The Importance of Being Lisa

Less Important...

2010-09-03T10:33:00.000-04:00

Wonderful news! Aleks is now in the US and we are quickly settling in to our life together, although also trying to finalize wedding plans. So now we need to blog about more than just me! This will be the last post on this blog. I'm now moving over to our new blog: http://www.aleksandlisa.blogspot.com/

So go there! And find out what we've been up to! (Of course, things are still pretty busy so we might not get around to telling you what we're doing until a little bit after!)

~L

Who's that Lady?

2010-07-03T13:56:00.001-04:00

So Belka finally got her "summertime" haircut!!! It started because I wanted to try out the "Self Service Dog Wash", which was pretty nice. It was only $17 which is much less than having her washed costs. Only I found out that the only way to get rid of the little fur mats she had around her collar was to shave her fur off! So we figured she would look silly with a shaved neck, so they shaved all of her! She looks like she did when she was a puppy again! But don't worry, her hair will grow back in time for when she'll need it in the winter. I think this will be much nicer for her lying around for the rest of the summer. Although now I have to worry about her getting sunburned!
~L

Belka's Birthday Present

2010-07-01T19:22:00.001-04:00

For her birthday, Belka got a new doggy bed! She had one when she first came home with me, but she ate it. Let's see how long this one lasts!
~L

Belka's 1 Yr Old!

2010-06-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

So we had a fun party at the Shirlington Dog Park with Stephanie and Katie and Steve and Ethan and their dogs, George and Gracie. After running about the dog park, we went to Dogma, the dog bakery in Shirlington. And then the humans decided to have dinner. It was a little stressful with 3 dogs and a baby, but after everyone settled down it was fun! Belka wore a silly dress for her birthday party. She seemed to like it actually!
~L

A Day in the Life

2010-05-23T13:01:00.005-04:00

So I got a new camera today (the old one was dying and I wanted to be prepared for upcoming vacations and trips!) so to test it out I took some pictures of a typical day for Belka! Enjoy!
~L

Running in the field on our walk

Stopping to sniff the flowers

Checking out the Pool

and the BBQ area

Relaxing at home after a long morning

Belka Torture

2010-04-23T22:06:00.004-04:00

Well, most ladies love a trip to the beauty salon, but I think Belka was a little annoyed by it! Although she does look pretty now. I was going to have all of her fur cut off, but I guess they just thought she needed a trim. So for now that's ok, we'll see if she gets too hot. But in general she was a good girl and the groomers like her. They want her to come to doggie day care there! So we might check that out. But first she needs to get one shot that she's missing! So first we have to get to the vet! Might as well go while she's pretty and will make a good impression!
~L

Back Stateside!!!

2010-04-14T16:39:00.002-04:00

Well, due to various reasons (nothing bad!) I've gotten to return to DC early! I'm done working on my project in Kyiv and back to working in DC (similar to what I was doing before). Being in Kyiv was certainly a cool experience, but really I'm glad to be home! Sortof a shame that no one except my bro got to visit me, but I can show you all the pictures! Plus, soon enough (although hopefully not for at least a year) I'll be headed off to some new part of the world!

My dog Belka got to come with me! She did really well on the plane, and liked staying in the hotel. I think mainly because I always took an extra piece of sausage from the breakfast buffet for her! Now we've moved into a temporary apartment for the summer that is really nice and near the Pentagon City Mall. Don't tell the tenants in my house, but I think it's nicer than my apt! Smaller though which would be more of a problem with 2 people and 2 dogs (and a 3rd person on the way!!!)

It's great to see friends and family again, although things have been so hectic I've only gotten to see a few friends. I'll work on it and see everyone soon!!!

For now, check out my new дом... I mean home!
~L

Pysanka!

2010-03-25T15:06:00.004-04:00

I made my first Ukrainian Pysanka! It was pretty fun. We used a traditional looking tool for applying wax that we melted into it's little cup with a candle. Our teacher was a famous Ukrainian Pysanka artist who has made 1000s of eggs and her eggs are in the Pysanka museum! Really very fun. We even learned a little bit about the history and some of the symbolism used on the eggs. Enough for me to at least know that the wikipedia page is fairly decent! Really interesting read... Strangely, my dad had made eggs similar to this (I think) but as Christmas decorations. And I don't think he knew at the time that he was making Ukrainian art!
~L

Flat Stanley in Kyiv!

