Quote of the Day...

"...always make new mistakes..."

missing video - Gorillaz

...season of concerts...

We've been to several amazing concerts this year. First, Jay's old boss Kerry gave us FRONT ROW tickets to a sold out Pixies show. It was pretty cool; we got to share the experience with our friends Marianne and Jamie Tolosa, also HUGE Pixies fans.

Then Jamie Cullum came to town. Jay RAVED about the last time he saw Jamie at the 930 club. So we called my sister, a huge fan of Jamie Cullum, and convinced her and her boyfriend Mason to drive to DC for the concert. It rocked. Hands down one of the best show I've seen. He is a true performer, and the 930 club is small intimate and perfect for a performer like him. In this video clip, you can see he is actually spontaneously creating rythm on the top of the piano. The whole show was spontaneous, had a feeling of a Jazz show with a rough idea of what's going to happen, but with lots of playful musical interaction by the musicians


Then we moved across the country and decided to check out the shows here. In July Mos Def came to town. It was Jay's birthday present to go to this show. I think we both had very high expectations and were...overall a little let down by this show. The building where the concert was held was BEAUTIFUL! It's an old theater that they remodeled and retrofitted to be a concert hall. I think we were both in awe of the architecture and intricate details of the theater itself.

Most recently, last night, we went to see the Gorillaz. As much as I loved Jamie Cullum, this is my favorite show ever. It was absolutely unreal. 1. It's Halloween and people here in SF go nuts over this holiday. So most people were dressed up, there was big bird, cookie monster, a bear, maybe 50 Lady Gaga's, and lots of pink, red, blue, and green hair. 2. The Gorillaz are a random group of artists who originally didn't want to be known so they created cartoon characters who performed for them. Now days people know who they are and they no longer hide their identity but they still have the visual affects of the cartoon characters. It was hard to know what to watch the characters or the musicians. Check out the video and you'll understand.

.

Quote of the day...

"The trouble with unemployment is that the minute you wake up in the morning you are on the job."

Warm weather has arrived

It's been a VERY exciting week here in SF. It's been warm and sunny all week long. And by warm, I don't mean 65 degrees, no it hit 80 degrees yesterday! and today is supposed to be warmer! After weeks and weeks of cold and dreary, this heat is amazing.

Jay and I had a bit of a whirl wind weekend. There was a race on Saturday about 3 hours away. We got up at 4:30a because the race had an 8a start time. At the race a little girl, about 4 years old was selling cupcakes for .25 cents. She was very cute, she would shout from her lawn to every rider who rode past "You wanna cupcake?" (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hferguson_photos/) There are photos from the race on my flickr page - On our way home one of our tires blew out. It was...inevitable. Our tires have been on the car for 55,000 miles. I'm pretty sure the warranty was for only 40,000 miles. Jay successfully changed the tire, put on that god ugly spare and we drove home. Sunday I spent the morning at Pep Boys changing all 4 tires. The mechanic said, "yea they don't get much worse than this." We're blaming it on the winter weather we had in Virginia this year. Tires can only handle so many pot holes before they give up.

Jay's friend Carolyn has spent the past 2 years living in Mexico working with a Catholic mission. She returned to the States about 2 weeks ago and was spending a week here in CA with her sister. So Sunday night, Jay and I drove about an hour south to San Mataeo to have dinner with them. It was wonderful. First, it was great to see Carolyn. She was present for our engagement, and has been a great friend to both of us; so it was good to see her. She had some great stories to tell about working with the poor. She said the most impactful part of her time in Mexico was seeing how generous and open the priest was. He would often take in those who had been outcast from society.

Jay got an extra day off for his birthday. According to HR he has 30 days to use it, so next weekend we're going to Mammoth Lakes. Its a huge resort known for skiing and winter sports, but there's also TONS of summer stuff to do. We're going to hike, swim, kayak, and get some R&R. Jay totally deserves it, he's been working 12 hour day for the past week+ and worked some this weekend. It'll be a great get away for him and a new adventure for us!

Quote of the week

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves... ~Anatole France

Off to the races

We went to a race on Sunday. It was about 2 hours from here along the coast. It was a road race, with approximately a 4 mile circuit. It wasn't a huge field, but at least half dropped out before the end. Jay did great! He closed 2 breaks on the back and fought the headwind & crosswind for 75 min.

