i sort of feel famous

it's no secret that i subscribe to several shopping and geek related sites.. among them are gizmodo, engadget, popgadget, etc. one of my favorites however is 'shefinds'. i get daily updates on where to get this, or cute new styles, must have makeups and the like. so, when i was frantically searching the web for a similar version of something i saw in a recent movie, i turned to trusty shefinds, got myself an actual account, and posted my question.

from time to time, the site will select a question from among the slew of those asked (fergie's hoody? jessica alba's red carpet manolo's? etc.), and post a response for all their readers. and i would be lying if i said there wasn't some tiny little part of me hoped that my question would be selected. that was about three weeks ago and no one seemed to have an answer. i can't really explain why, although a big part is that i really wanted an answer. of course, the selection of one's question also somehow indicates a 'with-it' ness that i (sadly) crave. i admit it. i like fashion, i can't afford the fashion i really like, so i make due, but i like it. a lot.

with all that being said, imagine my glee when this came across my bloglines today! now, i'm not cited, so you are just going to have to trust me, but i don't believe in taking credit from other people, so you CAN trust me.

unfortunately, the crack team at shefinds didn't have any more luck than i did finding the item, but i still sort of feel famous. it's almost as good as the time i appeared on the front page of a major turkish newspaper:)

*****

in other news, jesse's trip dates are nearly confirmed. i will be heading to north carolina on the 17th to meet up with him and spend some time with julie and colby before coming back here on the 18th.

the 19th is museum day, starting with the washington monument, then on to the natural history museum, national art gallery, national archives, and international spy museum. (sorry aaron, i'm not a fan of the sackler, though i will make an attempt at dumbarton oaks.) we may stick around and do a night tour of the monuments, or postpone that for later in the trip. i realize even without that, this is an ambitious day, but the spy museum is open late, and i will be pre-ordering tix for that and the washington monument, which makes it possible.

the 20th, we will be heading to harper's ferry where we will spend the morning tubing the potomac, and enjoying lunch on the river, before heading in to town for the historical goodness. then, after getting home and cleaning up, we will hopefully head for the local imax to see harry potter.

the 21st is lara and nick's wedding!! the timing of j's trip is not ideal because of this, but we will make it work. between the sealing and the reception, we are going to visit the udvar-hazy center. this was the big question in my mind.. air & space or udvar-hazy. ultimately i decided on the latter, for two reasons. one, the location makes it ideal for saturday afternoon when it might be hard to tackle anything else. and two, even though there is more at air & space, the pieces at udvar-hazy or more interesting to me. not too mention that he heard all about my party!

the 22nd after church, we will either head back to dc to do the monument/memorial tour--lincoln, jefferson, fdr, korean, vietnam wall (if we've not already done it), or we will head up to gettysburg for the afternoon.

on the 23rd, jesse will head back to california :(

so, that's the general idea. it covers a lot of ground, has a lot of diversity, and is going to be a really fantastic time!

*****

also, i just installed a nice little tool on this site called snap shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, and displays inline video, rss, mo3s, photos, etc.

the idea is that you get a preview of what the link is taking you to, before you actually click on it and leave. it's a way to 'look ahead.'

should you decide this is not for you, just click the options icon in the upper right corner of the snap shot and opt-out.

too excited for words!

the weekend was quiet, as promised, although i did attend a ward activity (my first ever in this ward...at least this time around). it was actually quite fun..a 'screen on the green'. one of the ward members lives in a remote area with lots of property, and in the backyard, surrounded by trees, they set up a 'screen', and everyone brought blankets and chairs to watch 'the watcher in the woods'. i haven't seen it in ages, and remembered it being very scary, but aging has a way of minimizing those sorts of things. it was still an appropriate choice, and a fun one!

the exciting news however, is that jesse's coming! jesse's coming!! details are still to be finalized, but he will be coming to nc for work at the end of july and wants to come here to spend some time and see dc (his first time). i will probably ending up going down to hang out with julie and colby and then bring him back for a couple/few days. he took such good care of me and made for such a great tour guide when i visited him in santa barbara, that i am giddy about showing him 'my town'.

so, you locals (or past locals/visitors), what are your favorites? i'm already planning on the national art gallery, natural history museum, air & space, and the spy museum, as well as tubing in harper's ferry. we may also make a stop at king's dominion on the way back up from nc.

anne, offering up your infamous 'capitol tour'? :) everyone else, what would you consider dc must sees? i have my own of course, but i want to hear from you!

the next tiger woods

wow! almost a week since my last post! and it's been a busy week, so let's get to the recap, shall we?

friday night, anne and i decided to take advantage of the incredible weather and spend some time outside. we headed to balls bluff in leesburg, a park/cemetary i had not been to snce i was in high school.