2010-02-08T14:36:00.003-05:00

Flat Stanley at St Sofia's

Flat Stanley at St. Andrew's

Flat Stanley shopping at the Spusk for Ukrainian souvenirs

Flat Stanley at the weird park

My niece Malaina mailed me a Flat Stanley. He travelled all the way from Indiana to Kyiv and got to see some of the sights! I'm going to mail him back, but here's a sneak preview of his travels! He was lucky that Belka did not eat him, but he did accidentally fall between the cracks of a bench / sculpture. Luckily we were able to fish him out with a stick! Now he's going to head back to Indiana, although it might take a while!
~L

Stupid Dog Whisperer... (says Belka)

2010-01-31T13:24:00.002-05:00

Just thought this is a funny picture. I have been catching up on the Dog Whisperer and I think maybe it's starting to help me be calm and assertive towards Belka. But I don't think she likes the show...
~L

Нет много собакы!

2010-01-26T13:20:00.003-05:00

Well, I've done my part to not create any more wild dogs in Kyiv. Belka has gotten spayed. I think it went ok, but now she seems kindof sleepy. She had to stay over night at the vet so she probably didn't sleep very well. But now she's back home and relaxing on the couch. A pretty good life. And the best part is now I don't have to worry about the wild dogs wanting to mate with her! She looks like a dork though because she has to wear this silly shirt to keep her from eating her stitches. Poor Belotchka! :) (Honestly, I don't think she has any idea what happened, just that she was in a weird place for a night.) I actually think it looks like she's ready to star in an 80's aerobics video...
~L

How cold is that in Fahrenheit?

2010-01-23T13:04:00.005-05:00

Wow. So it's definitely cold here now. Tomorrow's forecast is for minus 30 C!!! One of our favorite jokes is to ask "How cold is that in Fahrenheit". The answer is always "frikkin' cold!" We're still doing work, although the workers do get to take coffee and tea breaks to try and warm up a little bit. Belka still does not seem to mind the cold, but it's now even harder to go for long walks because the sidewalks are still icy and snowy and now it's also freezing. Even my house is a little cold but that's what blankets and sweaters are for. It really makes me nostalgic for those too hot summer days! I'm going to make some hot chocolate.
~L
p.s. the -30 includes windchill at least. and the equivalent is -16 F

Happy Holidays from Kyiv!

2009-12-28T04:18:00.003-05:00

Well, I've missed Hannukah and "Roman" Christmas, but there's still New Year's and Orthodox Christmas, and then Old New Year! So Happy Holidays!
~L (and Mike and Belka!)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-07T12:23:00.002-05:00

This weekend my bro arrived in Kyiv! He got to see some of the sites (like the grocery store, and the mall...), but most importantly, we bought and decorated our (fake) Christmas tree!! Belka was a big help too (not). Actually, she seems disinterested in the tree thankfully and has not even tried to really sniff it yet!
Tomorrow it might even snow!
~L

More Belka!

2009-11-25T12:56:00.003-05:00

So Belka is feeling mainly better. I think she was also just stressed, but now I think she's learning that even though I leave, I always come back. So that must be comforting. And she's started playing with some of her toys. Right now she's gnawing away on a tooth brush bone. (But not the green kind because someone told me those were bad.) She seems pretty content in our apartment. And we almost have a good routine down. Sadly, right now the routine involves me waking up at 3:30 am to take her out, but I think she's slowly working up to longer intervals. Tonight I'm hoping for an 11:30 walk and then sleep until 5:30! That would actually be perfect. Fingers crossed! She's been here for a week now. It seems already like she's been here forever, but we're still figuring things out about each other every day. I think she thinks I'm weird. She's a smart dog! :) I taught her that she can sit on the "icky" couch. But not the "nice" "gold" ones!
~L

