Too many lotions

Are you a woman? Have you ever looked in your "closet" of goodies and realized that you now have every lotion know to man, including some for diaper rash and chaffed cow utters, sometime in triplicate? Sample bags are horrendous nightmares of samples of products, many of which you already have?

FDR Memorial website

Pretty cool. Not as cool as coming to visit yours truly and seeing it in person . . . but still!
FDR Memorial website from the parks department. Takes you through the momument and explains the ideas surrounding it construction.

She is the onion queen, young and sweet

So I must admit. In another month I will have lived in DC for a total of 1 year and this is the first time I visited the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. It was amazing. (All the pictures from this particular outing are on the slideshow that is the currently on the right side of your screen.) I had planned on going down to the Mall, almost hitting a couple of tourists and then heading for a longer, harder bike ride on the Mount Vernon trail or up the C and O Canal. However I wimped out at the same time as my camera battery died and I realized despite the fact it was really warm outside (55 degree) and the fact that all the tourists around seemed dressed as though they were in Siberia (I mean, really, yelling at your kid 'cuz he took his gloves off because it was so so cold is excessive). However the wind was blowing and I was riding with thin running shorts on at "high speeds" against the wind. So took lots of pictures and then went grocery shopping. Which was good. I love cereal.

As for the onion queen, I saw them on sale and thought, "Mmmm, sauted onions, good idea." Then I got home and realized I had apparently had a similar thought recently while shopping. Twice. So anyone need two of my three bags of Trader Joe's onions, give me a call. Anyone of the 9 actually onions I own would be pleased to go home with some who will actually be able to use all of them!
Well, on to homework, then taxes. Good times, what can I say. The video is a quick (emphasis on quick) snapshot of the crowds around the Mall for the Cherry Blossom Festival, which started today and brought thousands to town. It really is spectacular to see Capital so adorned.

If my marriage's honeymoon lasts this long

I still can't manage to let my bike live in the garage. Today I finally bought a tire pump. Yes, I bought a nice one from my bike store. But they are so cool. They remember me and my bike and are so helpful. Plus its really a sweet pump. In red! And man was it way past time, apparently. Tomorrow I am going for another total blow out ride. Hitting the Cherry Blossom Festival first, which should be an absolute nightmare of tourists, but still I don't want to miss the blooms. Then hitting the Mount Vernon trail again to see how far I can go. Actually I may to the canal ride back through Georgetown to see how far I can get the Great Falls.

Pray. . . I need the A

I just finished with an early (obscenely early!) morning test in physics. Unlike last time were I walked out frustrated and then figured out my solution was right the whole time and my calculator had serious user error, this time I found answers for everything on the multiple choice test. I was right on target. I do have to say that the angles of refraction and prisms and that whole shindig, are nightmares of trigonometry. I could not figure out my whole deal on one problem (ok, two!). Finally, after drawing successively bigger pictures and finally ending with one that was half the size of the page with every line and possible complementary angle labeled, did I figure out I was trying to find the wrong thing. I was try to find the angle of the light from the prism and the question asked for the angle of light between the two outside light rays (as they meet in the middle). Thank the Lord for multiple choice tests. I wouldn't have even realized the difference between the two if I had been able to find the right answer the first time! There were two problems back to back with similar wording but different pictures. And who trusts the pictures anyway! I will next time!

I feel . . . better than I have in a little while. I think my Dad was right (yes, I can admit it). Even though I had been giving myself what I thought of as appropriate time for rest, I was still heading for burnout. Hopefully that is staved off for a little while longer. I think the problem has not been lack of "down time." I believe the problem has been identifying activities that are actually quality rest time. I think if I spent more time doing things like really cool bike rides around, and less time vegged out in front of the computer with the Tv on in the background, I would feel better overall. And most likely be a better student. It is hard to get out and about without someone to do it with. As I have become more settled in, I have become less proactive about where I search for relationship. I have been relying on school friends to my everyday interactions. I am looking forward to having work interactions again too, which tend to communicate different ways.

Its funny how you can be lonely and stressed out and anxious, and still be happy and enjoying the quirks of people and the sun and the cherry blossoms. I can't figure out life, or the Lord. That is for sure!

Malia cutter it too close . . . and still survived!

I was working on one last problem, due at 6pm. Just now, in fact! And I was frantically trying to fix my mistake. Still can't figure out the "help" which is normally incredibly helpful. But in this case, It was totally weird and wrong. I am still not sure how they figured the whole things out. But I solved it!! Hurrah! And even thought I am convinced that it was after the time to turn it in, it still accepted the right answer. Hurrah!

You know what sucks?

When you talk yourself into a healthy snack of cook fresh spinach, you are starting to get ready and look forward, and then you try to remove the excess water from the bowl and accidentally drop the whole thing into the sink. Which wouldn't normally be too gross but you had chicken for dinner and have yet done the dishes. Salmonella galore. 2 dollars spinach in the sink. Yep, that sucks.

