Party like a rockstar.

Kero's grad party was everything I expected and more ;)

Living in DC, as lovely as it is, is kind of jarring. Being constantly surrounded by the skinniest, most professional, harsh-looking women around is kind of scary. I forget that real people exist, so I surround myself with pictures of people that I love. Among them are the people who are technically my friends, but are really more like family.

If we had a portrait, it would be this.

Jimmy is photobombing in the most fantastic of ways. Tim Sugrue is ???

I was marvelously reunited with my soulmate, the one, the only Megan Elizabeth Hall. We sang our ukulele tune which was written for Sarah, Kerry, and Ashlee (even though she was sickly and absent *tear* ). We sang it twice actually. Once for college peeps, and the edited version for the 'seniors'.

We laughed until our stomachs hurt from the band stories and boob comments of Bean. I mean, really, it was like an ab workout.

Cameron is just the sweetest, most adorable person I have ever met. I swear, if Bean hadn't gotten to him first... but then again Shreve probs would have... but I would totally get in line. He told us of his new musical director opportunity, and I could not be more thrilled.

Carly told us of her adventures of teaching children this summer. Apparently the signs of "Thank you" and "F*ck you" are not that different... and some kid got them mixed up. Whoops! She is such a peach that Carly.

Sarah Hann came in on a 7 hour journey. We got our Earth Day Earrings picture, finally. :) She is so creative and special and I just love her.

Andy, Tim's BFF from home, made a long trip out also. It was nice to connect dots. Tim and Kerry talk about all of us to him and vice versa. So names and faces all matched and it was glorious.

Brian and Jimmy, the certified little brothers, were there playing some form of baseball-ish. Megan Hall played in heels. I was impressed.

Jake also made a cameo. Looking all tan and studly.

Tim & Kerry are the cappuccinos of coffee. I don't know if that makes sense to any of you, but it does to me. I wanna be like them when I grow up. Even if they are some sort of 'line of communication' in my life right now.

We ended the night with hundreds (literally) of sparklers which I picked up at Phantom Fireworks. Colored ones. Gold ones. Silver ones. It was quite magical. In Disney style.

All in all, I felt complete. You are all my people. Now until eternity.

Sending crazy love, Rajita.

Ill... but not in the good way.

I apologize for the cleave, peeps. Didn't realize until I was watching the video back, and I wasn't about to re-do this one. It is what it is. I know Bean will appreciate it.

Mad love, rajy.

Publish Post

Show your pride.

Sunday started out really bad. I mean really bad.

I went out to Tater, and he had two pink tickets on his dashboard. (Yes, my car's name is Tater). One was for parking too close to a stop sign. Apparently you have to park at least 25 feet behind a stop sign. Who knew? No one. Because fucking everyone does it. But, no, I get the ticket. The other was because they noticed by car parked on an unzoned street for a while, and want to know why I don't have a permit.

This is me... not happy.

Ok. So, I get in the car with my tickets, huffing and puffing. And, then I realize the battery is dead.

Lovely. Let's wait outside in the blistering sun for Geico to come. The gecko is kind of amazing though, they always come through for me in a pinch.

Finally, $50 and 1 hour later, I'm on my way.

I heard about a Free "Yard Sale" that a playhouse was putting on in Arlington. All the stuff they have accumulated for various productions was up for grabs. If I had a house to put some of this stuff, I would have taken it. But I don't, so I didn't. Enjoy these shots. My fave is at the end.

 Enough couches to fill 5 frat houses.

 Megan Hall. OMG shoes.

 Creepy old, out of tune, yet glorious piano.

 Chairs and statues and scaffolding, Oh my.

 The black box.

Cute. Almost Parisian.

Seriously though, it was cool to hunt around this dark basement, just full of random treasures.

Then it was off to the.... CAPITAL PRIDE FESTIVAL. My dad said the only specification is that I come home still straight. Because he need's grandchildren.

 These two were named the top Latino Drag Royalty.

 I couldn't get a good shot of this fierce lady, cause it was in the 21+ section. She had this one move, she would do a high kick, spin on her heel, and land in a split. All to the tune of "Girls" by Beyonce. She was fabulous.

 This was the Gay Men of DC Choir, complete with Color Guard.

 Right in front of the Capitol. Suck on that, Feds.

Got lube? See this dude. Yellow shorts. He is well covered compared to many of the men I saw. It was almost annoying. SUCH a tease. "I am going to look hot and amazing on this scorching DC day, and wear less than a speedo. But, oh wait, I'm gay." Bummer.


So, while the gay guys were all about the speedos, the lesbians were all about the pasties. I don't even know if that's how you spell pasties. But you get the picture. They took the stickers everyone was passing out and used them. My only question was, "Wouldn't it hurt when you take them off?"

Anyway. It's great to see a community so supportive of LGBT. There were as many straight people as there were LGBT, and as many families as young singles. Sponsors included tons of churches, govt groups, police teams, etc. Everyone was just... happy. Everyone was accepted. It truly was amazing. But it made it even more heartbreaking to see that these people, my friends, are discriminated against every day in so many ways.