Belka on the town

2009-11-21T10:08:00.003-05:00

Today it didn't rain! Very exciting. Belka and I walked to the "weird" park and had a nice day. She is finally feeling mainly better which helps. Everyone thinks she's cute and they call her "собачка" (sobachka) which means little dog. I can't quite understand the rest of what they say, but I get that the gist is that she's cute! She even met some other dogs, although she didn't really seem to enjoy that much. But it was a great day to be a dog. Sadly, our morning and evening walks are always in the dark, and it's getting a little cold, but she doesn't seem to mind, and I have a warm coat and a hat! The funniest part is that I already feel like she's always been here. Although maybe that's just because I've been so sleep deprived that my sense of time is off... But I have high hopes for getting a full night's sleep tonight! well, from 11 to 5 at least! Maybe even 6 if i'm lucky...
~L

Raining cats and dogs! plus, a dog!

2009-11-19T05:29:00.003-05:00

Winter in Kyiv is officially here, and it's honestly a little gloomy! Although not as dark as I feared, although we still have another month until the shortest day of the year. We had a little snow already, but I missed it because I was in DC celebrating "Thanks-o-ween" with the family! (well, and working). But I'm hoping we'll have some more soon. It rains almost everyday, which is both gloomy and bad for our construction. But despite my hesitations about the impending bad weather, I finally got a dog!!! One of our local employees helped me find Belka on a website for pets who needed new homes. I went to meet her and she was so sweet that I decided that she would be my first dog. She really is a sweety! I've been taking more pictures and videos that i'll post soon, but here's a first glimpse!
~L

All Work and No Play Makes Lisa a Dull Blog

2009-09-01T14:37:00.006-04:00

Yikes! I haven't posted anything since July! I was hoping that I would become less busy as more of our project staff arrived (including my boss) but somehow the work just seems to keep increasing. I have had some small amounts of fun over the past few months, like discovering a big mall above my grocery store. And discovering more restaurants to eat in - although I still haven't made it to the Mexican restaurant. And just today we discovered a pretty good cappucino place! And I got to go to the beach in Italy! It was great, although very very hot. It made me miss my little room air conditioning units! But now that September is here in Kyiv, it's actually already starting to feel chilly. The nights are getting down to the 50s, but the daytime is still in the high 60s or 70s. So it's nice crisp weather. Well, more like October weather back in DC, but it's still nice. We'll see what I think of the weather here in a few months! And when it gets cold, I'll just have to try and remember how I also don't like the heat... Actually, the weather right now is perfect, so I'll do my best to enjoy it while it lasts.

The highlight of the Italy trip (besides seeing I.M. and finally going back to the Baths of Caracalla) was our trip to the "Grotte di Pastena". The signs promised us "emozione in piu" - emotions and more! But the sign also made it look as if the Grotto was a local attraction, perhaps in the next town if not the one we started in. Two hours later.... still no grotto!!! But there were still signs, just when each time we thought we were lost and would never find it. Luckily, we made it in time before it closed and got to go see it. It was pretty cool, but I don't know about "emozione in piu". We think the emotions referenced on the sign referred to the hopelessness and mild distress about driving through the middle of Italy in search for a grotto that may or may not actually exist... But it was neat. There were pipistrelli! (bats) And a few parts made me a little claustrophobic. Especially when they mentioned that we were 50 m underground! :( But we survived. And also realized where we were so that we could make it back to our campsite in just 1 hour instead of the 2 it took to get there. But I will say that the drive there was beautiful. So maybe that was the "emozione in piu". Isn't that saying that life is about the journey not the destination? That should be the Grotto di Pastena's motto also! Hee hee. The website sortof makes it look very dramatic!
~L

(outside the grotto - actually above it technically)

