Happy Birthday Kari!

Tuesday was my good friend Kari's birthday! Kari's a super awesome person! We always have a ton of fun together.... probably a little too much at times! We celebrated her birthday on Wednesday by having a yummy dinner & delicious drinks at Circa.

Happy birthday Kari!

This was at Kari's house a couple of years ago after a huge snowstorm. It was the first of many blizzards that year (Winter 2009-10)

Day 22: I'm Thankful for...

This 10 year old is one awesome kid! I think of her kind of like my niece... her mom's like a sister to me (see Day 19) so that makes A my niece, right?! That's what I think too! A's smart, clever, easy-going, a chatter box, well-rounded, understanding, and a million other wonderful things! She invited me to her to school's Grandparents & Special Friends Day today. I obviously do not fit in the grandparents category, so special friend it was! I think I was just as excited that she asked me as she was that I was going! I love watching her grow up & mature and I'm so thankful that I have A in my life!

Day 21: I'm Thankful For...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Getting ready for Thanksgiving Break & then Winter Break a few weeks after. This week, leading up to Thanksgiving is a busy one at school. Meetings, special events, mixed in the normal busyness of the day. So at this point in time on Day 21 of being thankful......... I'm thankful for the number 40

40 is the number of hours until I'm officially on Thanksgiving Break!

Day 20: I'm Thankful for...

Rock Creek Park is a beautiful national park in the middle of DC. It's wonderful to be able to escape from the big buildings, concrete galore, hustle & bustle of city life and take a walk or bike ride in Rock Creek Park. It's even more beautiful in the fall. So many trees with bright yellow, orange, red leaves everywhere you look. Bike/walking paths covered in fallen leaves. I took these pictures in Rock Creek Park on a beautiful autumn day. So on Day 20 of being thankful, I'm thankful for the opportunity to live in DC yet have the ability to get "out of the city" quickly by just going to Rock Creek Park!

Day 19: I'm Thankful for...

I've been excited this week for today to come. I had linner (lunch/dinner) with a very special person. K & I live about a block and a half away from each other and in the past few months I've seen her once. :*( Before the craziness of this school year, I was used to seeing her at least twice a week. Anyway, it was wonderful to spend some time with her and have yummy bloody marys and delicious food at Mon Ami Gabi.

I'm so thankful for K and her friendship today and everyday. I definitely had a happy heart today after spending time with her. 

Delicious pumpkin pound cake dessert K & I shared.

Day 18: I'm Thankful for...

On Day 18 of being thankful, I'm thankful for Friday afternoons at Lauriol Plaza for guacamole, Dos Equis, & time with a lovely friend. I don't get to see J as often as I'd like these days but when we do get to catch up, it's great! I didn't take any pictures but there was yummy food & drinks, smiles, and laughs. And I'm looking forward to next time!!!

Day 17: I'm Thankful for...

On Day 17 of being thankful, I'm thankful for music; live music more specifically. On Wednesday night, I went to see Kid Rock at The Fillmore. Many of his tour stops are supporting the Kid Rock Foundation & the DC area was lucky enough to receive attention, support, & donations from his foundation. Kid Rock & his band, Twisted Brown Trucker band put on a great show. 

I somehow completely missed most of the concert season this summer so I was glad to get to hear some live music this week! 

Day 16: I'm Thankful for...

On Day 16 of being thankful, I'm thankful for Kimberly. Kim & I have been friends since middle school. We always have fun together & continue to do so whenever we're able to see each other. Now, we live 500 miles apart but when we're able to see each other,  it's like we see each other everyday. Gosh I miss this girl! Just the other day, she called to clarify something she thought I had said and was ready to come up to DC from SC & defend me if I needed! She's a mom to 2 awesome kids, works hard, wife to a great guy, and a great friend and I'm lucky to call her MY friend! 

Clockwise from L to R: Kim & I on the water taxi from National Harbor to Old Town Alexandria; in front of the Washington Memorial; at Clemson Homecoming 2011; at The Awakening; parrots in Old Town Alexandria; in front of Georgetown Cupcake in DC; WWII Memorial; Senor Frogs in Myrtle Beach

Day 15: I'm Thankful For...

