Be Vewy Vewy Quiet

Jet lag is not a pretty thing. Especially when you've spent two weeks on the other side of the world and as a result your days and nights are upside down. Hubs arrived home Thursday morning and spent the weekend trying to right his internal time clock.

He'd been in Singapore and Korea since early January and was fully on their time. Figuring out the difference requires higher level math and its too early for that this morning. All I know is he left Korea at 10 am on Thursday and arrived here at 9:40 am on Thursday. Huh?

When he travels he sends me pictures like this one...

And these....

I think the term 'live' is a temporary state of being for these imprisoned frogs. Hubs said there was a gentleman behind the cage who 'fixed' them for you. Don't ask.

Is this building incredible or what?

There's actually a pool up there...

I feel a little bit jealous until I see him sound asleep on the couch for most of Saturday and then hear him wide awake at 4:30 am Sunday morning asking in a loud clear voice, 'Wanna have some coffee and go for a walk?' A walk? Seriously? Its pitch black outside, not to mention freezing cold, and let's not forget about all the critters that are out and about at that hour.

We know this for a fact because we see their footprints all across the freshly fallen snow that greeted us when we awoke Saturday morning. Or in hubs case, the middle of the night.

This was our first snowfall since the crazy snowvalanche we witnessed back in October, and thankfully this one was much gentler. We probably got about 6 inches and its the icy kind which is not my favorite but at least hubs was home to clear the walkways.

We did the usual dinner out on Friday night, I caught up on laundry and we hit the supermarket too. We watched the playoffs (Go Giants!) and made chili and took care of some paperwork and looked at our calendar for the next couple of months. Nothing too exciting but its good to have him home.

His travel calendar this year month is ca-razy. I can't predict the future but I'm pretty certain his will include more napping. I'm okay with that...it just so happens naps are one of my love languages.

Capital Fun

I have a few thoughts about my week in DC that I'd like to put somewhere and conveniently I have a blog so here we go-

1. I drove down to DC last Tuesday. It takes me a little over four hours if I don't stop to have lunch with old friends in Annapolis, in which case it might take seven. What can I say...I'm a fan of the long leisurely lunch.

2. If the sun is shining when I approach the Bay Bridge connecting Maryland's Eastern Shore with the Annapolis area I feel a tug in my heart that words cannot describe.

Its a combination of the beauty and the memory. We lived in this area for nine years before moving overseas and we still feel its pull.

3. There is one heck of a lot of traffic in and around the little piece of land perched between Maryland and Virginia known as the US capital.

Holy moly.

My daughter gets around mostly via public transportation but even that can sometimes be exhausting. She has it down to a science but you can't control track works, breakdowns, bad weather, or rude people. I do love city life but it requires an extra measure of patience to live and work there every day.

4. My daughter works in the heart of the city so Capitol Hill Staffers are everywhere. Most are young, often still fresh faced from university, some even still in university working as interns...all of them speaking with great authority on any number of topics, but primarily politics and the Presidential campaign. Oi. Does anybody listen to anybody? Does anybody think for themselves or do they just spew out what they've heard other people saying? Does anybody fact check?

Just wondering.

A crowded train is not your personal platform. Between the metro operator who, given her issue with braking, must have been a learner driver, and the opinions being broadcast as the gospel truth to anyone and everyone within earshot by the 20 year old metro rider, and the oatmeal we'd had for breakfast, daughter1 and I were both feeling a little bit queasy on our commute to town.

5. Speaking of people spewing out opinions, here's mine. Hey, it's a blog not a crowded car on the DC Metro so I'm in the clear. I'm a person who is definitely interested in what's going on in the world but I'm just not sure politics is something to aspire to. I think we're best served by people who've had a full life outside of the political arena. People with ideas about how to make America better while staying true to the ideals outlined in our Constitution. People who have ideas, but who also have a handful of practical solutions to put those ideas into practice. They can do this because they've been out living an extraordinary ordinary life. I think we need more people coming to DC on a temporary basis to do a specific job before returning to life outside the Beltway and less people making politics an actual job.

Politicians working, living, and socializing 24/7 with other politicians is not necessarily a good thing.

Stepping down now...

6. On Friday I drove myself out to the 'burbs to meet up with a friend from our England days. We started out in a cafe with the intention of having a cup of coffee. Five hours later we were still sitting in the exact same spot, but we'd had lunch and used up almost all our words. My England friends are in a category all their own.

7. On Sunday daughter1 and I attended church together in the town where she volunteers as a Young Life leader. I also got to meet the couple who more or less run the YL program in that area. Is it wrong for me to say I love that there are adults looking out for my girl? My girl who is an adult herself but who still benefits from the wisdom and guidance of caring older adults in her life? Somehow that feels very right to me.

8. After church we drove a bit further out into the Maryland countryside to spend the rest of the day with hubs sister, brother in law, and their two boy children. She fixed us a delicious lunch and we gabbed and Daughter1 made fun of us with our multiple email/password combinations and we made fools of ourselves trying out Just Dance on the Wii.

Okay, some of us made fools of ourselves.

Some of us must be practicing the game while her small boy children are at school. Ahem.

