The Marathon Weeks

With my last weekend here completed, I begin my last work week in Virginia with a mile long to-do list and a mega large instant iced coffee. Also, enough blog material to fill at least 3 posts, but since I probably won't finish this blog until July at this point, let's just get to it and put it all in one!

So the weekend before last, I took another weekend trip to D.C. Friday I took a nice long walk after work to get out my funk mood. Here is a picture of that.

Lake Laura is beautiful.

After the soul cleansing sunset walk, I left for the city hoping this trip would be a bit more... adventurous than the last (recall: sitting in my boutique hotel, watching The Lion King and calling everyone I knew crying like Simba does when Mufasa dies. Hint: No one picked up.) Well, good news! It was effing awesome. Super beautiful weather, if not a bit hot, but I was happy to not be squish squashing around in my water-opposite-of-proof shoes and no rain jacket. Let me get my only complaint out of the way.

Dear beautiful Capital City, USA:
Please fix your public transportation situation. I waiting for 25 minutes for a train, as did what seemed to be 10,000 people, at which point one train came, and I was rather uncomfortable for the duration of my 2 minute ride. As an aside, the 3 times I have been to your otherwise quite nice city, I have waiting 25 minutes plus for a train due to construction, broken trains, or just some other public safety reason. If I wanted it to take so long, I would just walk. If I wanted to be guaranteed to get to my destination safely, I would just take a taxi  walk  hire a rickshaw. All I want is to ride on your underground rail system. Please remedy the ridiculous wait times and inconvenient (mid day during weekends) scheduled maintenance.

Thanks.

Now that that public outcry has been heard, on to the grandness and feelings of patriotism! I stayed very near Capital Hill, which was nice, because the last two times I was in Dupont Circle, so I got a bit more variety this time 'round. Here are some pictures just after my arrival on Saturday night!

Monument after sunset

Started walking north and ended up in China town. It was about 10 before I got to this area, and everything was alive with people. And Starbucks was open!

As was a pizzeria that served some decent vegan pizza and Sangria with fresh fruit. This is where the picture taking stopped, as I had 3 more glasses (I think it was on 3...) and decided that 12:20 PM was the perfect time to go see Prometheus in 3D. To those who think that seeing a 3D movie rather intoxicated is a great idea; you are correct. And yes, my friends from Smalltown, USA, and Evensmallertown, Canada, movies that start after midnight! Some people dream of Disneyland. I dream of a place with all night movie theaters. Post Alien prequel, I stumbled back to the hotel about 15 blocks about 3 AM, stopped to speak some broken French with a few Quebecois kids looking for the White House, which I'm pretty sure I kept referring to as Casa Blanca.Yep, totally French.

Sunday, I was feeling very ambitious, and surprisingly refreshed. I should drink sangria in excess more often, since I got out of bed at 7 AM. Holy shit, I know, right?

First stop, Eastern Market, a large, open air market with crafts, local goods/foods and farm stands, as well as a flee market. It was super packed, and I had been warned about mega pick pockets, so I didn't take any photos except for this one:

The place was great. I could have stayed around and looked at paintings and locally made up-cycled crafts, but, alas, it was on to the National Mall!

FYI, the Mall part of National Mall really should be Esplanade, as "mall" is associated with shopping malls in our society, which this is not. It is a long section of downtown D.C. with museums and important buildings on both sides, and a reflection pool in the middle that leads from Capital Hill, to the Washington Monument, and on to the Lincoln Memorial. I think that's right. The entire length of the pool is under construction and so it is rather unpretty in the middle, but next time I go back I expect it will be done and gorgeous. And I will swim in it like the criminal I am. Hennyway, I went to the Smithsonian Castle, Museum of Natural History, The International Spy Museum (no cameras allowed) and the Air and Space Museum (or the Errand Space Museum, thanks to a little boy who asked me where it was.) Thusly, we haveth pictures.