Laughter: laf-ter

1.   The action or sound of laughing

2.  An expression or appearance of merriment or amusement

“Laughter is the corrective force which prevents us from becoming cranks.” – Henri Bergson

On Day 15 of being thankful, I’m thankful for the power of laughter. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love to laugh. And when I really get “tickled”, you’ll normally hear someone around me say, “Oh there she goes again.” I often say if you don’t laugh about it, you’ll cry about it. Most recently, laughter was one thing that got me through the stress & exhaustion of last week. And with stress & frustration, laughter is always a good release. So on these days of recognizing what I’m thankful for, I truly am thankful for laughter, my love of it & people in my life who laugh with me.

Day 14: Thankful

On Day 14 of being thankful, I'm thankful for my mom. Today's her birthday and I hope she has had a great day! She deserves it! Let me tell you a little bit about her:


She's smart - way smarter than I could ever hope to be!
She's funny!
She likes to have fun!
She's passionate about things important to her!
She's pretty much the only person I can talk on the phone with for a couple of hours. 
She's my best friend but is still my mom! 
She's normally always right! Shhh...don't tell her I said that! 
She's MY mom, and I couldn't be luckier!


Happy birthday, Ma! I love you! YLD

Days 1 -13: I'm Thankful for...

November is the start of the holiday season. The leaves are changing (you all do know they’re going back to their original pigment, right? But that’s another post!), the temps are dropping, and flip flops and tank tops are exchanged for boots and sweaters. With November comes thinking about what we’re thankful for. In years past I’ve done my list of things I’m thankful for and this year is no exception. I’m a little behind on posting in real-time what I’m thankful for but I’m going to catch up in this post and then do my very best to do daily postings of what I’m thankful for… So here goes for days 1 – 13… some are sillier than others but thankful nonetheless. I’m thankful for:

1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes: that’s a true symbol that fall is here!

2.  Half-day Wednesdays

3. Colleagues that make me laugh

4. Fridays

5. A job that I love

6. Sunday morning coffee & taking a walk on a brisk, autumn morning

7. My GPS for leading me directly to Ocean City without getting lost and wine

8. Dunkin Donuts just a few blocks away from our hotel – life saver for the next few days, wine, & sunrises

9. Spending just a few short (well, they were very long) days with someone you didn't know before then & feeling like you've known that person for years! J

10. Finishing that ridiculous report

11. Recovery days

12. Being a Clemson Tiger

13. Finally feeling like I've turned a corner towards getting better – thanks to rest, meds & cough drops!

C-L-E-M-S-O-N

I'm sitting at home feeling really icky. If I'm going to be stuck at home this weekend at least I'd be able to watch Clemson play today. That's what I thought at least. I don't get ESPNU (who does, really?!) but then I thought I'd be able to watch it online. No such luck. So I napped a little then started getting texts from my dad. He'd finally found a bar showing the game so he gave me updates. It doesn't sound like it was a pretty win but in the last few seconds of  the game, Clemson gets a field goal to WIN! Super exciting! With this win, Clemson is now 9-1 and clinched the Atlantic Division of the ACC. They'll be playing for the ACC title on December 3rd in Charlotte. I'll be in Dallas, TX on that day, so I'll be relying on text updates. But before we get to that game, there's still 2 regular season games to play: NC State and then the "Palmetto State Bowl" vs. SC the Saturday after Thanksgiving! Go Tigers!

Here we come, Charlotte!

Coach Dabo Swinney gets the Atlantic Division trophy after the game today!

76 hours

I had the craziest 76 hours this week. I say 76 hours because in those 76 hours, nearly every single one of them was crazy. With the exception for the few, yes few, hours each night I was able to sleep. I was asked to participate on a Validation Team for Middle States Association. MSA awards accreditation to schools in the Mid-Atlantic area of the U.S. Public & private schools in D.C., MD, DE, PA, NJ, and NY are included. Anyway, I digress a bit… So off I went to Ocean City, MD for 3 ½ days. Ocean City… sounds great, right?! Oceanfront hotel, yay, yay, yay! That’s what I thought too! But…

Beautiful sunrise from my room. Too bad the sunrise is the only time I saw the ocean. I never had the chance to step foot on the beach! Unbelievable for me, I know.

I arrived at the hotel Monday afternoon around 1pm for our opening meeting/orientation that began at 1:15pm. There were 18 people on this team. We were responsible for validating the action plans for 6 schools in the Northern end of the school district. We’d later find out that the team was about 15 – 20 people short… which would contribute to the craziness of the entire experience. The only thing I knew going into this process was that I was assigned to work with someone named Jill to work at Ocean City Elementary School. I would soon be thanking my lucky stars Jill & I found our way to one another during this adventure. Someone was definitely looking out for both of us! I’ll explain more later…

I’m really writing this as a reflection and I’m hoping that if I get asked again to do this, I will remember to look back at this blog post before making my decision!

