The Power of Three....dominate in DC

My sis and I had a fabulous long weekend in DC (and Alexandria) with my dear friend Alli! Time for a recap....
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I cannot even explain how wonderful it was to get away for 4 days...away from work, the computer, phone, emails, even house chores. After another long and stressful Spring term, it was just what I needed to relax and re-energize for the Summer. The trip can be summarized in just a few descriptors: walking, eating, birthday party fun, more walking and eating. Have no fear though, we crammed a lot of fun into those simple activities. We even conducted an official taste test between 2 cupcake stores. I really miss Alli, but she is living and working in a really awesome town- and it just gives me an excuse to go back and finish all the sightseeing that we did not get a chance to do!

Thursday, April 30
Leaving on a jet plane...direct flight from Tampa to DC.

And this is my sister looking super excited in the airport:

After meeting Alli in the airport metro area, we purchased tickets and jumped on the metro back to her adorable apartment in Alexandria. The dogs were excited to see us...Ruby even gave us the circle tail wag (she especially did it for Dawn). We walked to the shops near her apartment, browsed, and then took the metro into the city. We decided to eat Chinese food, and found a great place on a recommendation from Alli. It was yummy, and reasonable, which is hard to come by in the city- the food is usually expensive. After eating we walked around Chinatown, popped in an old pub (it was crowded, so we looked and then left), and had a drink at Rocketbar. Before calling it a night, we stopped at our first cupcake store- Red Velvet. It was a tiny store, but the cupcakes looked and smelled delish.

You can tell they were holding back the urge to eat the sugary goodness!

At the end of the night we went back to Alli's place and critiqued our cupcakes. They were good, but there was room for improvement. Overall we were happy, and going into sugar shock, but ready to tackle a day of sightseeing and birthday fun on Friday.

Friday, May 1

Happy Birthday Alli!!!!

Today was special, Alli officially turned another year older, and we had dinner and dancing plans that evening with DC friends. So, we decided to sleep in, go sightseeing, and then return to the apartment before hitting the town.

The USDA garden

Yes, we are tourists!

There are many museum options in DC, and the best part is free admission (well, Alli noted that they are not exactly free, my taxes do support the Smithsonian system). Being Ag girls, we decided to visit the Natural History Museum. It was surprisingly packed for a Friday, so.many.people! It was the kind of crowds that become exhausting, just trying to move around, and still look and read exhibits.

Look at Dawn's excitement... :)

A giant squid

One particularly impressive exhibit was a nature photography contest. There were some beautiful images of nature, simply amazing.

Dawn & Alli checking out the Orlando, FL photography club submissions:

The insect exhibit was great, and I took this picture especially for my husband!

After hitting a few more spots in the museum (the Hope Diamond), we gave up on fighting the crowds and walked to the White House in search of a good lunch restaurant.

The DC gal...

I was particularly impressed by the size of this Magnolia tree, thanks sis for providing scale. I have one in my front yard- I hope it gets this big someday!

After a yummy lunch, a lot of shopping, and walking, we decided to head back to the apartment to rest and prepare for a night of birthday fun. More details and pictures coming up in Part 2, so stayed tuned...

Leaving on a jet plane...

I've been a really bad blogger...really bad. It has been crazy busy with final projects, papers, and exams....which is no excuse, but I am taking my last stats exam in about an hour!

To properly celebrate surviving another semester, I am flying to DC to visit my BFF, Alli. I really miss seeing her on a weekly basis, so this is a real treat. I promise lots of pictures and recaps when I return!

Thoughts and Prayers

Early this morning, Stephanie (my husband's cousin) has to wait as her husband Frank goes in for emergency surgery. I pray that the doctors work swiftly and are successful in healing Frank. Please say a little prayer too...

Steph and Frank- we love you and are thinking about you- be strong and let us know if you need anything!

XOXO, J & J

A month of re-do's and IOU's- Part I

I am back to the blog...and I survived last week, barely. Whew, it was crazy, chock full of events, deadlines, work, school, and life in general.

Time for recaps! Because of our extremely eventful February, my husband gave me a coupon for a fishing trip as my birthday present. Redeemable whenever and wherever I wanted. I decided that Spring Break week at UF would be the best time to enjoy a fishing trip with Captain J...so I cashed in, and we prepared for our first fishing trip on the east coast, St. Augustine to be exact. It is no secret that we love St. Augustine, we decided to get married there, and the town in general holds a special place in our hearts. We left early in the morning, decided to fish most of the day, and end with a late lunch at A1A Ale works (they catered our wedding reception, delish).

It was slightly chilly and overcast when we launched the boat, and in the little boat the waves were slightly menacing. Captain J decided we should fish the mouth of the river out to the ocean, and boy was it choppy out there. The water was flowing so fast! Keep in mind, this is after I had received a lecture- "you don't want to go over in these waters, definitely sharks in here, big sharks, feeding on the fish in these moving waters" and "watch out for waves, don't let them come over the side of the boat, we don't want to sink out here". Yes, dear, all those comments make me feel great about sitting in this little boat!