The Castle, pretty cool, like a museum about the museums

So I have a whole ton of pictures of taxidermy-d animals from the Natural History Museum, but I'm only going to share the funny ones. The one of above is made funnier knowing that as I was taking the pictures, the two grown ass adult peoples behind me were having an intense discussion about allegories in the Ice Age Movies. Yep. This face, that discussion. Cue best mood ever.

Aww giraffe! You have to work so hard for the money water

 "What? You want me to eat the gazelle? You creeps, it's my Christmas decoration."

Above and below, Dire Wolves, for my Game of Thrones family

Giganto-sloth, anyone?

T-Rex, Best picture I could get. This hall was packed with small persons gasping.

Hope Diamond. A completely packed room full of hot, breathy people, one at a time filtering around a small glass case in the middle of the room, in which is the diamond on a revolving pedestal. Quite a sight.

 Just above the entryway

Dear Seth MacFarlane, I see what you did there.

Teenage Mutant Fossil Turtle.

Easter Island Head! On my destination places list. Next time I will be on the Island.

Giant pride-fest. Also this weekend, Girl Scouts celebrating the Centennial. So, super drunk gay men and women, small yelling girl scouts, everybody wins.

"I wish I knew how to quit you," said this tree to this wall.

Of all the things at the Errand space museum, this one and the next two are my favorites. This is just one beautiful dirigible!

Marvin the Martian, anyone?

Awesome Space Mural!

There were tons of fireflies as the sun started setting, and I got on the road and back to beautiful life in
Basye. (See right)

Mid week after this excellent adventure, I had an over night visit from the one and only Miss Erin Mooney. She drove VERY out of her way to make me a priority stop on her move home to NH, and I cannot express how awesome it was to see her. We watched an episode (or two?) of My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, and I realized that both of the brides featured on that episode lived within 30 miles of where I currently am in Basye. Yep, white trash 'Merica. Check. Totally good visit, thank you for coming my love!


Wow, this post is getting long. Can't stop now, because theeeeen... Matt came to visit for my last weekend!  Here is a link to Matt's Facebook Album for his trip, as they are on the internets, I do not want to double post pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151114258214878.494765.526379877&type=1

On Thursday, I picked him up from the aeropuerto. It took us forever and one day to get back to my place. I had to work on Friday, so I dropped him off at a day hike in Rappahannock County, AKA THE most beautiful county in VA, and picked him up in the evening.
While he was here, we went to the Luray Caverns, which I could go to 100 times and not get sick of, we hiked up the steep descent path (paaaaiiin) to the highest point in Shenandoah national park, Hawksbill Peak (totally worth it), and rafted on the Shenandoah. Mostly, it could probably be considered floated, or lazy-rivered down, as there was hardly a current and we had to walk some of it due to low water levels. The water was so clear and warm and beautful, I haven't been in any sort of natural water body that warm since I swam off the north coast of the Domincan Republic in 2007. Super nice and relaxing. After river floatin', we went back to Basye and drank a bit of tequila and delish mass produced moonshine at my condo after trying and failing to get to the bar(s) before closing. (This night is also known as the Great Tequilathon 2k12). We subsequently overslept on Sunday and there was traffic, so Matty missed his original flight, which left us some time to geocache in good old Maryland.

Here are a couple of pics I don't think Matt posted that make my fave list:

Dream Lake, Luray Caverns, 18 inches of water reflects the Stalactites on the ceiling.

Adoring the view

Matt is a mountain goat.

Skyline Drive

Bridge tunnel on Skyline drive. Also known as the "Generic 90's Album Cover" picture.

I don't know.

I really don't know.

Somehow, this CD ended up in the sink. I guess it was dirty and needed a warshing.

So all, I think that is it. So much awesomeness to finish out my stay here in Virginia. Thanks for coming Matt!

I cannot begin to tell you all how eye opening and beautiful my time down here has been. I was able to spend some quality nature time, have some super close animal experiences and nearly endless sight seeing, as well as learning that I don't hate The South! Overall, a great few months. 