The way the process works for schools is this: if done well, serious thought, consideration, & planning is spent meeting, planning, writing a self-study document of anything & everything involved in a school’s functioning around 12 standards set forth by MSA.

I sat down at a laptop with my assigned school’s name and opened up the 300+ page document they’ve prepared for this process. Would’ve been super if I had this document before arriving to OC on Monday afternoon because I would need to become very familiar with it over the week…

Monday afternoon until early evening was spent getting oriented with the process. Remember, “Trust the process! It works!” Monday evening we went to a reception hosted by the district. We all walked out of the hotel to find a school bus to take us to the middle school… That made us chuckle. The reception was very nice! We walked into the gym to the middle school band playing, which brought back some memories from my middle school band days! The superintendent gave a great presentation highlighting all of the wonderful accomplishments of the district. A great district indeed! Jill & I were joking about being fed cafeteria food but thank goodness that wasn’t the case. They had a delicious catered meal… “An Eastern Shore” dinner.. Fried chicken, crab cakes, mac & cheese from a local favorite Waterman’s! After dinner, 4 of us went to the bar in the restaurant to begin working… 

During the day Tuesday & Wednesday Jill & I were at OCES doing the visit… talking and interviewing anyone and everyone in the school. I can’t say enough good things about that school! What a great place!

For some reason, the school thought my middle name (Cook) was part of my last name.... Funny

Tuesday night the team had a wonderful dinner at the hotel restaurant. Lots of laughs, good food… after dinner Jill & I worked on our report for a few hours.

Wednesday afternoon/evening/night is when the “real fun” began. Hours & hours & hours of working on our report for OCES… the report… woah… 2 of us, writing a report that responds to, validates, makes observations of our visits, makes recommendations, to the school’s self-study and how they’re connected to the 12 MSA standards. The report ended up being 250+ pages… Remember how I said we were about 15 – 20 people short on our team? Well, there should have been 6 or 7 of us visiting OCES… not just Jill & me. So 6 or 7 people writing this 250 page report and not just 2. That was the insane part of this whole ordeal. Incredibly insane.

But thank goodness for Jill!!! We were coined J² from the first night. Sometimes you meet people even for a brief time, but you know they crossed your path for a reason. Jill is definitely one of those people! For those 76 hours, we were joined at the hip, yes by force, for 16-20ish hours per day. But I couldn’t have asked for a better person to be joined at the hip with! We have so much in common, similar personalities, and our birthdays are even just 1 day apart! When things like that start adding up, you start saying, “hmmm”…

And I’d also like to say “bless your heart” to both of us! I started getting sick Monday morning and just went downhill from that point on all week… and she was dealing with major tooth pain & had a root canal today (the day after we left OC).

I’d say the experience as a whole was a positive one… with a bit too much exhaustion, frustration, and ridiculousness for me but I met some great people, spent time in a great school, and it was a great professional experience and I’m glad I said I’d VOLUNTEER for this opportunity. Some of the negatives were just out of my control.

There's more I could say about the past few days but I'll leave it at that. I kept asking about a comment card that I could fill out. Needless to say, I never did get my comment card I kept wondering about!!!   

Decisions, decisions...

Like clockwork, I get my  hair cut every 8-10 weeks. It doesn't always need it, but I don't like waiting until it actually does "need" to be cut. Yesterday I had an appointment to get a cut. The place was hopping! The gal I've been going to for nearly 7 years now was super busy. I never know how they can juggle more than one person at a time. One person's getting shampooed while another is getting cut while another is sitting under the dryer while one is being blown dry... Oy! Stresses me out thinking about it! On a day when it's busy like that means for some good people watching! As I was people watching, I realized I had a couple of choices for what I could do with my hair that day... Should I

Just put rollers in & go?
Not sure why this picture is sideways... it's the correct way in my files! I couldn't figure it out!

Do something completely drastic with my color?

Nah, I'll just do my normal trim! 
Again, don't know why this picture is sideways either!!! 
Technology can really drive me bonkers!

