It's a Tuque...

NOT A KNITTED BEANIE!!!

AAAS Fellows and Guests supporting the Home Team

Tonight we went with some fellows to the home closer Nationals game. It was also fan appreciation night and the give-away was a Washington Nationals knitted beanie. I'm sorry team but it is a tuque! It was a fun night and great to meet more really nice people. Here is the pic....good thing it will be 25 degrees tomorrow so I won't really be needing a tuque for a while...

Long Time...No Post

Hi All - I don't want to lose "my following" but I haven't been writing much, for good reasons and bad...
The good - my Mom came down last week and we had a wonderful time. It was ridiculously hot here, by that I mean 37,  so not great for walking around the city but we had lots of fun shopping, 2 museums, one sort-of beach...yes that's right....I went to the beach last week and it was too hot, and it was jelly fish season. Here are some pics from her visit.

This is the Chesapeake Beach. It is actually not as nice as it looks here...but it is only an hour from DC.

In the distance you can see my TDSB Coach Umbrella...represent.

 I made a delicious (heavy, perhaps a little too rich and too sweet) French Toast Casserole for brunch...as you can see there is still no art hanging on the walls in our apartment...one day...

 This is the roof of the White House...we went to a swanky "seen and be seen" DC hotel roof top bar  at the W Hotel. If you look closely you can see the sniper walking around...seriously....

Here is my Mom and Marcius at the fancy bar....it was actually packed...I don't know where everyone else went from the picture...









So a good visit with my Mom and then a bit of a let down....no company to show around...no reason to get up and get going.....funny how life happens in cycles or sine/cosine waves...that was for you nerds out there. I have spent the last 2 days watching Friday Night Lights Season 4....I love Tim Riggins and the new guy Vince....and I think I have officially watched my way out of my slump! It also helps that today the high was only 25 not 30. I am really not good in the heat. (Sorry to all of you in the cold and wet...smile...)

Feels Like Fall?

Not here! It is a hot 86 degrees, that's 30 for you Canadians. Although it doesn't feel like fall I am certainly ready for it. I started my transition into fall last week by deciding that I would make a pumpkin pie. Bad idea...there is no canned pumpkin this side of the 49th parallel. So...I went shopping and bought myself a great new pair of boots, Camper's, my favorite, (not that it is cool enough to wear them) as an early birthday present - thanks to all of you for your birthday wishes. 31 is way easier than 30! But I did actually get to wear my boots as I sneaked to the T.Dot last week for a meeting at UofT. Alas, I am not teaching this fall, oh well, smile...I think...but I did get a chance to catch up with my family and a few friends. Not to worry it felt like fall in Toronto. It poured rain, I had to wear a coat and at one point I almost felt cold - I haven't felt cold since May. I was actually pretty happy to return south were flip-flops are still the footwear of choice. Back to the pumpkin...I did manage to sneak a few cans back with me so I made a delicious pumpkin pie last night. Classic Canadian eh?

Simply Beautiful

This morning I went to the National Geographic Society Museum. The current exhibit is entitled "Simply Beautiful".
These two photographs made me smile.

Melissa Farlow/National Geographic Image Collection

Novice nuns play ball at the monastery.

Karen Kasmauski/National Geographic Image Collection

For fun, a girl carries a copy of her grandmother's harvest basket.

Go to the National Geographic Website to see even more amazing pics and these two with much better resolution.

No Longer Yours To Discover

Well - it is official....We have DC plates. One of the things I love about America is that there is no holding back...
Here is the pic of our new plates.

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION - Tell it like it is DC!

The process to register the car was ridiculous. But if I can brag for just a minute... I passed the DC knowledge test (as foreigners I had to take the test or "surrender" my licence - they like people to surrender things here and I didn't want to, my Ontario license doesn't expire until 2012) in 3 minutes and 33 seconds. They give you 40 minutes to take the test. Here is the dialogue that followed:
Clerk: (Looking angry with ridiculously long fake fingernails) Well?
Me: Oh, I passed.
Clerk: Well we'll just see about that. Let me get the print out.
Me: Ok.
Clerk: (checks the print out and hands it to me) Alright then - you can go back to him (my other DMV clerk)

In the end it only took 3 hours and $235. The best part was I got my license because I have a letter from Social Security that says I am not allowed to have a Social Security number. The worst part was Marcius couldn't get his license because his letter says that his Social Security is in the mail. Without that piece of paper....no license.