Hopefully my time home will be restful (yeah right) and my next assignment will be a bit more... urban. 

Thanks for staying tuned my friends, and I will keep you all posted with home vacation time and on to my next assignment, perhaps in a timely manor!

In Which I Post About Music (with some other stuff, too.)

You know when you hear a song and it feels like it just came out of the speakers and hit your guts with awesome? I love that feeling. It re-energizes my life. This past week, I decided I would drive 2 hours for vegan bologna. True fact, deal with it. On my way through Harrisonburg to Charlottesville Whole Foods, a new radio station came through. Now, I knew it was not one I had hear because it was not Pop, Christian rock or Country music, and it immediately grabbed my attention with Who Got the Hooch. Shortly after, played a barrage of songs that have now made it onto my Tornado Valley playlist/CD which has been on repeat in my CD player. I have listened to it enough to kill off most normal human beings, or at least turn them off of any music for a long time, however my super power of tolerating and even enjoying the same 12 songs over and over again has kept it turning faithfully in my boombox. Pretty much all alternative rock with a bit of folksy-ness mixed in. So, with grand thanks to WNRN, here is:

SONGS THAT I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF

1. Alex Clare- Too Close. Ok, so fyi I know this one and many of the others on this list have been around awhile, but I have been kept from the current alternative music times being that I am in a busy, responsible adult and currently living in wildernessland. Also, you know this one. Everyone with a television knows this, thanks to those Internet Explorer commercials. However, the full length song is pretty great. This is about as much Dubstep as I can handle, and it is perfect. Also, I the video makes me want to learn how to ninja stick fight (see: Kendo/Shinai). I downloaded his whole CD and once I am finished eargasming at this current playlist, I will work my way throught it. And! Alex Clare is an adorable ginger, so he can do no wrong in my book, along with Ron Weasley.

2. Churchill- Change. Linked this one on FaceBook, got no love. It is cool, because I still love it, and the video. And the other Churchill stuff I've downloaded. If you are a fan of folsky country alternative, get with this.

3. Imagine Dragons- On Top of the World. Live version so you can watch him beat that drum. Ultimate happy, winning song.

4. Regina Spektor- Don't Leave Me. Another live version. She is so legit live. Try not to bob your head. YOU CAN'T. You've been Spektored. You're welcome.

5. Said the Whale- We are 1980. This video is boring at first, try to stick it out because the song is good and the video makes me giggle.

6. The Shins- The Rife's Spiral. Cool little artsy video.

7. Fun- Some Nights. Total love/hate relationship with this one. Hate the begining, love the middle battle song-iness, don't like the autotuned high pitched parts and ending. So this little clip was perfect. Apparently, the actual video premiers on Monday on MTV. Will not be tuning in.

8. Neon Trees- Everybody Talks. Another one that's been around awhile and is actually on mainstream radio. But gosh, it makes me want to dance! And makeout with strangers at a drive in. Not really. (Yes, really, sorry mom).

9. Imagine Dragons- It's Time. Really diggin this band right now. And who doesn't love a good post apocalyptic wasteland video??? This song is great, especially towards the ending, where the harmonies get big and it reminds me of the first time I heard Arcade Fire and it felt like an orchestra was invading my body and inhabiting it with grand-ness.

10. Awolnation- Kill Your Heroes. I don't like all of their music for sure, but this one makes my toes dance and I never thought I would see a man in a space helmet squeegeeing in the shower with a suite coat on and no pants. Thanks for making my dreams a reality, Awolnation!

11. The Offspring- Genocide. I've been in agro-mood lately, and nothing supports agro like some good ole Offspring.

12. Silversun Pickups- Blood Mary. Oddly enough, also not a fan of the beginning of this one. He sounds MEGA whiney, much more so than usual. But, I always love the overall sound of their music. Traditional nearly nonsense music video interspersed with band-playing-in-the-desert-and-in-closed-room shots and pretty-girl-running shots.The sky shots are pretty cool though, love me some space. Though it would have been cooler to have a legit Bloody Mary scene, where they showed some creepy bitch coming out of the bathroom mirror. OR OR if they were all drinking Bloody Mary's. Maybe like throwing them at each other? Bloody Mary fight!