Something About These Hills

This past weekend I went to Clemson for Homecoming. I hadn't been to Clemson since last football season. Boy do I love going back to visit. The weather was perfect! My dear friend Kimberly spent the weekend with me and we had a super time. And I have to give Kim big, huge, ginormous props for doing what she did this weekend... she not only went to the Clemson game with me but she also sported some Clemson attire. Why does that deserve props? Well, Kim is a Univ. of SC graduate... Anyone who knows of some good rivals, the Clemson/USC one is one of the oldest... But these instate rivals bring up these situations. Those of you who are Florida/FSU or UGA/GT or Michigan/MSU or UVA/VT fans, you know these rivalries.

When we weren't actually in Death Valley watching the game, we were at the Esso Club...

People still ask me what is it with my love of Clemson (and orange). You'll hear people say "there's just something about those hills..." and it's so true. The Clemson spirit & environment is something you'll never experience anywhere else. Even my USC friends recognize that. I invite you to read this blog written by a Clemson student. I couldn't have said it better myself & I think what she said about Clemson is a common feeling & expression. I still get chills & misty eyed when I hear the Clemson alma mater. Thanks for a great weekend Clemson!

White board notes

I have a new buddy this year. He's new to my school. While visiting my office today he wrote this on my white board I have in my office. He wrote all of the words in the right order but they're just all over the board. Even if he hadn't done this, I'd still say he's a great kid...

Big W!

Yesterday, Clemson had its first true test on the football field. Auburn. BCS Champs last year. 17 consecutive wins. Last year's meet-up was a heartbreaking loss for Clemson at the very end. Well this year, Auburn came into Death Valley as all of those things: BCS Champs, 17 consecutive wins, won last year's game.... But... Clemson played like the Clemson team we all know & love is there. And WON! So exciting. How I would've LOVED to be in Death Valley yesterday. All of the ORANGE, the loudness that shakes the other team, excitement, and just being in Clemson... the greatest place on Earth. And in the Washington Post this morning this headline:
"Auburn's Streak Falls in Death Valley" 

I can't wait to go to Clemson & be in Death Valley in October! 

Screams & Thrills

Today was the annual Booz Allen Hamilton family day at Kings Dominion. I don't know how many years BAH has been doing these family days but it's been for years & years. Today was a cool, cloudy day which for me was perfect for riding all of these rides. My dad & I rode all of the traditional coasters then we went to the Intimidator 305; which won best roller coaster in 2010. As we're standing in line, my dad and I discuss what the 305 means in the title. We jokingly said, "I bet that's how tall that first drop is." We just finished riding the Tower Drop which goes up 272 feet then drops straight down. So what was another 30ish feet?! Ha! The Intimidator 305 is not a roller coaster for amateur coaster riders. Holy moly, twists, turns, drops, spins galore. After the ride came to a stop thank goodness it lets you sit there for a minute or two to let your body settle down. The guy behind me said, "I think I blacked out." Turns out, that's been a somewhat common reaction to this ride. WHAT?!?! After some research, here are some facts about the Intimidator 305. I'm not sure I would've stepped foot onto this ride if I knew these facts first. But I'm glad we rode it! Even if it did take a while to feel "normal" again.

• First lift hill: 45 degrees
• First drop: 85 degrees
• First drop: 305 feet
• Maximum speed: 98 mph
• Maximum G-Force: 6+

Another great day at Kings Dominion!

My dad & I at the end of the Tower Drop --- going up 272 feet then dropping

The picture that was taken during the Intimidator 305. Look how white my dad's knuckles are! He's always the one with his hands in the air!!

TOMS Shoe Guy

The "TOMS Shoe Guy" does have a name. And it's not Tom. It's Blake. Blake Mycoskie. He's a Texan now living in LA. He is a former online driver education teacher. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Blake (because we're on a first name basis) speak tonight at the Sixth & I Synagogue. Blake told the story of the start of TOMS Shoes which started on a vacation to Argentina.
Along with the ticket to hear him speak came a copy of his new book Start Something that Matters. I'm very excited to read his book. In addition to his story of starting TOMS, it also gives the story of other organizations, such as, charity: water, method, & FEED Projects; inspiration for making your own difference in your community or world through a start-up business, nonprofit, or other projects you'd like to create; and something great to share with others! I highly suggest you run out and get this book... with every purchase of this book a school book goes to a student in need.