the batle of balls bluff was the largest civil war battle taking place in the county, and resulted in the virtual massacre of union troops. i did a little googling, and found this: Of the 1,720 Union soldiers engaged, 49 were killed, 158 wounded, 553 taken prisoner and 161 missing and presumed drowned in the Potomac River. Confederates engaged numbered 1,709, of whom 36 were killed, 117 wounded and two taken prisoner. Bodies floating downriver to Washington brought the shocking reality of the war to the publics attention.



as such, there have been ghost stories told as far back as i can remember, although the details escape me. what i do remember is that the last time i was there, i was a junior in high school and was accompanied by a couple of girlfriends. i can't remember why, but for some reason, we had stopped on the side of the road on our way out of the park. we may have been adjusting something, i can't remember. but while stopped and out of our vehicle, a man in black emerged from the woods carrying a shotgun or rifle, and started approaching us. i don't think i have ever moved that fast in my life. it was probably the freshness of ghost stories in our minds, but the whole thing was quite creepy.

this time, anne and i found the area remarkably un-haunted. we wandered the trails and took some photos. in fact, we risked our lives for a few of them!

okay, that may be an over dramatization, but there was a fallen tree that we decided to take photos on. it was possibly 4-5 feet off the ground, and petrified, so the surface was slightly slippery. walking out towards the end (top) of the tree was one of the scarier things i've done in a long time. and yet, i would happily go skydiving! i think anne thought i was overreacting...until it was her turn:)


after our tree 'climbing' we stopped at quiznos, and picked up some ice cream before returning to my house to watch a movie.

saturday was mostly a play day. i got to sleep in--a rare luxury--then headed over to lara's to meet up with she and anne and spend some time at the pool. it was an absolutely stunning day, and we spent a couple of hours enjoying it next to (and in some cases in it). lara gets mad props for taking advantage of the slide at the pool. though one kid told her it was 'just for kids', another rebuffed him and said it was for adults too, so she was approved.

nick joined us shortly before we decided to leave and headed back to lara and nick's. nick's? hmm, not sure what to call it! lara and nick have bought a house, but nick is living in it solo until the wedding. that clarify things a bit?

at any rate, we ordered pizza and hopped in nick's jeep to go pick it up, stopping at the grocery store for drinks and ice cream beforehand. nick let me drive his jeep home, and for those of you who have known me for some time, you may remember that i kind of have a jeep thing. needless to say, i looked and felt hot driving his lifted wrangler!

we enjoyed pizza and ice cream, and then i hurried home to clean up and attend the adult session of stake conference.

after that, lara called to tell me that she and a girlfriend were going to check out a local club for the potential bachelorette party location. i haven't been to a bar or club in some time, and though i love love love to dance, i am easily intimated and irritated by such venues.

i didn't have much time to talk myself out of it though, so i agreed to come along. when i arrived, lara, nick, and kathryn (who i've been hearing about for years, but never met) were awaiting me, and we headed in.

we were there early, and it took awhile to pick up. the venue was very cool, the dj was okay, and the crowd 'mostly' conservative. there were of course the standard hoochies, but we were all rewarded when the worst of the bunch fell on her butt (in her skirt) while getting up close and personal with her dance partner for the moment. we did a little dancing and a little people watching, and had a good time!

the majority of the week has been very interesting, mostly in regards to my adventures in online dating, but i will save that for another time. i'm working on a post in my head, but it needs one more 'experience' before it's finished.

today was our department summer outing--one of the few events i do not have to plan!

the activity was mini golf, at the oh-so familiar woody's golf course, not too far from my house. i worked from home in the morning and met the gang at the course.

several of you have golfed with me there and can attest to the fact that i am okay. not bad. not good. but okay.

today however, i was possessed. it was sooo hot and humid, and standing outside was very uncomfortable, yet, i smoked the entire group. we played in quads, but scores were tallied later. of the 40 or so players, the closest competitor was seven strokes behind me. i guess my FOUR holes-in-one probably helped. yes, i said 4. hear that anne? lara? corey? FOUR!

i won two categories 'the next tiger woods' and 'most holes-in-one' but they felt it unfair to give me two prizes. it's a shame, because my winning prize was a $50 gift card to footlocker, which i'm not sure how i will use, since dylan works for nike, and i get my athletic gear from there. the prize that went to the '2nd most holes-in-one', was a $50 visa gift card. in a way, i feel a little robbed, but i guess it's mostly about bragging rights.

work has been interesting, and my 'every day, a new adventure' motto holds true. these days, i can't be sure what will occur in any given day, but i'm holding my own.

i'm teaching on sunday, so the weekend promises to be a quiet one. it will almost be a relief after the crazy week i've had!

just when i think i've got it all figured out

i am baffled. befuddled. bewildered. discombobulated. flummoxed. flustered. perplexed.