Look at the second photo from the top. There is an asian man with a red helmet, lots of tattoos and he is peering over the top of his glasses. He rode the ENTIRE race this way. I think he ought to invest in contacts, or lasik.

Weekend Adventures

I was sick all last week, and half of the week before. It was miserable. Just a cold, but honestly, the sore, scratchy throat, and the stuffy nose, followed by a cough was not fun. By Friday I started to feel better, Saturday I felt good, and Sunday was almost back to normal! Since I was feeling better, I decided to drag Jay out of the house Saturday afternoon to check out a craft/art show happening close to our apartment at Fort Mason. It was great to get out, it was a little sunny and we both found things we liked. Jay bought a poster, and I bought a hat. (Sorry no photos of either right now). I also snapped a few shots of other vendors.

Sunday Jay got up early and went for a ride. I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to meet him in Sausalito mid-morning. We went to the Poggio, our favorite place over there, for breakfast. It sits right along the water and serves amazing coffee and breakfast sandwiches. After breakfast we headed over to Tiburn where Jay rode that morning. It's been so nice, he's taken me around several areas that he rides in so I can see a new area. Plus Tibrun is amazing! Awesome little town. Very european in style and so laid back. We found a great house on the water for sale. It's only 1.4 million. Geesh. At this rate we've agreed, we'll never own. As you can see from the photo, it sits across from San Francisco on the other side of the Bay. That's San Francisco in the distance behind the hill.

Now we're back in the swing of the work week; looking forward to next weekend.

New Restraunt in the Marina

This weekend Jay and I checked out a new restaurant that opened here in our neighborhood. Its called Hot Spud. The whole premise is baked potatoes! How cool is that!

I got one called The Warf - crab, cheese, green onion, and a lemon sauce. Jay custom ordered his, chicken, cheese, onion, and a chipotle sauce. It was SO YUMMY.
Check out our photos!

(My Potato)

(Jay's potato)

Tour of the furnished apartment

So I was talking with Dad today on Google Talk and he was scoping out our apartment via the limited angle of the computer. So I decided to talk a walking tour of our apartment so you can all see what it's like.

ENJOY!

Weather

The weather here is crazy. I still have not figured out what to wear when, and when its going to be cold or when its going to be hot. To help you visualize why this is so confusing I've taken a photo. As you can see our morning weather report is rather complex. There is the "inland" forecast, the "bay" forecast, and the "coast" forecast. So I'm pretty sure that we follow the "bay" forecast; however, it seems that we may also be more close to the "coast" forecast. The other factor that they don't mention is the wind. We get a strong "coastal breeze" here in SF almost every day. It seems to function like a winter wind chill factor on the east coast. So even if the temp is 67 degrees it could feel like it's colder. See why this is so confusing. :)

I hope your weather patterns are simple and sunny today.

Quote of the Day

“.....every time there are losses there are choices to be made. You choose to live your losses as passages to anger, blame, hatred, depression and resentment, or you choose to let these losses be passages to something new, something wider, and deeper” Henri Nouwen

4th of July

This year is the first time in my adult life that I have not been in our Nation's Capital for the 4th of July. It was a little bit sad, I missed the patriotic atmosphere that permeates the city; however, I did not miss the scorching heat and humidity.

Jay had a race in Davis, CA on the 4th. Unlike most of the races we go to this was a huge community event. There were sponsor booths, and music playing across the course and loads of spectators. It was nice to be part of the hubub. That night we cooked burgers and corn on the cob at home and then walked 3 blocks to the Warf to watch the fireworks.

It was great to walk a very short distance there, but it was even better on the way home. We managed to beat most of the crowds and watched the throngs of people stream past our apartment for hours after the fireworks as people attempted to walk, bus or drive out of the Marina. The fireworks were beautiful; they set them off on bothsides of the Bay, so from where we sat we could simultaneously watch our fireworks and the ones happening on Pier 39. Pretty cool, check out the video to see what I mean.




On Monday we took a trip down highway 1. Highway 1 runs right along the coast; so we stopped at several beaches and scenic overlooks. We stopped at a little seafood shop along the coast. It was lovely to drive all the way to Santa Cruz and see more of our beautiful state. Check out flickr for more photos of the weekend.