Here are some things I took away from hearing Blake speak:

• He reminded me of Matthew McConaughey. There are similar looks (I think the messy hair) and they both have a lovely southern twang. 
• You should act on those "what if" moments.
• Remember to be your authentic-self.
• Importance of volunteering, especially with colleagues to keep things grounded and in perspective

Of course along with hearing this great guy speak came many laughs (mascara running, belly aching laughs) and a delicious dinner at Oyamel. Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE to laugh like that... for long periods of time are even better! Spending the evening with someone else who loves to laugh as much as I do makes for a great combo! 

Now that I'm on a first name basis with Blake, I'm sorry that I had him in my calendar as "TOMS Shoe Guy". Next time I'll know better.

Yes, TOMS is making wedges now!

Cuteness

I had lunch today with 2 dear friends. One friend brought her adorable 2 kids. They're both too cute!

It's back!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons! Cooler temps, pretty leaves, college football, new school year...... pumpkin spice lattes!! It doesn't quite feel like fall yet but I know it's just around the corner! I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season this morning when I had coffee with a friend early this morning. It was scrumptious!!!

Close one

Clemson played Wofford today. I got home from a BBQ just in time for kickoff. It was too close for my comfort though. Especially considering it wasn't a big game. But....

A win is a win

Sunshine

Here in DC it has been raining non-stop since Monday... it's Friday now. Around 2:30pm this afternoon, the sun was finally breaking through! It was so bright in my school everyone was commenting about it! So today's photo is of the sun!!

Welcome back sunshine! Boy have I missed you this week!!

No more white???

Labor Day weekend marked the end of summer, the beginning of a new school year, & the supposed end of wearing white! What??? But, but, but.... it still feels like summer!! (Well, not this week since it's been raining & storming NON STOP for 5 days)

So, in protest of that silly rule, I love this commercial! It's 2011 for goodness sake!! 

Laugh Out Loud Funny

If  you ever need a good laugh... well, you don't ever have to need a good laugh. A good laugh is good at any time. But I digress... you definitely should read this blog: The Bloggess... this is her latest entry.

She's laugh out loud funny.
She's mascara running funny.
She's laugh until your stomach hurts funny.
She's just funny.

Check it out!

Post Irene

Once the skies cleared & the sun came out, I took a little stroll in my neighborhood to survey the post Irene remnants. Most of the day had passed before I took my walk so I'm sure the damage was worse earlier in the day but I was pleasantly surprised to not see too much damage in my little bubble in NW DC. I know other parts of the city received worse damage but in the 2 miles I walked, I didn't see too much. A couple of streets were blocked because some trees and/or power lines were down or about to come down. Branches, leaves, etc all over the street & sidewalks but I didn't see any trees in houses or on cars... again, in my little bubble. Here are some photos from my walk. The map shows where I walked.

In one yard, there was a herd of dinosaurs set up and they had all been knocked over.

Charging Station

I was lucky enough to keep all power during Hurricane Irene. Everyone wasn't so lucky. My friend Janice lost power at 2am. It's been out for 13 hours now and she came over to dry her hair & charge all of her electronics! Here's the charging station & hair salon... calling it Salon 821

Sunshine!

Hurricane Irene swept through DC yesterday, last night, & this morning. But now.... Here comes the sun! And it's beautiful outside!

Quickly Approaching!

Next weekend commences the 2011 Clemson football season!! To raise my excitement even more than it already is, my ringtone on my phone has changed to this annual tradition!

Sushi

After work tonight, Janice & I went out for sushi. That's our thing. Sushi at night or coffee early in the morning on weekends. We always go to Kotobuki. Yumminess all around!! 

Farmer's Market Freshness

These photos are from a visit to the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market. 

Sunset

My last night in Florida, we made a point to go on the beach at sunset. When we were walking the short path to the beach the sun was already almost completely set. It very quickly continued to set, so I sprinted the best I could through the thick sand to try to snap a photo before the sun disappeared. When I got to a stopping point, the first photo below is what I got at 'sunset.' The sunset was still beautiful even though I missed the actual sun... Once that drama was over, we took a nice walk down the beach. It felt wonderful on the beach! Nice breeze, cooler temps & the water was so calm. It looked like glass. Such a vast difference than during the day. I'm glad I was able to end my fabulous trip with a sunset walk.

Gulf of Mexico

Captiva Island is on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Everyday the water was different. Some days were calmer than others; more sea grass than others; clearer than others.
The beach is full of shells. It's known as the seashell capital.