And then of course some of us are naturally graceful plus spent thirteen solid years in ballet so can make it look easy. I have some pictures but you won't be seeing them here. I promised.

9. Daughter1 had the day off on Monday and even though it was rather Arctic like in temperature she was a good sport and traipsed across the Mall with me. We took some pictures outside the Washington Monument and you can see the flags blowing in the 'breeze'.

Yeah. Arc-tic.

10. The monument has been closed since the earthquake happened last August. It had just reopened prior to the quake but was damaged again on the day so needed further repair. My daughter showed me video of people in the Monument when the quake happened.

Pieces of the ceiling were falling and that thing was shaking and swaying like you would not believe. NOT where I'd want to be in an earthquake if given an option. Which of course you're not, but YIKES!

11. We walked a bit more before popping into the Museum of Natural History to warm up. Since we were there we scooted on up to the second floor to see the Hope Diamond. Any day's a good day to see beautiful jewelry, right?

12. Aaaaannd we walked some more. Lots of walking in DC which is one thing I love about city life. We decided to check out the National Building Museum since Catherine over at Time and Tide mentioned it in the Hodgepodge last week. Neither of us had been before and its an interesting building dating back to 1887.

The four story atrium surrounded by enormous Corinthian columns is absolutely beautiful and has been host to sixteen Inaugural Balls. We walked thru several exhibits that tell the story of how DC was built, how the neighborhoods have grown and changed, and the origin of some of the city's most recognizable symbols. There is some really lovely architecture in this city and we enjoyed browsing around this historic site. The fact that it was warm inside didn't hurt either....just sayin'.

13. I drove back home on Tuesday. It was pouring down rain and so foggy I could barely make out the Bay as I crossed the bridge. Trust me...it's easier that way.

linking to Thursday Thirteen today

Here She Is....the Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 62

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge...so glad you're playing along today. I've been out of town for a week and am not quite back in the blog groove just yet. What that means for you is that I'm not as wordy today as I normally am. You're welcome.

Be sure to add your link to the bottom of my post and see what other hodgepodgers have to say. Here are my answers-

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

My daughter and I watched and were kind of disappointed in the top 5 this year. My talent? Ha-there's a reason why I was never in a pageant.

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

I do have houseplants, real ones, which I challenge on a weekly basis. I'm kind of like the 'Jillian Michaels' of the plant world-I make them work to stay healthy! Hubs says when a plant gets moved to our master bath it knows its in trouble. In my defense we do travel a lot. I'm not a big fan of the artificial so even though my plants have a near death experience at least once a month they don't actually die so I keep at it.

3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn't call on you type of student?

I will be truthful and say I loved school, did my homework, enjoyed taking tests and, while I didn't do any of that crazy arm waving nonsense, I was happy when the teacher called on me.

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year....what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

My favorite is crispy duck but it has to be prepared just right...otherwise something spicy, usually chicken in garlic sauce.

5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

An extraordinary occurrence that could only have happened thru God's supernatural power. The stars in the sky, the ocean, and the incredible way the human body works are a few things that never cease to feel miraculous.

6. What's your favorite Disney song? If you're stuck you'll find a list here.

Feed the Birds-Mary Poppins

7. I should have __________yesterday.

'worn a hat'

I know that's kind of a lame answer but I was outside most of the day and it was cold and windy. Plus did I mention I've been traveling and my brain still hasn't caught up with the rest of me yet?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My daughter and I had so much fun watching this video last week. I'd seen it posted over on Boomama's blog a few days before Saturday's Miss America pageant. It's the opening number from Miss America 1988. My daughter could not get over a) the dancers b) the hairspray c) the contestants and their matchy matchy hairstyles and Barbie cake dresses and d) the camera technique when the shorter girls were introduced. I dare you not to smile...

Hodgepodge Questions-Vol 62

Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Everyone is welcome to play along...just answer the questions on your own blog and then come back here tomorrow to link answers with the rest of the world.

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn't call on you type of student?

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year...what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

6. What's your favorite Disney song? If you're stuck you'll find a list here.

7. I should have _____________ yesterday.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Live from the DMV

That would be the DC-Maryland-Virginia region of the country, not the Dept of Motor Vehicles in case anyone is confused. I've been on a fun little mini holiday this past week, hanging out with my daughter in Washington D.C. Inside shopping malls in Washington D.C. might be more accurate, but it's all been fun. We like to shop and spent most of Saturday doing just that. In fact, I think I may have accidentally treated her to a new winter work wardrobe. I'd only planned to get her a couple pair of nice trousers for work but when you are this adorable every single thing you try on is adorable too. She has a job that requires a certain level of dress and since this is her first winter in the big city she truly did need to update her closet and it was fun to help.

Every good shopper knows you need a break to rest your feet now and then so we sat down on a bench in the mall to have a cup of tea and watch the world go by. As we sat there talking we noticed three men in suits walking closely behind two teenage girls. I don't mean that in a creepy way. The message they were sending was more like 'come too close and you'll regret it'. The 'suits' were wearing lapel pins and ear pieces and we knew right away they were Secret Service. Really, who wouldn't notice three men walking around the mall in suits in the middle of a Saturday afternoon?