Something arrived in my mailbox

Thank you, Danielle. She sent me the roses for my birthday. The daffodils I bought yesterday on sale at Trader Joe's. Since I only have one vase, they had to cohabitate, which looks lovely really.

My brain needs a kick in gear. . .

How do I do it? Great pictures from Easter and the drive down. My birthday was nice and the chance to see Missa and Matt wonderful. But now my brain needs a kick into gear. How do I do it?

Easter is coming, and the box is still waiting

Tomorrow is my birthday and Easter is Sunday. Time is a flying. Mom was amazing and sent me a "cake" in a box: devil's food cake, instant chocolate pudding, and cherry pie filling. She told me to be on the look out for another one, which I am very looking forward to. I made the birthday gift into a chocolate cherry cake for Angela and Michelle, friends from college who stayed with me the night before last. We took a middle of the night tour of the city in a Zipcar, after we picked up Angela from Union Station at 1 am after her train was held up in New York for 2 hours. I really enjoyed having visitors, but I definitely delayed getting out of town to North Carolina yesterday meandering about my morning.

Today Missa and I both woke late and went to the Southpoint Mall to return somethings. I bought sunglasses and a top that was on sale. Tonight we went to a wonderful dinner at a Cuban style restaurant. Now we are watching a movie and some basketball with the Matts and Missa. Its a mellow way to spend Easter break, but I am enjoying different vistas and voices.

Quote

Bertrand Russell

"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.

Spring is about to spring!

I am incredibly tired. Think this is the first time I have come home fine, and then as I let down from my ride, felt pooped. but it was worth it to be out in the sun. In true Malia style, I did propose two options: study first or bike ride first. Obviously bike riding won out my a long shot. After all, I reasoned to myself, the sun wouldn't stay, the homework would!

The picture is Arlington House, at the National Cemetery. The video is a plane taking off from Reagan National Airport as seen from Gravelly Point park. Everyone and their brother was out in force today. I first rode near the monuments, up the Lincoln. However I realized soon that the place was crawling with tourists would didn't know where they were going except that it uniformly seemed to be in the way of anyone trying to actually get anywhere (like me!). I have never seen quite so many near pedestrian/pedestrian mishaps. Wowser! So I popped over the Memorial Bridge and down to the Mount Vernon trail for several miles. And there were all the native DCers sitting on the banks of the Potomac River, soaking up the sun, staring at the planes taking off, cutting folks off as bikers rather than their usual as car drivers. Lots of families and picnic lunches. It was wonderful to see, especially since on Wisconsin near home I had seen a whole slew of folks wearing their puffer down jackets, black leather gloves, and scarves, as though it weren't close to 65 degrees outside!

Si en retard

Sorry. I am very belated in posting these! Oh well. My week as . . . . been. Monday is another organic chem test. Always a wopper. Hopefully and pray well. I would love to run away again to New York. Which had originally been my plan for this, St. Patrick's day weekend. Samantha is even throwing an Irish party. I guess I must be taking a miss this time. Sorry Samantha! Maybe next year.


Wow I have prominent chin! Maybe Jay Leno could give me some pointers on pulling it off gracefully. The video is from the Met Asian section. I really wanted to come back and study and sit forever. It was incredibly tranquil. It was a part of the Astor courtyard (I don't really remember, some robber baron's garden anyway. Hey, they did have style for sure). The outside pictures are all Central Park, which will be incredibly lovely soon, I am sure, as everything starts blooming. The statues do have cucumbers on them. No, I have absolutely no idea why. Don't ask. I really don't know.

Alright, I am playing, ok!

Most of this is not true (I wish it was!) but enough is true or can appear to be true about me to make me at least laugh and enjoy the irony. This is like horoscopes that are broad enough to fit anyone. Like Ellen DeGeneres and the physic saying "Bless you" "But I didn't sneeze!" "You will." And she did. Two days later.

What Malia Means (Malia comments in red)

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. (Hmm, sometimes?) You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. (I wish that was true. If learning how to quickly master remote controls was a sport, I would win) You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! (Ouch that sounds bad. Not really interested in being someone who knocks others down) You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. (Feeling very middle of the pack these days. Definitely not the best of everything. But I do make a mean cake) You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. (Ok, I like sounding like I know exactly what I am talking about. Hmm, maybe why I am becoming a doctor. I do so love being right. But hey, who doesn't.) You have the classic "Type A" personality. (Um, what does that even mean anymore?) You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. (Yep, that's me, easygoing) You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. (Also me. I hope.) Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. (Ooh, not so me. Does someone else know what the secret to my life is? Cuz share, please. I try to be happy for sure.) You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. (Hmm, again, not really me. I appreciate the little things, but truly excited? That takes alot. Stressed? yes, fairly easily) You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. (Ok, so I have a few scarves started. . . . several journals . . . a novel or two . . . an unfinished collage . . . many scrapbooks . . . ) You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. (My biggest problem is focusing all that great enthusiasm into a single project at a time. Last minute pressure tends to get the job done.)