Home is Where You Make Your Bed

2009-07-19T13:59:00.003-04:00

My stuff has arrived here in Ukraine! Actually, it's a little odd to have it here now. Until now my place sortof felt like a hotel, but now it's like my apartment in Alexandria with different furniture and in Kyiv! But it's nice to have it here also. I can watch movies on my TV instead of my computer! I haven't figured out the cable yet, but hopefully one day soon I can watch Ukrainian tv also! I found out that I "only" shipped 2000 pounds of stuff, so I'm allowed to purchase about 4000 more pounds of stuff here! (I don't plan on that!) The movers moved all of the boxes inside in about 30 minutes and then we opened everything and threw it on the beds and couches. They did assemble the bed for me which was nice. And convenient to put all of my clothes on. This way they could take all of the boxes away with them. But the end result was that my stuff was thrown everywhere and I had to go back to work because I had some deadlines. But slowly but surely I am getting things put away. I have finished the kitchen and the living room. Now I just have about 25% of my clothes left to put away and all of my sheets and towels and stuff. Oh, and all of my stuff in the den. That's sortof a mess and that room doesn't have a closet so I have to figure out where to put everything. Hopefully it will all fit in the desk and bookcase and the "main" closet too. But it's starting to shape up! I even am working on perfecting my "display" in my china cabinet. I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet but it looks nice! But the rest of my project team is showing up so I should finish soon so I can invite them all over some time!
~L

Things coming together...

2009-07-11T12:37:00.003-04:00

I feel like I'm finally settling into a routine and that things are starting to really come together here in Kyiv! The rest of the project team is slowly but surely arriving. My car is now here sitting in the parking lot (waiting for a license plate!). I filled out some papers the other day because my "household effects" are soon entering the country. (Then I'll have some stuff to put in that china cabinet!) And I just finished weaving in all my ends on my "Rachel swing jacket" from Robyn's book! I am about to start on the sleeves. Then just the collar and buttons! So yeah, things are all coming together! Literally in the case of my crocheting... I think my housekeeper likes my crocheting because she always refolds it very nicely after she moves it around to clean or what not! I saw a woman knitting while working in one of the kiosks the other day. Although, I think the Ukrainian craft is more embroidery, but there is certainly some hand knit and crocheted things in the markets!
~L

TGI - П

2009-06-28T07:37:00.004-04:00

I got a chance to walk around downtown today again, and decided to go to the TGI Fridays! Well, if it were in Ukrainian, the word for Friday starts with "P" instead of F, but I don't think they really understand the saying because they just translated it phoenetically so it still is TGI Fridays. But what's kindof neat is that it is pretty much like the ones at home! The waitresses have to wear "flair" although not too much. And they all seemed to speak English, which makes sense seeing as the only people that go there are probably British and Americans. I had a Barbeque Burger, but I should have had the quesadilla. Next time! Interestingly, across the street was a "Papa John's" pizza, although something tells me it's a different Papa John that started this one... Also across the street was another market or "Rynok". I also went shopping at some book stores, and I found Harry Potter books (Гарри Поттер), but I think they were in Ukrainian instead of Russian. Then I'll really never understand them! So I guess I'll wait a little bit until I know how to ask "Do you have this in Russian?" Actually, I think I do know how to say that, but I had to think about it for a while...

Tomorrow is Ukrainian Constitution day, so I don't have to work! (Although I will have to work July 4th! Our jobsite closes for Ukrainian holidays but not generally American ones.) I'm going to work on studying Russian!
~L

Пицца!

2009-06-15T10:58:00.003-04:00

So, most nights, I have been doing a good job of cooking myself dinner. Nothing fancy, but basically a meat and a starch. Hopefully some veggies and fruits for dessert. But tonight, I was feeling lazy and decided to bring home a pizza! Luckily, the Ukrainian (and Russian) word is just pronounced like pizza with a Russian accent. But they even have ham and pineapple! (Although, they definitely follow the Italian model of one piece of each topping per slice!). But I just wanted everyone to know that I am definitely not starving here in Ukraine! In fact, probably the opposite! It's pretty good pizza! The name is "Pizza Papa".
~L

Success!

2009-06-09T13:49:00.001-04:00

Well, that worked out superbly, I was about to give up on my video, and to appease the readers (i.e. because my dad asked) I was going to post some pictures of my place. But now the video worked too! The pictures are a little better because I have actually sortof unpacked. Although, for the record the clothes are on the dresser because they're supposed to be hung up and I keep telling myself I'll go buy hangers one of these days...

Андреевский спуск - St. Andrew's Descent - The Spusk!