I am glad people are starting to get it though, if only little by little.

For instance, LUSH is teaming up with Freedom to Marry.
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/lush?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=FTM&utm_campaign=20111306LushCampaign&source=20111306LushCampaign

And celebrities like Dianna Agron are starting to really speak out.
http://felldowntherabbithole.tumblr.com/post/6453072763

And then the little people, like me, try to help out as best they can.

love is love.

Omani!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, I had a lovely day with Dan, a buddy from work. It was actually his 21st birthday, so I was honored he chose to spend it with me at the Omani Festival at the Sultan Quaboos Cultural Center!

Don't know where Oman is? That's ok. Neither did I.

We get cultural event invites all the time through work, and this one looked promising. The other interns decided to be lame and not go, even though free food was involved. It was in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, and if you read by blog, you will know this is one of my favorite neighborhoods. We found the place easily, and headed straight to the henna demonstration.

The lady demonstrating is on the left. She was seriously one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. It was crazy. And the henna was awesome! They apparently only use plant life as drawings, as part of the religion and culture. She taught us how to make our own henna, or where to buy it. Party game, Kerry?

We then went out to the backyard, where frankincense was burning. I love that smell.

It was neat to see the inside & backyard of one of the houses I have been fawning over in Dupont Circle for a month. The food was set up in the back. I had falafel, tabouli salad, spinach pie-like-yummyness, hummus&pita, and Omani coffee. It was delicious. And free! Omgoodness. Totes made by day. There was also entertainment in the garden on Omani instruments. It was great. They used Western tuning. I can't remember any of their names, but here are some pics....

 

The lady on the left in the first pic actually works with us in Participant Housing, so it was nice to make connections. The lady in both pictures gave a research presentation on her trips to Omani after  she performed. I learned quite a bit about their culture and leadership, Sultan Quaboos.

I kept reading Sultan as soo-tahn... wonder why? :P

We took a quick look at the exhibit, and having some dates, a huge export for the country, before peacing out to Dupont. 

We stopped at a Photograph Shop, and I recognized streets that I have been on around the world. Paris, Venice, London. And felt quite cosmopolitan.

We also stopped at a used book store. I picked up a few travel writing books for cheap.

We ended the day with Dupont Park. It was getting geared up for the Capital Pride parade for the LGBT community later that day, and quite fun. We also had an intense session watching the chess-men. They always have one foot up on their seat. I don't get it.

It was Krispy Kreme time before we hit the Metro again. Dulce de Leche is quite the peculiar donut. Butterscotch, Tapioca, Vanilla Pudding like. Strange. But quite delish.

Intern Shenanigans. Part 1.

Get ready for a bunch of blogs to just BAM, slap you in the face. Cause I've done a lot this week, none of which I have told you... So I am going to compartmentalize and do short posts for little series of events. :).

These are a couple things we interns have been up to in and outside of the office the last few weeks...

1. Truckeroo

I learned about this pretty neat event somewhere online, and let a few interns know. Soon, I was asked to e-mail the entire intern crew for the office so we could take a field trip. I didn't think there would be that much interest. As great as I think food trucks are, would a bunch of people really want to take a Metro trip to fight crowds and lines to get to the food truck of their choice? It turns out, there was. About 15 people accompanied me to Truckeroo, and had the lovely experience of seeing all the food trucks in one place, at one time. It was pretty ridiculous. I earned a new nickname of sorts: tour guide.

Now, I am planning some other intern quickie trips in the future. So, keep your eye out for Intern Shenanigans. posts.


2. My intern friend, Meagan, and I were involved in the SI celebration of Earth Day. We did a take on a Flash Mob in the Sant Ocean Hall in NMNH and called it a Splash Mob. Everyone was supposed to wear blue, do this dance which included snorkeling and swimming gestures, and eventually do the wave. The video was made to raise awareness for Ocean Day.

You can check us out at 1:14 in this video. We are officially SI famous.

World Ocean Day 2011 'Splash' Mob | The Ocean Portal | Smithsonian Institution

Peace, Love, and Shoes. Raj

Hot mess.

It is really friggin' hot here.

I mean. Really friggin' hot.

We just brought in our AC from the 234 S 11th House. It's gigantic and wonderful.

I did yoga outside at Dupont Park today, a bi-weekly free session set up by Lululemon. I've always had a love affair with yoga and Lulu, but oh man, I almost didn't make it today.

Because.

It's really friggin' hot here.

The United States Botanic Garden

The entire time I checked out the Botanic Garden today, I was reminded of Kerry & Tim.

It's in the middle of this huge city of chaos. Taxis, buses, those guys driving people (such as the Buddhist monks I saw today) around by bike. Not to mention the fact that it's in front of the Capitol. Yet, it's so calm, serene, and stable. Every plant and animal among the nature that inhabits the garden is the paragon for the plants and animals of it's kind across the nation. Carefully tended to and surrounded by streams and ponds creating hope in the middle of the city pandemonium.