all synonyms for confused.

i am not an indecisive person. in fact, my decisiveness has often been one of my greater weaknesses along with one of my greater strengths. i cannot recall one other decision in my life that has had me flailing so wildly as this impending move has. just when i thought for sure it would be california, i got news that changes everything yet again.

why is it that in regards to this move, every time i think i have finally settled on the right decision, the rug seems to be pulled out from under me? i am finding it difficult to stand on my feet for any length of time.

i was working on a post last week, and early this, about all the reasons southern california felt 'right'.

first and foremost, i *may* have found a place to live outside of san diego. when the seemingly perfect roommate posting came across my inbox, i sighed with dismay (i'm very dramatic that way), since the spot would be available in july, but i'm not going until september. imagine my surprise at finding that the poster was willing to 'wait for the right person.' oooh. oooh. oooh. pick me! pick me! no really, everything about it seems like it was tailor made to meet my needs..i can have the dog (she has one too), the rent is good, it's fully furnished (i'm not taking a stitch of furniture with me), the girl seems cool...so, basically perfect!

not to mention that i also learned my old and favorite bishop is currently living about 10 miles from my possible future home. we would be in the same stake, and he has offered his home as a 'landing' place until i get my bearings. in addition, he also happens to be an executive vice president at his company, and i have worked for him in the past. when i returned to virginia, he employed me temporarily so i would have an income while i searched for jobs in my field. i think that is possible again.

people have come out of the woodworks to pass along my resume to friends and colleagues in the san diego area.

it all seemed to be falling into place.

then, the one thing i can conceive of (though i did not conceive of it) that would cause me to question, has happened.

my company just made it's largest acquisition to date. the company being acquired happens to be based in durham, nc. many of you will remember that i tried unsuccessfully for nearly two years to secure a job in order to move there.

and now, based on all of the little pieces fitting in just the right way, i think it is highly likely that i could move there and keep my current job.

the last administration would never have allowed it. our ceo was more touchy feely than this new one, and if he wanted to see me, he wanted to see me in his office, immediately. it was a 'comfort' to have me nearby. but the new ceo has no such needs of me. all he cares about is that the job gets done.

it would be easy to return here for site inspections and events, and i would have a place to stay.

the biggest advantage of all, is that i would maintain my salary. since nc has a far lower cost of living, this would allow me to live more comfortably than i will be able to in san diego, and more comfortably than i could have, had i found a job based in north carolina.

julie and colby are in the raleigh area. as are several others who have recently relocated. there would be emotional support there, and i have always loved north carolina. yet a part of me has always dreamed about living in california.

i have received advice already that i should pursue both options and see what happens. the problem for me in doing so, is twofold.

the first is that, if i do pursue relocation with my existing employer, arrangements and accommodations will have to be made. if i ultimately decide not to follow through, in a way, i would be betraying those assisted me.

the second is that, if i pursue the north carolina option, i think it's likely it could happen quickly. more quickly than september. i fear that i will have to make a choice before i am truly ready, and just because it may be easy and fast, does that make it right?

i simply don't know. california will be harder. but it also holds more 'opportunity' in my mind. it is a relative unkown with so many possibilities. north carolina is more comfortable, and it would keep me closer to the people i love, while still getting the change of scenery i so desperately need. granted, i have been anxious to leave my current job, but perhaps that would change if i could do it from elsewhere. i recognize that i have a pretty sweet set up as it is, and will likely have to take a paycut wherever i go..even california. and that would make living there far more difficult.

there are advantages and disadvantages to both courses. both are places that i want/have wanted to live. and if i didn't feel strongly that there is a 'right' decision here, i wouldn't be so addled. but i do. i think there is somewhere i am supposed to be. and yet again, i'm not sure where that is.

as i said...baffled. befuddled. bewildered. discombobulated. flummoxed. flustered. perplexed.

i kid you not

every year for christmas my parents give me an aaa membership. it started in the days that i often left my lights on or locked my keys in the car. since then, i have not had much use for the membership, but do feel safer knowing i have it.

i thought with the upcoming journey, that i would avail myself of one of the previously untapped services....the triptik. perhaps you've heard of it? basically, it is a customized point to point spiral bound 'companion' for the road. it outlines not only detailed directions, but possible interesting stops along the way, as well as triple a hotels, restaurants, etc.

it's a free service for members, so i ordered one.

i was shocked at what actually arrived!


(1) southeastern states folding map
(1) southwestern states folding map
(1) georgia, norh carolina, and south carolina tour book
(1) alabama, louisiana, and mississippi
(1) florida tour book
(1) arizona and new mexico tour book
(1) southern california and las vegas tour book
(1) triptik part 1
(1) triptik part 2

it's a pretty amazing package that i did not pay an extra cent for!