a campaign is mind-boggling.  I can just see it now - huge offices packed with statisticians, crunching numbers, all frantically and meticulously trying to figure out the key phrases that appeal to the audience and the gestures and words that should be omitted from now on. 

Although the commentators insisted that the 'Joe the Plumber' reference was effective, it was clear that women got annoyed with it after hearing it probably more than seven times.  Who is Joe?  Doe he have children?  A wife?  Ten employees or one?  I don't know, but tonight... he's famous. 

I think this was one of the best debates, although I didn't get to watch 100% of the others.  

I really also liked that Washington Post online had a 'fact checker' website so that viewers can go and quickly find reliable data to refute or backup what the candidates said during the debate.  

And of course, I couldn't help but notice that McCain mentioned wind, tidal, solar, and biomass as key energy issues, and Obama continues to mention wind, solar, and geothermal.  Although I don't know much about it yet, I'm pleasantly surprised that tidal energy got mentioned, and I think that tidal energy is going to receive a greater share of attention in the renewables vocabulary in the very near future.  But. although the words sound good, you can't just IMMEDIATELY start drilling offshore and building nuclear power plants tomorrow.  Just the amount of time it takes to get the permitting puts these project start dates probably at least ten years away from now.  It's not that we shouldn't be thinking about options, it's just that we have to be realistic and understand that, sadly, the best answers in the long run are not usually the ones that improve the immediate financial situation or show price reductions at the pump.

  

That's all I have to say about that.  I dont care who you vote for, just be sure to vote.

the first sweet tastes of fall

What a the perfect weekend to be outside!  The weather here in DC is still pretty warm - sunny and mid 70's, and fortunately I was able to make the most of it.   Although the temperatures are similar, the difference in humidity from Reno to D.C. is unbelievable!   I am hoping that once the temperatures drop a little I'll be able to enjoy the crisp, fall air that I look forward to all year long.  I know I say this all the time but I love fall - LOVE it.  My roommate Dennis keeps complaining about "all those people who try and put pumpkin into everything just because it's fall".  Well, I don't think he knew what he was getting himself into when he met me, because I am the worst culprit of them all.  I love that such a healthy, orange, robust vegetable (that's really a fruit?!) manages to merge so well into about a million foods and recipes: oatmeal, muffins, soups, pie... I think someone said it right when claiming I am the 'Bubba Gump' of pumpkin... after broccoli :) 

I had been complaining that I've hardly been able to enjoy the restaurants here in D.C. since I've moved about a month ago.  Eating at home has been a great way to save money, but it was fun to get out this weekend and sample what the neighborhood has to offer... Greek on Friday, Mexican on Saturday, and Chinese Dim-Sum for Sunday brunch (after our flag football win).  Unfortunately, Mexican cuisine is NOT the city's forte, and most of the mexican restaurants are actually Salvadorian.  But you can usually get both, so next time I'll order something more adventurous (and appropriate) than the chicken fajitas.  I never knew this, but Chinese dim-sum is where they bring dishes, prepared family-style, around on carts to your table - you just point to the ones you want and they give them to you.  It's fun and I'd recommend you do it with a small group of people for a Sunday brunch. However, I'm not so sure I'd do it again...  I'm a little too reserved when it comes to chinese and prefer to stick to chicken and broccoli :) 

Saturday night I went to my first professional soccer game!  The U.S. team played Cuba in a world cup qualifier game at RFK stadium.  We had really great seats and I wish I would have had my camera for some pictures of the U.S. winning 6-1.  Unfortunately for Cuba, they were two players short.   Two men from the team disappeared from the hotel before the game and are believed to have defected, which means they take off the moment they get a chance when they are able to get out of their country.  I guess this happens a lot and last time Cuba came here they lost about seven players. 

Monday we took a day trip to Annapolis to check out the city and visit my friends Brandie and Matt.  I've posted some pictures here but enjoy the rest from this link.  For lunch I had steamed and seasoned shrimp and a bloody mary Annapolis Style (i.d., with Old Bay seasoning).  Unfortunately most of the bay area was closed off for the sailboat show and we were too stubborn to pay the 16 dollar entrance fee but managed to find some space near the water at the Naval Academy right next door.  Lee-Ann and I each found great hats at Hats In The Belfry - adorable and perfect for walking to work when the mornings get a little cooler.  We had drinks at the Chart House, which is a gorgeous (yet slightly pricey) seafood restaurant with amazing windows that look out onto the waterfront and the boats in the harbor.   We hopped onto the water taxi to meet Brandie and Matt at the Ram's Head Tavern, which had an awesome outdoor patio, live acoustic music, and a phenomenal happy hour.  Apart from my car getting locked in the parking garage at the end of the night, all in all it was a great day, and a perfect way to end an active, yet enjoyable, three day weekend.  

Tomorrow night is the last of the presidential debates, and I'm looking forward to watching it here in D.C.  Most of the bars in the city get big crowds and have specials as they cover the event, and viewers can pick a democrat, republican, or bi-partisan location.  I think we'll go neutral but no matter what it should be an entertaining way see the debate!