I also stopped by the Grotto at the Summerhouse on the West Lawn. It's like a little, well, grotto, that you can see through a small grate within the Summerhouse, a hexagonal brick building with seating, shade, and water fountains inside. It's like Narnia. You peek through the closet of an exterior to discover this treasure of a place. Clearly, it is under-appreciated by the lack of good photos on googleimages.

Workin' for the Weekend

Last weekend was splendid. 

Saturday, I woke up and had coffee on the porch with our new housemate, Talase, whilst reading a book I found in the house. It's travels in europe by Bill Bryson, who you may know as the author of A Walk in the Woods. It's a good book, a travel nonfiction, obviously. Nothing really compares to the imagery of Frances Mayes, but Bryson is funny. Even some laugh-out-loud moments, which are even more hysterical when they happen on the Metro.

But... back to the porch. I'm sittin' there, reading around 9:30am (which is sleeping in), and I realize: I have to include pics with every post. Even if they aren't my own. He is talking about Brussels, right. And all the cute shops and the weather and the town, etc. But I still had lingering questions. When I got to Paris, I knew exactly what was going on, what the sites were, the tourist attractions, etc. So, you are not here. You may have never been here. So, I must learn from Bryson's not-mistake-but-kind-of-mistake, and include the best description of the sites that I can (meaning pictures).

I started my day at Dupont Circle. I've been there before (it's actually where I do yoga), but never really had the chance to explore. I left the Metro and headed for nearby Kramerbooks & Afterwords. This place is quite a famous bookstore/café combo. Talase and others have recommended it. I was more interested in the books. I was, sadly, disappointed. Not in the selection, service, or ambiance. But it wasn't what I was expecting. I mistook local bookstore for used bookstore. Total difference. The whole  "Buy Local" trend is flippin' huge here. I was expecting a used bookstore, and it was just local one.

         

Let's face it. Used bookstores are the best. It's like the books have had a life of their own. The inscriptions, the highlights, the ripped and torn pages. I love it. And the stores are usually floor to ceiling. Just pack a bunch of books in a musty house, feel the parchment of the antique ones. That's how to appreciate a book.

I walked over to the circle with a new, fresh copy of Emma in my hand. I took a few pics, as you can see. I took some time to read and people watch. There is so much that is lovely about DuPont Park. You can hear the fountain, and all the traffic around you. It's like being in two places at once.

Over the hour or so that I spent there, there were two musical groups. One was a rather strange flute & guitar duo, and the second was two young fellas sharing a guitar and singing. They picked good rep though. "Why, Georgia, Why" is one of John Mayer's best ballads. There was also a magician, doing the tricks with the upside down cups. I never get magic tricks. Ever. But I guess that's okay. It means I still have some kind of childish innocence. There was also an artist sketching with charcoal. It's awe-inspiring to see people work like that. So much talent.

I also realized a few universals about DC Fountains: there are always ducks, you must put your feet in, and it is the best lunch spot.

Next, I strolled Dupont. Saw the neighborhood. Embassy row is not really a row, they're spread out all up and down the streets (which are so not on a grid). Someday. I will have money, and I will work at a museum, and I will live in Dupont. The houses are all so classy and different. So charming. But I'd settle for a condo. :P

After wandering around for a good bit, I found the Spanish Steps. They are just a cute little hidden treasure in DC. Not many people discover them. They were recently renovated, and now small concerts are held there sometimes. I met an older lady there. We bonded over Nikons. If I'm alone at 65, let me still be happily taking pretty pictures with my Nikon.

Then I went down to the National Geographic Museum. Quite wonderful. I checked out some unpublished pics from last year, and then went to the exhibit about the Race to the South Pole. There is this whole story of how it was the Norwegians vs. the Brits. Long story short: the Norwegians won. At first I was sad (I'm English if you didn't know). But then I realized why the Norwegians won. Because Amundsen, the Norwegian leader dude, was relentless. He took the guys there without telling where they were going. He was sneaky. Smart, but sneaky. The English were doing it for their country. Amundsen did it for the glory.

I also learned about Adélie Penguins, named after Adele, the wife of the dude who discovered them (don't actually remember his name). It's kind of ironic, isn't it. Considering it's the dude penguins who care for the egg & keep it warm.

I stopped by St. Matthew's Cathedral before heading home. Said a prayer, lit a candle, looked at the ceiling. Smelled the Cathedral smell. Incensical. It was Confession time, so a good number of people were there.

Then, it was homeward bound for the night. I missed the fam, especially Winston. It was the first time in 6 months that I had been in the 804. All I can say is that I remembered why I hated high school and hated the 804, but why I go back. The fam. <3

Ukulele is lovely.

So lately I've just been playing Ukulele a lot. Here is a video of me attempting to play "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson.

Let me know if you like! I will post more.

P.S. Kerry O -- I bought a dress for your grad partaay. :D It's nothing special, but it's fun.