Monster Trucks

 

My friends Tiffanie/Kristina emailed a bunch of us and asked if we wanted to go to the Monster Truck rally.  I was so all over that!  I have wanted to go to one just for the experience.   It always looks so crazy/cool on TV.  Michelle said that she has a list of 'blue collar' activities she has been working on doing.  I thought that was a good way to put it.  When we left she said 'check.'  :)  Left on top is Michelle, Brian, Kristina, me, and Tiff in the front. 

The green truck is 'Grave Digger' which I was told by the guy sitting next to me is the best truck and does the most stuff.  (I'm assuming this means gets the most air and wins their little races.)  Someone at work said Grave Digger is very popular.  I didn't even know Grave Digger existed until Friday night.  His axle was broken so he didn't really get a chance to show all of his stuff, but he was pretty cool looking.  Even a little scary. :)

When they first started they turned on all their engines at once.  It was SO LOUD!!!  I hadn't put my ear plugs in yet so I was trying to hold my ears while I got out my earplugs.  That didn't work so well. Note to self, put the earplugs in as soon as you get to a 'blue collar' event. :)  So all the trucks go around the track a few times and then they do races (just two trucks at a time).  They jump over the cars you can see above with the yellow and the red paint.  My favorite part of the truck rally was when they would fly up in air.  It was awesome! 

My two favorite trucks were the Bat Mobile and the Monster Mutt.  The tongue on the dog would go in and out and the Bat Mobile was just cool. :)

You can see the Monster Mutt here getting some air.  They could have done the whole show in about forty-five minutes, but they really wanted people to buy stuff at the concessions.   Of course they charge everyone about $23.00 to get in so they drag it out to about two and a half hours--I guess to make it worth our time.  It was a fun thing to do once.  :)

When we were leaving I was telling Tiff and Kristina about the French Impressionist exhibit at the National Art Museum.  They were both very excited about going as evidently we all love French Impressionists.  We started laughing because here we were just at a monster truck rally and then we were talking about art.  We are very versatile and have varied interests.  I would also like to try a demolition derby. 

Triple Date with Best Friends

Nicole, Carrie and I have been friends since 2000.  What's funny is I became really good friends with Nicole after we went on a trip to Luray Caverns.  It ends up that Tom was on that trip too.  Then Tom and I get together ten years later.  Funny.  Anyway we (Nicole, Carrie and I) have been on numerous trips together including many to the beach.  We had to get a picture of the three of us.

This picture is Tom and I, Claire, Nicole, Jake, James and Carrie.  

We decided to do a triple date.  Carrie and James became engaged on Christmas and Tom knows Carrie and Nicole (for longer than me.)  We thought it would be fun for the six of us to get together.  Nicole hadn't met James and I had only met him a few times so it was perfect timing to go out.

We went to a yummy Indian restaurant and then headed back to Carrie's for birthday cake (both Tom and Carrie's b-days are in January) and games.  We played a couples game that Nicole had created.  You had to guess how your partner would answer the question.  We traded off between the girls guessing and the guys guessing.  Tom and I won the game.  I think it's hilarious because Nicole is married and they came in third.

It was fun to be with my amazing friends and see them with their significant others.  I am so excited for Carrie and her upcoming wedding.  She truly deserves all the happiness in the world.  It was nice to get to know James a little as I haven't had the chance to get to know him.  It was really nice having Tom with me too. :)

Mike and High Tea

My adorable 'brother' Mike and I here in DC.  I had randomly sent him a message on facebook (which I rarely do) and mentioned that I missed him and wanted to know when he could come see me.  Well as luck would have it, he was flying in that day from Amsterdam and had a layover here.  I was SO excited to see him!!!  We talked for hours and could have gone on longer, but I had to get home because I had to work the next day.  He is just so fun.  He compared himself to the winnie the pooh characters.  He is tiger--hilarious conversation!

I had purchased a High Tea Groupon.  I have wanted to do High Tea forever and it was the perfect opportunity.  It was at a Marriott hotel in DC.  It was beautiful and classy. 