Our things have arrived (a few days late)

We expected our things to arrive the Saturday after we did. This would have meant a week living out of our suitcases and sleeping on the air bed mattress. This however, did not happen. There were problems at the warehouse, too many deliveries in one day; there were problems with the permits and parking spaces. So needless to say our things took an extra week to arrive. It was FRUSTRATING and I don't think my back has recovered yet.

(OUR TV!!)

Last Thursday morning Door-to-Door arrived with our two containers!! That afternoon 4 movers showed up and carried all of our things up 4 flights of stairs and into the apartment in 1.5 hours. WOW! They were amazing!


(OUR BED!!)


So most of the boxes are unpacked. We still need a few large pieces of furniture (a wardrobe, a couple of book cases) but I thought you would all appreciate these photos of our process. :)

Things you see on the street

For the past few nights we've walked down Polk St for dinner. It's a happening street with lots of little restaurants and boutiques. Great spot!




For 2 nights in a row we walked past this sushi restaurant and outside were these 2 dogs. Lounging. I had to take a photo; they were so cute and lazy!

With every new place I move to, there are new cultural norms to get used to. Moving from East Coast to West Coast has definitely brought some of those new cultural norms into the spotlight.

For example, every store (Walgreens, Safeway, the corner store) will ONLY give you a brown paper bag. Usually its a recycled brown paper bag; Jay said he thinks that giving plastic bags might be against the law here.

Another example is the driving. I think we've moved from one extreme to the next. DC is known for its SUPER aggressive driving, but people here seem to be almost passive, to the point of being an obstruction.

A bonus to moving here is the overall improvement in customer service. People are SO nice. A lady at a Burger King drive-in said "Good Morning" and "Have a nice day." In DC this is unheard of, but here it happens all the time. People are nice, courteous, polite, helpful; its amazing!

Quote of the Day

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

~ Maya Angelou ~

where we live

One of the cool things about San Francisco is that all of the street corners have the name of the street imprinted in the concrete.




We live on the corner of Van Ness and Chestnut.








We also have a really awesome entry way and door!










Check out flickr for awesome photos of the city from our walk today - http://www.flickr.com/photos/hferguson_photos

City Basics - the 411 on San Francisco

The city's population is 845,559.

The sales tax is 9.5% (Bummer!)

415 is the city's area code.

Geographically speaking San Francisco is built on 43 hills on just 47 square miles surrounded on 3 sides by water - the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.

Weather-wise - San Francisco is oh-so blessed. Weather is mild year round with temperatures seldom rising above 70 degrees or falling below 40 degrees.

Month	Max	Min	Rainfall (in.)
January	56.1	46.2	4.48
February	59.4	48.4	2.83
March	60	48.6	2.58
April	61.1	49.2	1.48
May	62.5	50.7	0.35
June	64.3	52.5	0.15
July	64	53.1	0.04
August	65	54.2	0.08
September	68.9	55.8	0.24
October	68.3	54.8	1.09
November	62.9	51.5	2.49
December	56.9	47.2	3.52

So if you are planning a visit it looks like August - October is best!

We have arrived...

For those of you who have been following our adventure across the country via facebook I am happy to confirm the reports are true, we have arrived! Safe and sound. Our journey across the country went from Arlington, VA; to Wapaokoneta, OH; to Kansas City, KS; to Boulder, CO; to Las Vegas, NV; to Bakersfield, CA; to Palo Alto, CA; to HOME! I uploaded photos to flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/hferguson_photos/

Please comment, tag and share!

Since arriving in SF life has been at a non-stop fervor. Jay started working at Odopod (http://www.odopod.com) on Monday. We hadn't yet signed our lease so I spent the day walking around SF; found the library, it was amazing! Five floors of books and so spacious and clean, loads of computers. I also found a fabulous little place for lunch Morty's Deli (www.mortysdeli.com), then found a park to read and nap. Great first day! That night we signed our lease and moved in with our 3 suitcases and airbed mattress. We are still waiting on our shipping containers; we were expecting them on Friday, but it seems that they won't arrive until Tuesday. FRUSTRATING! But I guess that's how it goes; never smoothly.

Today, I walked to Safeway and Trader Joes and bought some strawberries and apples. The idea of carrying all your groceries up the hill and a mile down the road to your apartment is good for curbing spending. We also FINALLY got our internet and TV set up so tonight, I think we might order pizza and lounge. Sounds good doesn't it.