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Friends, if you are true, now is the time to lie and tell me I am not tightly wound! Ugh! Although how I could be easy-going and go with the flow and tightly wound at the same time . . . huh.

Wonder what my middle name "means."

PS had to look up my middle name. Here is the results. "You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. "

That are just too many points that are exactly the same. Hear any repetitiveness yet?

Quote

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside." Robert X. Cringely

Spring break, break no more

Yes, I am bad. I haven't posted anything for a few days and I do have pictures to share. But I have been keeping tired, really, and today is the first day I feel even marginally awake and not brain dead since Spring break ended. I do promise to post my New York weekend pictures today (ok, maybe tomorrow at the latest). Mostly I have been doing good. My mom offered to come out for my birthday the weekend after next (also Easter weekend) but I already had plans for a trip south to visit Missa and Matt's new pad. I am so excited to see their new home. And have Easter with friends in a completely different place but still feel home in spirit. They have promised to put me to work again though. Last time I visited, I arrived to help toss soda tabs into huge recycling bins. This time I may get to help direct church traffic. At least this time I get some warning. Although I don't think that I get the option (or even want to given the weather) of going to the beach afterward. Bummer.

Back to the physics grind. It is good and bad that school is already winding up. A month and a half and then finals . . . (queue scary music).

Quote

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
- GK Chesterton

May I always remember that truth.

*Bowl!**

Ridiculous that I had to look it up.

Pyrex start kit

I finally bought it. The pyrex starter kit which includes a pie pan, a casserole dish, a square dish, three graduated mixing boles, two large measuring glasses and 4 flan boles (or prep boles). Its really silly that for someone who bakes, I have only had two small au gratin pans. Which I love. But it means that everything boils over in the oven: cakes, sweet corn cakes, salmon. But now I can cook quiche in a pie pan, instead of a cake pan (which let me tell you, did not turn out quite as I had imagined).

On another note, I seem to have come to a crisis of confidence on how to spell "boles." Mixing, eating, etc. Not the game. Its truly sad that I will be forced to look this up.

Well, it been awfully quiet here

Since I last spoke with y'all, I finished a biochem test which I thought(hope/am desperately praying) went well. I probably won't know about either test until at least school starts again on Monday. Maybe even later. But I do feel fairly confident and pleased than none of the topics tested were completely unknown. And even the one I messed up on in physics I had the concept and set up right. For once partial credit would be completely in my favor. Ugh! It was not available on this test.

Today has followed similar lazy days since Friday. Friday night Hope and I trucked it out of the city to 'burbs via mass transit, enjoying a chance to chat in person and exchange odds and ends of family life. I have to say the day was ended well with a little Shiraz wine which we stopped to pick up as well as some triple cream cheese and fresh bread (which I insisted upon). Saturday I slept in until literally 2pm. I think if Hope hadn't sent the girls down to wake me I might have continued sleeping. The girls and I watched Freaky Friday (the new one with Lindsey Lohan) and made caramel popcorn while Hope and Terry went grocery shopping. It was really fun.

I went to bed early again that night and slept fairly late, but Sunday we did try for some exercise. Ok, only in the direct of the nearest Starbucks, but it was a 2 mile roundtrip walk! The sun was warm and I think all of us were happy to see Spring around the corner.

Monday the girls were back into school, and Hope and Terry were at work, so I headed home to enjoy a bike ride in the "unseasonably" warm weather. I was still tired, so yesterday's foray was perfunctory at best. Today I decided to best myself, and ignoring the gray clouds and possible thunderstorms, I set off through Georgetown to the Mount Vernon Trail, a paved 18 mile trip that starts in Arlington near the Rosslyn metro station and ends (not surprisingly) at the home of the first president. I didn't quite make it that far today. But I did finally make it to Roosevelt Island, which is undeveloped except for a walking bridge to it and a car bridge on the southern tip. It had become a bit of a goal of mine to visit and walk around. I must say it was rather anticlimactic. Hopefully further into Spring the island will take on some color and life.

The trail itself is very flat. However the wind had added alot of work, even coming down the "big" Wisconsin hill. So by mile marker 15, I was ready to turn tail and go home. I called Mom and Dad to check in and "share" lunch, turkey and provolone sandwich. Trying to keep the momentum up until home and not take the bus, I wound my way through Foxhall. I never got completely lost, but I was definitely momentarily "misplaced". It added at least a mile to trek home, all of it up hill!


The picture of me and the bike has Roosevelt Island as the background. The bright orange pants are my biking pants and worn in honor of Mom, who I know worries about me being visible to crazy drivers. The wave/bird statue is an often overlooked "Navy and Marine Memorial" which practically inaccessible (totally inaccessible during current construction) just south of Ladybird Johnson Park and Arlington Cemetery. The last picture is the classic looking over the Potomac at the Lincoln Monument to the Washington Monument. I was going to take more pictures of the estates around Foxhall, but it always makes me a bit nervous. They seem rather serious about security. I think I will those pictures for a day when I am with someone else, okay?