Both Gana and I had our own yummy pastries and sandwiches.  The tea was delicious!  I would love to go again.

This is Gana and I afterward our High Tea experience.  We were going to meet up with Aala'a too, but her child had an emergency so she couldn't come.  Gana had changed jobs in October so I hadn't seen her since then.  It was so fun to catch up.  Afterwards we went on a walk around DC on a circuitous route to the metro.  It was at sunset so it was pretty and not cold.

After High Tea I was meeting Tom at the metro to go to a party with him and his friends.  Something had happened to the train so we had to wait a long time on the tracks.  Tom had to wait for me at the metro for an hour.  I felt so bad!  One (of the many) great things about Tom is that he is very patient and understanding.   Poor guy, he was starving by the time I got there.  We went to dinner and then to the party.  One of his friends has had a very similar education and career experiences.  It was fun talking to her as we really seem to be following the same career path.  I wanted to know what I would be doing next as she's a few steps ahead of me.  :)  --Fun day.

Road Trips January 2012

 

Tom and I went on a road trip to Charlottesville a few weeks ago for the long weekend.  We are here in front of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.  I have been here a few other times, but never in the winter.  It was a bit cold, but really not too bad.  I liked that there weren't that many people and it was clear and sunny. 

 

There is this gorgeous tree on the property.  It was absolutely fascinating.  Some of the branches looked like they had grown into the ground and then had started a new tree.

The views were beautiful and there was even some green grass--in January.  This is a view from the garden.  We found out that Thomas Jefferson grew 23 different kinds of peas.  I didn't even know there were so many varieties.

We also went to Montpelier, James Madison's home.  This is a view from the patio at the home.  I love all of the open fields and just land, land, land.  You don't get that where I live.  Imagine what the stars must look like at night.  It was interesting to see the changes they had made on the home.  They had just finished putting up some wallpaper and carpet.  What they liked then is very different from now.  I'm very grateful for electricity, in-door plumbing, and no slavery! 

In the garden is a statue of James Madison and his wife Dolley.  He was a very small man.  About my height and I don't think he weighed very much.  He married in his forties.  Evidently he was a very intelligent man and best friends with Thomas Jefferson.

In Charlotteville we also met up with some old friends.  Tom and I know this couple that lives in Charlottesville, April and Russ.  They were both in our singles ward years ago.  It was really nice to see them and catch up on their lives and learn about the lives of some common friends.

Harper's Ferry 2012

On New Years Eve, Tom mentioned that it was going to be a beautiful day on the 1st and suggested we go to Harper's Ferry.  Well I had never been there and it sounded like a great way to spend the day.  It was a beautiful drive and only about an hour away.  In the picture, Tom and I are standing in the ruins of a church.  The stone work was quite amazing.

 On a wall in town they had these interesting 'rock sculptures.'  I just thought they were kind of cool.

There was a very picturesque church on top of the hill.  Harper's Ferry is very hilly and the buildings were kind of tiered.  I found that very charming and interesting.  Many of the buildings had pine bough garlands and wreaths still up for the holidays.  Really very charming. 

There weren't many people out and about.  Just before we got there it started raining, but it stopped when we got there.  It was a lot colder there than in Herndon.  The sun came out a little later and it was really nice and warm.  Tom and I just wandered around.  Many things were closed, but some shops were open and we even got to walk on the Appalachian Trail.  It goes right through the town.

 Above is a close up of the church and this picture is a view from the church.  Harper's Ferry is kind of in this little hill range with a river running through it.  Evidently it's part of the C & O canal.

This is Jefferson's rock.  Evidently Thomas Jefferson stood here and said something profound.  There is tons of graffiti carved into the rock.  It's kind of sad, but it also looks like of cool.

This is a view from the rock.  Really quite beautiful.  I would like to go back when it's green as I'm sure it looks quite different.

We left just before it started raining again.  We had gone into a few shops and had some HOT chocolate.  It was just a very pleasant low key day--wonderful!

Happy New Year 2012!!!