Check back regularly, I'll keep this updated with photos, antecdotes, and more of our adventures.

I am a runner

I am a runner. I will overcome the fog, the wind AND the hills in San Francisco.
I think I need a running buddy.

Running - O! DC how I love thee

The Parkway Classic 10 mile race is just a week and a half away!! I am so excited, not only is it my favorite race in DC, BUT my training has overall been leaps and bounds above last years training. Yesterday, I had an easy run to do, so I decided to run around the monuments after work. The WWI memorial is my favorite, tucked away in the trees, not crawing with tourists, its so majestic, classic, and peaceful.

C.S. Lewis

I believe in Christianity as I believe in the sun: not only because I see it, but by it I see everything else
~ C.S.Lewis

Quote - Thought of the day

To be much alone with God is the secret of knowing Him and of influence with Him.
~E. M. Bounds

Morocco begins large-scale explusion of foreign Christians

I always pay attention when a county starts 1. kicking out the foreign nationals or 2. starts kicking out the Christians. This came to me a few days ago via the Intercessors Network. I will be paying close attention to Morocco over the next year.

MOROCCO BEGINS LARGE-SCALE EXPULSION OF FOREIGN CHRISTIANS

Moroccan authorities deported more than 40 foreign Christian aid workers this week, ending Saturday 13, in an ongoing, nationwide crackdown that included the expulsion of foster parents caring for 33 Moroccan orphans. Deportations of foreign Christians continued at press time, with Moroccan authorities expressing their intention to deport specifically U.S. nationals. Sources in Morocco said that the government gave the U.S. Embassy in Rabat a list of 40 citizens to be deported. Citing Western diplomats and aid groups, Reuters reported that as many as 70 foreign aid workers had been deported since the beginning of the month, including U.S., Dutch, British and New Zealand citizens.

At the Village of Hope orphanage near Ain Leuh, 50 miles south of Fez, the government on Monday (March 8) expelled 16 staff workers, 10 foster parents and 13 natural-born dependents from the country. The orphanage arranges for orphaned children to live with a set of foster parents rather than in a traditional dormitory setting, according to its website. Police first came to the orphanage Saturday afternoon (March 6), questioning children and looking for Bibles and evidence of Christian evangelism; by late Sunday night they had told all foster parents and staff that they had to leave on Monday. New Zealand native Chris Broadbent, a worker at Village of Hope, said that the separation of the foster families and the children under their care was traumatic. As much as they hoped to be re-united, he said, that did not seem likely – officials told them they could visit as tourists in the future, but in reality authorities do not allow re-entry for those who have been expelled.

Quote of the Day

Around us is a world lost in sin, above us is a God willing and able to save; it is ours to build the bridge that links heaven and earth, and prayer is the mighty instrument that does the work.

E.M. Bounds

addicted to time wasters

It's true! I'm addicted to time wasters, gmail, facebook, my iPhone.
Sad!!

Its like all my creativity is being sucked from my brain.

RACE DAY

I ran a 5k this morning and had a personal best time! 3.12 miles in 27:21!! Go me!! Click the Race Info button below to see the course.

Angst...again

Here I am again. Feeling frustrated.
The wilderness sucks.

Are we too busy?

Thoughts from Rob Bell - Originally posted here
Do you often find yourself saying, "I'm so busy" or "I just have so much to do"? It's easy to get overwhelmed with appointments, gatherings, to-do lists. But what are we really doing with our time? Many of us are running from place to place and it seems like life is just passing us by. We're doing so many things, a little bit of everything, and yet it doesn't feel like much of a life. But most of us find it hard to say no. We feel obligated. There are so many good things to do. So many good causes to join. But while we're busy doing all these good things, are we missing out on something great? Maybe saying no would be easier if we knew what it meant to say yes.

...angst...

East Coast Storms Make History

Preliminary seasonal records for the 2010 Winter Storm and Blizzard events that began February 5thcontinuing through February 11, 2010 break snowfall records established 100 years ago. Official snowfall totals for the Metropolitan Washington DC area are as follows: Washington National Airport saw 55.9 inches, breaking the record set in 1898 of 54.4 inches; Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore had an official snowfall of 79.9 inches, breaking a 1995-96 record of 62.5 inches at Dulles International Airport, the snowfall record of 61.9 inches set in 1995-96 was broken with this year’s total of 75.0 inches. For the first time in at least 30 years, the U.S. Postal Service did not deliver mail on Feb 6 and Feb 10.