Daughter1 said maybe it was one of the Obama girls so really subtle like, ahem, she followed them into Brookstone. She had her trusty phone camera at the ready and I texted her not to get arrested. She's used to my paranoia so she just laughed and was back a minute later saying it definitely was not a member of the first family. We could see the 'suits' placed in and around the store entrance and we knew it was somebody. Naturally we felt an urgent need to look at pillows in Brookstone. Come on now, you know you'd have done the same. Once I got a look at the face of the 'dad' with the girls I knew it was Eric Holder (US Attorney General). I imagine the Secret Service has to spend a lot of time doing stuff like this, traipsing around a mall in a suit on a Saturday afternoon. I imagine too, if you're in that line of work, a boring day is also a very good day.

After our little escapade we went to see a movie-Beauty and the Beast. Don't judge-we weren't the only people over the age of 8 in the theatre. That movie was a favorite in our house back in the day and it's every bit as good 20 years later. We picked up on a few of the little details we didn't notice way back when and decided even a cartoon set in a small French village makes us long for the provincial life. I love the message in this tale as old as time. Belle loves books and she knows that what's on the inside of a person matters most. We might have sung the songs all the way home....

'I want adventure in the great wide somewhere...I want it more than I can say...'.

Sigh.

Daughter1 and I agreed we have a whole lot in common with Belle.

That Girl

I'm spending a few days with Daughter1 who happens to live in our nation's capital. You didn't think I just pulled the Hodgepodge questions out of thin air did you? When daughter1 was a little girl her Christmas list was full of pinks and purples and baby dolls and 'spinning' dresses. This year she asked for a new mattress and an external hard drive. Who is this child?

Because she has a full time job and I don't we decided I'd come down and be available for the mattress delivery and then we'd have some fun girl time too. Earlier in the day I'd taken the Metro into downtown so we could meet for lunch. I got to see Daughter1's work space and meet her boss and a couple of her co-workers. I looked at her desk, so organized and professional...I watched her swipe her ID badge to open doors and I listened as she gave me directions for walking around this huge city. I looked at my daughter and registered the white blouse tucked into dressy trousers and the four inch heels on her teeny tiny toes. For a minute I flashed back to her clomping around the house in my old highheels and her favorite dress up item which was a slip that belonged to my mom. Sometimes practice does make perfect.

I had my camera with me and after lunch I was hoping to play tourist but the weather did not cooperate. Instead I wandered into the most fabulous little bookstore in Dupont Circle that daughter1 had recommended. It's called Kramers and I could easily have pulled a mattress in there and spent the night. I love little bookshops. I bought a travel book or three and, as a little gift for my daughter, a collection of short stories written in French. Because when you live and work in a city you need to make sure you still have beauty in your life.

We rode the train home together and went out for a lovely grown up dinner where we solved most of the world's problems. We came home and put on our pjs and laid on her brand new plush mattress and watched all the Miss America contestant videos. We laughed ourselves silly.

She's in there still, my little girl with the golden blonde curls and the gentle spirit. The girl who makes the breeze feel warmer and the sun shine brighter even on a gray wet January day.

The Amazing Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 61

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge...so glad you joined the fun today. Be sure to add your link to the bottom of my post and then go visiting. Here are my answers-

1. Lake Superior University has once again banished a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-

amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, ginormous, trickeration and thank you in advance.

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen.

Well, I love to use the word ginormous so not that one. I'm going with occupy because I'm beyond sick of it.

2. Are you easily embarrassed?

I think I used to be but I've learned to laugh at myself more easily as I've gotten older.

3. what is your go-to snack?

This time of year it's a clementine. I think its one of natures most perfect foods. If I don't have fruit in the house (which is extremely rare) then I'll opt for pretzels. Not very exciting I know but a handful of pretzels takes the edge off of hunger pangs and is just enough to keep me from going for the M&M's.

4. Have you ever been to Washington DC? if not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most like to see in that city? If you have been what's your favorite site?

I've been to DC more times than I can count. Growing up I had an aunt and uncle who lived in the Virginia suburbs and I know I was there a time or two as a kid. When hubs and I were newlyweds we spent our one year anniversary in the city. We were living in Richmond at the time so an easy trip. Before moving to England we lived in Annapolis for 9 years and popped in to DC often. Currently my Daughter 1 is gainfully employed in DC so yes I've been to our nations Capital.

My favorite site is The Vietnam Memorial but I also love the monuments at night.

5. sit ups-planks-lunges-squats-which one do you hate the least?

I'll pick lunges but I think it's safe to say I hate them all.

6. What's a small act of kindness someone did for you that you've never forgotten?

I remember a lovely woman in my bible study group back when my kids were small who was always so encouraging to me in my parenting. I had car trouble one week and she went way out of her way to come and get me. Small kindnesses mean a lot.

7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

No. I haven't really had an opportunity in recent years and when I was younger I never weighed enough to be a donor. Now that we've lived in England we're ineligible I think.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am loving this beautiful rendition of the song Hallelujah...the singers are Norwegian and I don't think I'm misusing the word when I tell you they're 'amazing'.