So that's my playlist and I just hit repeat again on the stereo. Mmhmm, that's how we do in Basye. Where we all talk like Scruffy.

In other news, I saw Snow White and the Huntsman last night. I thought it was pretty good, but I am exceptionally easy to please when it is a fantasy movie with cool special effects/monsters, good composition and eye candy in the form of a Hemsworth. I knew I was going to like it before it even started. I will say though that Thor's attempt at Scottish accent was incredibly ridiculous, and reasonably Kristin Stewart is her usual boner kill self (unfortunately I can not take credit for this accurate description of KStew, it has been floating around the interwebs a bit.) You can watch a review of it here that will most likely represent the common opinion. While you are over on YouTube, if you like snark and news all wrapped up in a cute little video package, subscribe or just watch anything SourceFed and sxephil. I am a huge fan of all the Defranco Inc. productions. Check 'em out!

Time for my once a month laundry day. Sometimes I think if I had less clothing, I would do laundry more and it wouldn't pile up so high, but that's just not true. I would just wear dirty clothes more often.

Tornado Valley

I can now say firsthand tornadoes are cooler from far away. How would I know this? Chances are I've already told you on Facebook. And possibly via text message. And also maybe through telepathy...

Now, technically after doing research and talking to my own personal 'Nado Geek Kate, I can't say I saw a tornado. I couldn't see it completely touching the ground, which constitutes only as a funnel cloud. SCIENCE! It may have touched down, but there aren't any solid reports. It looked a lot like this:

This isn't it, though. This is an image found via Google image search. So, copyright someone else. But if you think you'd stop on the highway when it is hailing during rush hour to snap a shitty picture with your shitty camera phone, then good job, crazy type person, you are an idiot. And possible lying to yourself, as you would be too busy trying to hold your urine in your bladder that suddenly feels as small as a pea. That said, tornadoes are violently dangerous and scary and badass, and I made the decision to preserve by own life and did not stop to camerawhore.

To begin this week long storm story, last week going to pick up Mom I was nearly certain I drove through some tornado-like storm. I drove from clear skies into dark doom clouds, then it was so windy I could barely control the car, then blinding rain, which I had to sit on the side of the highway and wait out. Shit was flying around everywhere, debris from the trees and the bushes was hitting my car. Then it seemed to improve slightly, and then I saw lighting strike a tree about 500 feet away. My car shook, the air felt static and it sounded how I imagine a bomb would. For a split, unreasonable second I thought I was going to die. 

Luckily, that was not the case. A few branches splintered on the tree, but I couldn't see much because of the rain. And then the hail kept me from getting out of the car to take a closer look. Then, it was calm as hell outside. Then yesterday I had a very similar experience. Kate called to tell me to be careful and as she called, I spotted the funnel cloud out my window. I high tailed it (meaning I drove 40 mph through hail) to a Sheetz gas station and waited for awhile for the nasty to pass. Some debris flew but no sign that a tornado hit. Then I got in my car, thinking I could beat the upcoming string, and what do you know? This bitch drove straight into more funnel clouds. These has less definition of a tornado and more hail. I was shaken up and totally pumped when I got home. I gathered candles and matches, opened my window slightly in case the air siren were to tornadolarm, and drank. The rest of the night was relatively calm and quiet, and today it is cool and sunny. Severe weather alerts have subsided!

I guess it is not uncommon to have a few tornadoes every year. Last year, there were a few in Shenandoah County. One hit Basye and tore through a bunch of farmland. There is a carpenter in one of the local towns who used reclaimed wood from the destroyed barns and makes all sort of book cases and wooden furniture. Neat. So, next time I see a tornado, it better be from a comfy IMAX seat, eating bonbons and making this face this instead of this face. Well, that is all for now folks. Talk to you soon!