2009-06-07T04:14:00.005-04:00

The "spusk" is a street that snakes down from the top of "Kyiv Hill" (which I live on) down to the commercial "old town" of Podil. Спуск or "Spusk" literally means descent in Russian. (It's "uzviz" in Ukrainian but for it's mainly called the spusk.) But what makes it cool is that artists and crafts people, and some people who look like they're having a garage sale, all set up stands and sell their goods. It's closed off to cars so you can walk down the hill and shop! Last weekend was Kyiv Days so there were extra artists in town. It was really cool. There are lots of paintings, ceramics, embroidery, wood carvings, and everything else! I bought a glass vase so that I could buy flowers from one of the flower stands that are everywhere. Ukrainians (and Russians I'm told) really love flowers! Then, once you get to the bottom of the hill, you have to get back up. I rode the funicular! It's interesting, but a good way to get back up the hill! At the top of the hill where the funicular takes you there is a nice park and you can walk either down to the Maidan or back home. Pretty nice way to spend a Sunday!

Let's go build something!

2009-06-07T03:40:00.004-04:00

So since I am actually here for work, I thought I'd share one work event as well. We held our groundbreaking ceremony! There were press and everything. I didn't officially participate, but I got a chance to take a photo with one of the "golden" shovels. We had a "guard dog" on site for a while, and she got a "golden" chain for the event! Sadly, rules being rules, we had to evict the guard dog. But at least she had her moment of fame!

Welcome to Kyiv!

2009-06-06T10:32:00.010-04:00

After the drama with my poor buns, my trip to Kyiv went pretty well. I had waaaaay too much stuff, although now that I made it I'm glad I dragged it all with me. Especially because the rest of my stuff won't get here until the end of July! But man, talk about Christmas in July! That will be a wonderful day! Maybe this is where that expression came from!

I lived in a "temporary" apartment for a week or so before I moved into my "permanent" apartment. Well, permanent for the next three years! Both are located very near the down town areas of Kyiv (there are sortof 2) so I can easily walk around and explore on foot. (Which is good because I don't have my car yet either!). But this is a great time of year for walking! We've had a few rainy days, but even then it's seemed to be the kind of rain that tires itself out after a while so you can sneak about in between showers. Or I can ride the bus for 1.50 Gryvna's. (Which is not very expensive at all!)

I was taken to a big grocery store and pleased to discover that everything is here! Although, for some reason the toilet paper is scented. And of course the labels are all in Ukrainian or Russian. But they have lots of fruit, veggies, meat, and fish. And juice! Juice is my new favorite staple.

The first weekend I walked about I took some pictures and videos with my new camera (thanks Mike and Traci!) :) Enjoy this little glimpse! More to come!

Now, the time for "firsts"!

2009-06-06T10:11:00.006-04:00

Hooray! I managed to get myself internet at home, so now I can post about some of my doings here in Kyiv! To be fair, it only took 3 days to get internet once I figured out how to do that (it required help!). So I have a lot of "firsts" to report: my first Kyiv walkabout, my first trip to the "Spoosk", my first ride on the funicular... But first, I have one last "last" to write about it.

I did not know at the time I left, but I think that I have seen my cute little bunnies for the last time. :( Due to various complications with international pet export / import rules, the airline computer system didn't understand that rabbits don't need rabies shots. And sadly although people at work helped me look, I can only find immigration laws for rabbits that do not treat them as pets. They did confirm that rabies vaccines are not required for rabbits, but I just didn't think I could get the airline to change their mind. And I don't want them imported under the rules for rabbits for fur!

It took a little while, but the House Rabbit Society was able to find them a fosterer who is able to give poor Kevin his medicines.

So here are a few last picture of my cuties. Then we can start with new firsts.

Kevin and Mikey's adoption photos

The time for "lasts"....