 

Happy New Year!  I am so happy that it is 2012.  As most of you know I have a 'thing' for even numbers so I'm thrilled it is finally 2012.  It is looking like a fun year already!  I'm dating a great guy and we started the new year off in an awesome way.  We went to the Leg Warmers concert - which you can tell from theses pictures was a lot of fun.  The Leg Warmers is a really good 80's cover band and most people dress up so you look around and see quite a variety of 80's gear.  All I can say is thank heavens it's no longer the 80's. :)

These are pictures from the Legwarmers pre-show and during-show :).  Top is a picture of Tom (the guy I'm dating) and I.  I had told Tom about this crazy 80's concert before Thanksgiving and wanted know if he wanted to go.  I think he wasn't really sure how it was going to be, but he is willing to try new things and he did enjoy it.  I love this picture of him - he looks totally hot!  (He thinks this is the best picture of us, but I don't really care for this picture of me.)   I had put all of these curls in my hair, but by the time we got to the concert I think most of them had come out.  You have got to love the blue eye shadow and the tiara.  Suzette had sparkly spray for your hair so I sprayed it in.  By the end of the night it was all over my coat and Tom.

I went to get false eye-lashes for the concert and ended up at a 'store' where the owner actually does makeup for tv people and movies.  She said she has a grammy and has received nominations.  She was so so sweet!  I went for false eye-lashes, but then we got talking about serums which led to me getting a whole new cleansing moisturizing regiment and new base that actually matches my skin perfectly.  They have a room specifically made so they can get the correct color on people.  She also teaches people to apply makeup.  She ended up putting my fake eye lashes on and the blue eye shadow.  She didn't have to and she could have charged me, but she just did it for me.  It was so generous and sweet of her!  I am excited to go back and get a lesson on makeup!  It also made my makeup VERY bold -- so fun for this event. :)

A bunch of the girls got together before the show and 'primped and crimped'.  This picture is from left Suzanne Smith, Nancy Burgess, Melinda, Julie Palmer, Emily, me, and Pam Shepherd.  Suzette and Pam made their skirts.  We got together at Nancy's house where she had a nice little spread and drinks.  I didn't invite Tom to this part because it was way too girlie. :)

I went to a goodwill store near me and found the hot pink shirt and the miniskirt.  I just wore black shoes that I had because I didn't want to wear (or find) and break in new shoes while standing for several hours.  All of us in this picture  were in the same house at Duck (in the Outer Banks NC) this year over Labor Day so it was kind of a reunion.  I love the posers!  I wish I could do that.  Nancy is the best!

I asked Suzette to hold up my camera and take the picture so it's a little funky, but cute.  Melinda and Suzette in the front, me and Julie and Tom. 

I know this picture isn't the best, but I love the guy in the back row in the cut off shorts.  He is always at the concert and is their back up dancer.  He is HILARIOUS!!!  I love watching him when I can see. He totally makes me laugh with his very 80's moves.  It does it so seriously too. :)

Front row is: Pam Shepherd, Nancy, me- Second row is: Melinda, Julie and Tom -  Back row: Mark Miserve (sp?), and Emily

This is probably the best picture of the whole group.  Front is Tom, me, Julie, Pam, Nancy, Second row- Suzette, Emily, Mark, and Melinda.  A friend of mine was affronted when she saw this picture.  She said 'hey who has their arm around Tom.'  I told her not to worry that I was holding his hand.  You just can't see it. :)  It was cute that she was all protective.

I needed to get some pictures of Melinda and I because the one I have for her on my phone is from 2008.  My crown was a gift from my sister Julie last year.  It lights up.  I love wearing it for New Years.  When else can you wear a tiara? :)  Next time though I need to pin the front part as it kept flopping around and I couldn't jump up and down.

Nancy is so hilarious!  She was showing us how to spray 'Aqua Net'.  She totally had the moves.  

Tom and I left the concert at 12:30 even though it was still going strong.  Melinda said that the group left around the same time and went to Ihop--she didn't get to bed until 3:30 am and had church at 9:00 am.  So glad it wasn't me!

I just have to say that I'm so grateful for Melinda and her love of the Leg Warmers.  It makes for a great New Year!  It was also nice to have a hot guy to kiss at midnight. :)