Keeping a Marriage Alive - WSJ.com

The Wall Street Journal recently did a piece on "Keeping a Marriage Alive" presumably in honor of valentines day. It's a great article, they interviewed several couples (Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Doyle and Louise Brunson, etc.) and asked how they managed to beat the odds and stay married after all these years.

"It is often possible to understand why a marriage fails, as so many do. It is much more difficult, though, to elucidate why one succeeds. Why do some couples thrive, while others fizzle or flame out, despite their best intentions?"

The author asked their parents, who just celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary, why their marriage lasted so long. My dad said he had no idea. "Your mother did all the hard work," he admitted. Mom agreed, and divulged her marital secret: "forgiveness."

BILL & MARLENE CRITCH - Find the middle ground
Another couple, Marlene and Bill Critch said, "It's all give and take," Marlene met her husband Bill on a blind date in 1959. He took her on a picnic with a thermos of gin and tonics; they married two months later. Flash ahead 50 years. The Critches have raised two daughters in Seattle and weathered his severe heart condition. They swim together each morning, and he reads her children's books when she has trouble falling asleep at night. Compromise, they say, got them through the good and bad times.

"If each person can give 75 percent, you've got 150 percent," says Ms. Critch. Her husband agrees. "Many men would call that wussy," he says. "But I don't because I value her more than anything else in the world."

KEN & JACKIE EGAN - Be funny
On the night in 1967 that Jackie and Ken Egan met at a dance club in Boston, he asked her for a kiss. She declined: "I don't know you," she told him. "And my kisses are like Lay's potato chips—you wouldn't be happy with just one."

"You need to learn to find the humor in each other's annoying habits. It helps you keep the affection," says Ms. Egan, 69.

DOYLE & LOUISE BRUNSON - Keep (some) secrets.
"...she accepted him for who he is. "Love is the most important thing," says Louise Brunson, 78. "You have to love your spouse more than life itself."

OZZY & SHARON OSBOURNE - Never, ever give up.
"I went into marriage thinking it was forever. So I was stubborn," says Ms. Osbourne who has three children with her husband.

ANONYMOUS - Stay Alive
My sister, a doctor, told me about one of her patients, a 92-year-old woman who showed up for her appointment with her husband, who is 94. They said they have been married for almost 70 years. My sister, highly impressed, asked the couple the secret to their union's longevity. And they looked at each other for a long moment. Then the wife spoke: "Eh, neither of us died."

Makes me wonder what MY parents would say after 28 years.

The View from space - post snowpocalyps

Snow -

"The harassment of obligations"

"...ordinary life, and what James calls the harassment of its obligations, is what has plagued me. The house, the cars, the commute, the job, the [husband]—they have not given me the peace in which to collect any thoughts. Sometimes it just all catches up with you."

Winter....

Gayle Haggard: Good-Hearted Woman, in Love With a Good-Tryin' Man

Politics Daily did an article on a recent appearance by the Haggards' on Oprah. (click here for the full story)Mrs. Haggard has just written a book – "Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in my Darkest Hour" – explaining why she thinks her marriage can be saved. This it seems was the premise for the interview, but it went further, I think to examining true love and marriage in a Christian relationship. One where there is forgivness, and humility, and the Spirit is present.

Oprah started out by saying she had had an epiphany before the show – she would not judge. It is possible, she realized, to feel the way Mrs. Haggard does. "My conclusion is, after reading this [book], is that you really, really love this man in a way that I'm sure a lot of other people watching would understand," Oprah told her. "It's just that I don't know a love like this."

Mrs. Haggard's answer: yes, she deeply loves her husband and she feels "as though the betrayal had the potential to lead us toward greater health in our marriage."

Later in the interview Ted told Oprah: "She loves me and that's an incredible thing. I mean this woman is deeply . . . she's infatuated with me. She loves me. And I am so grateful. I think it's an incredible thing for a woman to love a man the way she loves me. "

What an incredible testimony.

Quote of the Day

"Destiny, to borrow a phrase from Benjamin Linus, is a fickle bitch."

the view on my run this morning...

Benjamin Franklin's Chart of 13 Virtues

Temperance. Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.

Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

Order. Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself. Waste nothing.

Industry. Lose no time. Be always employ’d in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly. Speak accordingly.

Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting benefits that are your duty.

Moderation. Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

Humility. Imitate Jesus.

the lowest of the lows....

Youth in lawless Haiti at risk for sex trade, slavery, murder (Click the link to read the whole article)

According to Nicolette Gramms, who worked with an human rights agency, the International Justice Mission, in today's world, the twin causes of human slavery -- poverty and vulnerability -- increase exponentially after natural disasters... Even without the pandemonium unleashed by a 7.0 earthquake, an estimated quarter-million Haitian children are trafficked (into slave labor or the sex trade) within the country each year.

The earthquake and devestation in Haiti is HORRIBLE! I can't wrap my mind around the loss and the grief and the pain and the destruction; but this takes the cake. I'm not surprised, it's the perfect moment of vulnerability for abuses like this to occur. However, that does not lessen my disgust nor my abhorrence at the corruptness of humanity.

As Mark Driscoll said, "People are desperate. Young girls are ripe for the worst you can imagine." (Check out Mark's blog for his first hand thoughts/observations from the ground. Click here.)

MapMyRun.com

Today's easy work out...the highlight of which was seeing another runner (older gentleman about 45 years old) running in a white long sleeved shirt, with black running tights, white knee highs (PULLED UP) and black shoes...oh did I mention he was wearing sun glasses and it was 6:45 in the morning. :)

MapMyRun.com - Regular Run: Regular Run on 01/13/2010

Restaurant Week- January 11- 24 - Dinner

We went to Ceiba with some friends for dinner last night. The food was AMAZING!!

Appetizer: Bermuda Fish Chowder
Gosling's Black Seal Rum, Outerbridges Sherry Pepper Sauce

Entree: Seared Yellowfin Tuna and Crab Stuffed Aji Amarillo
Vegetable Escabeche, Purple Potatoes, Sweet Rocoto Soy Reduction

Dessert: Traditional Flan Blueberry Compote, Coconut Macaroons

I almost asked for seconds of the Bermuda Fish Chowder. It was a spicy red soup, with lots of vegetables and fresh fish. The Tuna was good, fresh, well cooked, nothing too brag about. I was however rather intrigued by the Purple Potatoes. I had never had them before, and they were good. (Tasted like Potatoes!) The Flan was....TO DIE FOR!! Wow, I think when I go back, I will get...the soup and the flan; that's all.

Restaurant Week- January 11- 24 - Lunch

Today I met 2 of my girlfriends for lunch at "Art & Soul" on Capitol Hill. We had a LOVELY lunch, caught up, and shared life together. I had.....

1st Course
Capitol Hill Salad
local apples, blue cheese, pecans, apple cider vinaigrette

2nd Course
Ravioli
winter vegetables, fresh herbs

3rd Course
Banana Bread Pudding
Rum Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream

The salad was good, it had a mustard seeds in the vinaigrette which I really enjoyed, although next time I will ask for the dressing on the side. It was a little heavy. The Ravioli was delicious!! It was a squash filling with a light broth over it, really brought together all the flavors. The dessert I didn't get to try, I had to dash back to work, but I'm sure it was perfect!

Overheard in DC...

Says the man on a cell phone at Crumbs and Coffee in Adams Morgan:

Middle-aged man talking loudly on his cell phone: "Remember back in the '70s when people used to think? Before the computer and the cell phone?"

For more great "Overheard in DC" go to DCist.com

Quote of the Day

"Yea, well he is sweeter than he is judgemental..."
~Benny & Joon

Friends & Family in 2009

Another early season track race

Sarah graduated from college this winter!!!

My little buddy in Ohio! Jack has a HUGE crush on me, he get's all embarrassed and shy whenever we visit.

A young lady at the criterium in Greenville, OH.

A menagerie of photos from 2009:

Jay at an early season track race...

We drove to Greenville, OH one crazy weekend. Participated in a 10K "Jail break" run; a criterium, and a relay duathalon. At the criterium, there was a kids race. I thought this girl was too cute to not photo.

We went to Greenville, SC to watch the National Championships, time trial series and road race. Dave Zabriski won the 2009 time trial national championship jersey!! (For the fourth year in a row)
Our honeymoon/birthday trip to New York City.

My morning run all summer long, down Wilson Blvd., around Iwo Jima, along the National Cemetery, and across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and down Constitution Ave.