2009-04-23T07:28:00.002-04:00

So of course in getting ready to move I do lots of things for the "last" time (although I'm sure I'll be back and doing the same things someday!). Yesterday they took my car for shipping. So that means I went to the gas station by my house for the "last" time, drove to work for the "last" time, and parked in my overpriced parking garage for the "last" time. I debated if I should say bye to the parking attendants who are all very nice to me. But I think that would have been weird. Unfortunately this weekend I'll have to go to the DMV (hopefully for the "last" time!) to turn my plates in. It's one of those procedures that should take 5 minutes but will somehow manage to take an hour. :( oh well. So now the Focus has started its voyage overseas! Here's a picture of the "last" time I parked in my spot. And sadly I'm going to turn in my "AE LMW" Penn State plates!

It's 80 degrees out and I'm cold!

2009-04-18T17:44:00.004-04:00

No, not because I have a fever or anything, but I finally have a working air conditioning system! And it works so well, it can actually make it cold in here! My dad and I were doing some home improvements so it felt good before, but now we're done and it's downright chilly. But I'm enjoying the fact that I have working AC so much that I'm going to leave it on and put on a sweatshirt! Oh wait, in honor of impending Earth Day I'll just go turn up the setting on my cool new digital thermostat. The coolest part? It's a smart thermostat so that you can literally set it and forget it! As in it's smart enough to automatically know whether it should be in heating or cooling mode. And yes, I'm sure everyone else's AC has had that for years, but my old one didn't! So it's new to me! We also got to replace the drop ceiling which worked out mainly OK and in the process I got to replace the ugly ceiling light that was there with a more modern-ish fluorescent light. It says the bulb can last for 9 years!! That's good for Earth Day too!The system has the new freon too (puron maybe?), so that's good for Earth Day. Gooooo green! And gooooo new AC!

Good Bunny News!

2009-04-17T10:16:00.004-04:00

The vet thinks that Kevin is mainly better and should not have a problem going to the Ukraine! Hooray! Now everyone at my new work will get to meet my silly rabbits. Of course, now I have to figure out the 15 details associated with getting them on the plane... And first I'm going to call and double check that they absolutely HAVE to travel as "checked baggage". It just seems wrong. The bunnies coming out of that conveyor belt thing... (They won't really!). So in the mean time, I have them confined right next to each other as the first stage of "re-bonding". They don't seem to mind. Although I think they are exhausted from all of the commotion that's been going on around here. So I thought I would try to video tape what they do at night! Turns out, pretty much the same things they do during the day. Enjoy, the "Night of the Bunnies"! (Don't worry it's less than 2 minutes long).

Bunny Zen

2009-04-14T07:25:00.007-04:00

I'm still not sure about little Kevin, and if he is going to feel up to a long journey to the Ukraine. And then, if Mikey would want to come alone. :( I have asked for advice from the bunny lady experts, so we'll see what they say. But in the mean time I thought I would use my cool new going away present from my bro and Traci to try and capture what I love about the buns. Of course I love petting them and when they jump on my head. Or rest their bum on my shoulder (like the song). But what I really love about them is that they're so zen! They sortof just relax. But I can stare at them for hours, because they are rarely actually doing nothing. So, no need for you to watch them for hours, but if you want to watch them for 12 minutes... It's sort of like meditation. Happy meditation because they're so cute! And don't worry, one day my videos will be about Kyiv not the bunnies! Although we'll have to see if they are about bunnies in Kyiv...

The Importance of Being a Consumer Activist: North Shore Agency Collection Scam

2009-04-06T21:25:00.005-04:00

I was literally shocked an appalled to receive a "debt collection notice" from a company called North Shore Agency. Apparently it is some sort of scam to trick people into renewing magazines that they had tried to let subscriptions expire on. I was even more upset because it was from Runner's World. I sortof thought that my subscription had expired, and that was OK. I had made the decision to not renew, and therefore had not sent in more money or gone online to sign up. Apparently, their marketing practice is to renew my subscription anyway and then send a letter saying that they had hired a debt collection agency to collect my debt! Only, the payment was still to be sent to Runner's World. Of course I googled the company, and while it does have a fake website, the second most popular page described the multitude of scams that this company either runs, or who is used by another company to run the scam. There is actually a class action law suit that I would have signed up for, but I read that John Grisham book about class action law suits and they still disgust me. So to simplify things, Rodale press simply goes on my "never buy another magazine from again" list. No more Runner's World, Women's Health, or anything about bicycling because they probably own that too. And as I said in my letter to them, I'm extra disappointed because Rodale is from my home town and I thought that I was supporting a good local business. I know times are tough, but it is never OK to scam or trick people, or intimidate them into renewing a magazine subscription to keep Dog the Bounty hunter from showing up at the door over $21.94. Grr. Things like this are what puts capitalism to shame. Make money honestly people! Runner's world is a good magazine! If they had sent me a few more post cards and emails I probably would have caved in and decided to renew! But now they have lost a customer for life. And whoever else I can convince.

