September 11th.....Just taking a moment

So, the neatest part about having a birthday on September 11th is that I get a chance to really reflect on what's important in life. Good thing too, because I LOVE getting spoiled on my birthday, partying like crazy, eating lots of chocolate, so God must have known I'd need a little sobering up once a year (NOT in the alcohol sense :)

At any rate, today I have been thinking about my Mom. She was the first one to call me this morning at 8a.m. to wish me a happy birthday -- she was thinking about how it was about the same time of day when she went into labor with me (of course, I wasn't actually born until 7pm that night -- the poor woman!). Anyway, she is super! And a shout out to my Dad (I don't think either of them actually read this blog, so this may be kind of pointless) who has been a lifesaver in helping me find a used car that wasn't stolen from Russia or dotted with acid burns.

Oh, and the picture! This is the newly-dedicated 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. I'm going there tonight when it will open to the public. The Navy Band will be playing -- should be neat.

And PLEASE excuse the horrible formatting -- I was playing around with the html last night, and the colors sort of exploded. Does anyone know how to get rid of the green borders? If I could get rid of those, I think I'd be a pretty happy camper.

O.K., it's true -- I'm addicted to the NYTimes

This article was in the Times magazine yesterday. Nothing earth-shattering, but I thought the first few pages would be especially interesting to those of you who live in the D.C. metropolitan area (Becky, I think that's you) Man, I really need to increase my readership. :)

The article gives an overview of the demographic and political geography of the area and uses it as a microcosm for nationwide political trends. D.C. is a great area to use for a comparison like this because the demographic contrasts here are so visual, well-known, and drastic. Driving the five miles from my apartment in Crystal City over the river to Anacostia is like driving into a different world. And driving 40 minutes out to my parent's house in Fairfax County is like driving into another completely different world. And just beyond that is Manassas in Prince William County, and, well......just keep in mind that it's called "Manassas" and not "Bull Run."

I don't really know much about Virginian politics, but what little I've read tells me that the upcoming election will be fascinating to watch around here. Here's another Virginia-politics-related article you might find interesting.

Top 5 Things I Have Learned at Work This Past Year

5. 50-year-old adults still cry when they fail a multiple choice test.

4. If an employee in the building is threatening suicide and possibly has a weapon, someone in China will hear a rumor about an evacuation order before you do (literally).

3. Joel can staple name tents faster than me AND eat more sushi than me. Rats.

2. Not all toner cartridges open the same way. You have to watch out for the exploding ones.

1. Never stand idly by while a co-worker uses duct tape to attach something to the wall.

I've been tagged!

Four Places I go over & over:
1. Work
2. My apartment
3. My fam's house
4. The U.S. Air Force Memorial

Four Places I like to eat: (I only get 4? This is ridiculous. Let it be noted that I need at least 25)
1. Some French cafe in NYC that had the best quiche I have EVER EATEN! It melted in my mouth!
2. Bamian (Afghan food)
3. Haagen Dazs
4. Any place that's new and different

Four Places I would like to be right now:
1. Sitting next to Greg
2. Swimming in the ocean
3. Hiking a mountain
4. New Zealand (why not?)

Four TV shows: (These are ones I have liked in the past -- my relationship with the T.V. has slowly been deteriorating)
1. 24
2. LOST
3. Iron Chef
4. JAG

Three Joys:
1. DARK DARK DARK and high quality chocolate.
2. Singing at the top of my lungs in the car.
3. Catching up with friends

Three Fears:
1. Bees
2. That's pretty much it.
3. No, wait. Driving in a blizzard with 3 of my best friends in the car.

Three Short-term Goals:
1. Jog more than twice a week
2. Write my brother on a mission more letters
3. Be more politically savvy (i.e. an informed voter)

Three obsessions:
1. Food
2. Marching Band
3. College Basketball

Three surprising facts about me:
1. I have had 10 different roommates in the past year (and I love you all! Mwah!)
2. I have tuberculosis (don't freak, it's latent!)
3. (On a good day), I have a 3-octave range -- The C in bass clef to the C above the treble clef staff. Note that I did not say that all the notes sound good :)



I tag: Becky, Rachel, and Ashleigh (but only if you want to, no pressure!)

Thursday Thirteen

(This picture is from my Sushi-eating competition with my co-worker Joel. Joel won 51-30.)


Since I like Becky's blog, I'm copying her and doing a Thursday Thirteen. My latest obsession has been sandwiches, and if I understand this concept right, my Thirteen can be about anything, so here they are:

13 Kinds of Sandwiches I Have Eaten and Enjoyed During My Lifetime:

1. Tomato and Cream Cheese (my favorite)
2. Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese and Salsa
3. Peanut Butter, Jelly, and American Cheese (I was 5, OK?)
4. Primanti Brothers' Ham, Cheese, Coleslaw, and Fries
5. Peanut Butter and Pickle
6. Peanut Butter, Pickle, and Turkey
7. Turkey with Raspberry Chipotle sauce
8. Grilled Tuna and Pickle
9. Peanut Butter, Banana, and Mayo
10. Spinach, Farmer's Cheese, and Ham
11. Zucchini, Honey Mustard, and Cheese
12. Grilled Bell Pepper and Cheese
13. Grilled Hummus and Cheddar (had it today! It goes great with Tomato Soup)


Don't judge me until you've tried each and every one of those combinations......and THEN you can tell me that I'm CRAZY! :)

Did I tell you I made it to Maine!?!?!

A Sunday Post

I was able to go to a really neat church fireside tonight. We watched a presentation of an artist's photography series based on scenes from the life of Christ. The photograph exhibit itself will be on display at various LDS Temple visitors centers, but in the meantime, if you'd like to check it out, here are some links:

A slideshow of the photos

Main website (with documentary-type clips on how they did the individual shots)

The music is fabulous as well, so make sure your compy's sound is on.

Hope you enjoy it. I'm very glad this particular artist chose to share his talent and blessed us with such visual reminders of our Savior and his life.