Let's just say after all that we'd never been so grateful for happy hour....a future blog...I haven't tried enough happy hours yet.

Here is a pic of Marcius and I at Columbia Heights Square where there are lots of shops, take-out, grocery and a bakery. The square is always busy with families having an ice cream cone and playing in the splash-pad/fountain thing. We do love our neighborhood.

America's Favorite Pass-time

We went to the ball game yesterday and I have to say that I am a big fan of the Nationals and the National League for that matter. Lots of bunting, base stealing and pinch hitters to keep the game going. The Blue Jays might have some competition for my support.
Some interesting observations:
1. The mascot is an eagle that doesn't look very mean and doesn't do any tricks...he's got nothing on BJ, let alone the Raptor.
2. The entrance gates are sort of like Disneyland and instead of Mickey or Cinderella to greet you, there are former US Presidents...see pic.
3. We did have peanuts and Cracker Jacks for the true experience.....What books do aliens read?....wait for it......comet books!
4. We didn't stay for the seventh inning salute to America, in Canada it's the dorky seventh-inning-stretch. In the US it involves singing God Bless America and Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
5. Would happily go again. Great fan support, beautiful stadium and the food isn't that expensive. There is definitely something about an open air stadium that I really like (sorry SkyDome).

Yes, those are former Presidents after racing around the stadium!

Nationals Park

Next up:
1. Washington Redskins (as if the team is called that)
2. Washington Wizards

Our First Guest!

My sister-in-law Cassandra came down for the weekend. It was so nice to have someone else in our space and helping us to feel good about many decisions we've made lately...(furniture placement, neighborhood etc.). We also had a chance for a little touristy stuff...

Capitol and Washing Monument from the Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

T&T Embassy

We did a lot of walking. I had my new favorite Soul Food lunch...fried chicken and waffles...the sweet and savory are to die for. They also have "unlimited mimosa" specials on the weekends here...delicious. We tried the food at the famous "Ben's Chili Bowl" (Obama ate there) but weren't that impressed. We had great laughs, good food and finally a cool weekend in DC! It is amazing how happy I can be when I'm not sweating all the time.

I know Sana would vouch for me and say come to DC! We now know how to get to the airport!

First Day of School

Well...I woke up this morning not really thinking that I should be at work, but by 6PM today...I am a little sad not to be there.
I love the first day of school - always have. Especially as a teacher, I love coming back and seeing the students, seeing how many names I remember and feeding off of their enthusiasm. The Tuesday after labour day is the New Years Day for students and teachers.

So...HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I wish I was there to celebrate with you!

Only in America

So today was an interesting day and I suspect that my title "Only in America" will be used multiple times.

1. Point #1 - I assumed that all people from "The South" would have a Southern accent. Not true - my hairdresser today, Ruill, from Texas, had neither a Texan accent or a Spanish accent. Goes to show, you never can tell.

2. Point #2 - Speaking of my hairdresser, as I was getting my hair cut and highlighted today (just becuase I didn't have to go to the TDSB Pep Rally today, doesn't mean I can't look professional..smile...) a hostage situation was taking place in the building in front of his apartment building. The situation was at the Discovery Channel building in Silver Springs, MD - just outside of DC. An armed man took 4 hostages...in the end no one was hurt except the gunman himself was shot and killed by Montgomery County police.

3. Point #3 - On my way home from the hairdresser, I stopped in at Tiffany's to exchange an extremely generous and thoughtful going away present. (My fingers are the size of sausages in this heat! 96 today, without the humidex.) As I strolled in to Tiffany's in my flip flops, my parking was quickly validated and I was welcomed graciously into the store. They didn't have my ring size, so the correct ring size will be UPS'd to me on Tuesday - they apologized profusely for not getting it to me sooner. Parts of this country I love...could you imagine this happening at Tiffany's in Yorkdale?

ps - for all you Jays fans I was caught smiling at the gym this morning as the Jays whipped Tampa...guess I was cheering for the wrong side?