And then I saw this....



Guess what crossed my mind? And then we realized it was just dolphins (big exhale).

After a few unsuccessful attempts to fish the rushing water near the rocks of the inlet (no pics of that, we were trying not to capsize), Captain J decided it might be best to stick to calmer water. He probably also mentioned at some point that I am more of a land lover (kidding honey, but you were no doubt thinking it!).

And I took some pictures:





The master fisherman:



After trying our luck near the ocean, we decided to venture down the river and check out some of the flats. This was definitely more my speed, much calmer and more relaxing. We anchored up in the river and eventually got out of the boat to fish...



My fearless Captain caught some bluefish...and here he is in action with a trout:



We ended the day with a wonderful lunch at A1A Ale works, and a walk down St. George Street for an ice cream.



My handsome Captain, at lunch...

enjoying this:

It was an awesome birthday re-do...thanks sweetie for taking me fishing and treating me to lunch. Someday we will own that house overlooking the water in St. Augustine (you can see it in the background in the picture with the trout above!)...

Up next Part II- James' birthday re-do weekend

Want to ride my bicycle?

This picture still makes me laugh...a lot! The boys discovered this bicycle built for 2 at AGR, and immediately wanted to test it's speed and maneuverability. I was laughing uncontrollably as they took off down the street.



Being the gentleman that he is...my hubby took me for a spin around the block...



Sally got this great action shot of us racing up the AGR house (and trying not to fall around the corner!)



Without a doubt, we are all still kids at heart.

Pets- good for your health

I tend to blog frequently about my dog, Bumble. She really is that wonderful, and more importantly a member of the family.

Quick walk down memory lane...

Freshmen year of high school, our black lab had just suddenly passed away. My twin sis and I wanted another puppy, and Dawn specifically requested an Australian Shepherd. So, after looking in the local paper, we found a litter that was a few months old in North Lakeland. One afternoon, my Dad took us to the house to check out the little fluffy pups. It was love at first sight for Bumble and I. She was tan, fluffy, spunky and had beautiful green eyes! I picked her up and insisted that she was the best puppy in the bunch. Of course, Dawn picked up another puppy, she was white with tan spots. She thought Bee was the best puppy and it became apparent that neither of us wanted the other pup, and making the decision between one of them was going to be impossible.

So, you guessed it, we ended up driving home with 2 puppies in the truck, and two happy gals. It was a rocky start with Bumble, she was very spunky in her young age, and very moody sometimes- she did not being told No.

We stuck out the Bumble adolescent years, and soon I was leaving for college at UF. My first apartment would not allow dogs, so I sadly had to leave Bumble at home with my Mom. It was hard being away from her, but I visited on weekends and holidays. I could tell that she really missed me though, emotionally it took it's toll on Bumble.

After graduating with my BS and MS from UF, Mom said, "It's time for you to take your dog up to Gainesville." I agreed, and in August 2005, I made the trip south, picked up my dog, and brought her to my apartment in Gainesville.

She just celebrated her 12th birthday in December, and is still going strong. Bumble often visits with her sister, Bee, and absolutely adores her Dad (as evidenced in previous posts)! I can't imagine life without her around, and love coming home to a happy dog, frantic to finally see me, and proudly displaying her bone.

I follow a pet photographer's blog, and today she posted a great article on the health benefits of owning a pet. I fully agree- Bumble makes my life better (and my cat too), and I bet my husband would also agree. He loves that dog so much.

Check out the article: http://www.erinvey.com/bark/bonding/

I know we will always have a pet in the house, and I want to adopt the next one...

"It must be Summertime"

Last week was Spring Break at UF, and I took some much needed vacation days the later part of the week to hang out with the husband and in general just get things done around the house. Prioritized at the top of my to-do list: shave the dog.

Yes, poor Bumble, but all that fur just had to go. She did manage to get some sympathy from a random guy soliciting in the neighborhood...I told him, "don't worry, I am only shaving her fur, it will grow back, and she will thank me later."

My next-door neighbor, however, fully appreciated my efforts and said, "Well, it must be summertime! We do the same thing to our dogs." He, at least understood that I was at my wits end with the constant shedding and tumbleweeds of fur in the house.

It took almost 2 hours...and a lot of patience....



That is a Publix bag FULL of Bumble fur...



To add insult to injury, I bathed her right after I was done with the clippers. She hates water and especially hates getting a bath. But, it was much needed....here she is, right after her bath, rolling around on the floor.



And another supporting factor to the new, bald Bumble- her fur is extremely electrostatic. Not only does she shed, A LOT, her hair sticks to you, and won't just brush off. It is super annoying. I looked this morning, and there is even dog hair stuck to my chair at work! I carry them in with me in the morning. Crazy. At least I know that Bumble is always with me...no matter what.

A few final shots, later that evening, all dry and looking fabulous!





Note: My husband requested the lion tail, he insists that leaving her long hair on her tail would continue the shedding problem. I don't think she is impressed with her new look.

Yes, it is definitely summertime...and my hair free, carefree dog is proof of that! :)