my letter to them (to be followed up by a phone call tomorrow):

Dear Runners World, While I used to like your magazine, I am shocked and disappointed that you would resort to a "collection agency debt scam" to coerce readers into continuing their subscriptions. I did not renew my subscription with you, therefore there is no reason why I should owe you the $21.94 that this debt collection agency supposedly is going to collect. After searching for the company online, I found many other complaints that this is a scam and a ripoff. There is even a class action lawsuit being filed that I will promptly sign up for if this charge is not immediately removed or if anything appears on my credit report as an unpaid debt. This is a horrible way to trick people into your renewing your magazine and I highly recommend that you and Rodale disassociate yourselves from such heinous marketing tactics. While I had been considering a renewal with the weather getting warmer again, I certainly will never renew with your magazine or any magazine that Rodale publishes after this attempted scam. I am even more disappointed because I grew up in the Lehigh Valley and liked to think that I was helping a company from back home. With sincere regret, ~Lisa Walkup

Poor Kevin!

2009-03-28T11:41:00.002-04:00

Well, the "big snow" never really came to DC. We did get a 2 hour delay though. Now we're on our way to spring time and all of the Cherry Blossoms are coming out! But poor Kevin is sick and so probably not enjoying the spring time. Although now he's home from the bunny hospital and at least relaxing a bit. Still too soon to tell if he'll make a full recovery. Right now he's munching on lettuce but won't eat his regular food. So I have to give him medicines and liquid food. And as much as he hates it, he's adorable when I bundle him up to give him the meds! So I guess the silver lining is that even in his sickness he's sooooo cute! Mikey is being nice to him again (he was mean when Kevin first came home) so I'm hoping by tomorrow that he'll be munching on more hay.

Snow???

2009-03-01T20:57:00.002-05:00

Uh oh... The DC area is scheduled to get 5" of snow! I might not be able to leave my house for a week! OK, we shouldn't be that bad, if the snow even shows up. But I'm kindof hoping it does!!!! The last big snowstorm we had was in 2002. It could be time for another... I'll post my old snow storm photo hoping it brings on a new one!

And the oscar goes to...

2009-02-18T22:37:00.005-05:00

Well, probably not me, but this is my first directing work! I made a movie of the buns of course... But the iMovie program is pretty cool! enjoy! I only wish I had gotten this computer sooner because I know my bunnies' godmother would have loved videos of them!

Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive-o

2009-01-23T22:05:00.002-05:00

Well, I did not make it to the inaugeration, although I have a good excuse! I had just gotten back from Ireland the night before! Plus, it was really cold. And crowds scare me! I would have gotten accidentally pushed onto the metro track like that one lady (who luckily lived I think and had to hide under the platform as the train pulled in!). But Ireland was fun! We were only there for a little bit, so we stayed in Dublin again. This time I saw Christ Church and Dublinia. Dublinia was about the history of Ireland, mainly in the medieval times and the Viking times. It was interesting. Except it had full size humans standing about that were scary because I kept expecting them to move! There was one room I couldn't even go in because there was a model / statue of a beggar guy right by the doorway and I was afraid he would move and not let me back out! creepy. Then again, maybe it was the lack of sleep. But besides that it was a nice fun little musuem. We were in the Temple Bar area again, so lots of pubs and restaurants to go to. We even went back to the Irish singing and dancing show that we went to last year! The band was not as good as the one last year, but they were still good. They sang traditional Irish songs. And then the dancers were the neat part. It really is a crazy sort of dancing. Lots of leaping about! We wanted to find a cool Irish sweater, but did not! But that will just hopefully motivate me to make the sweater with all of the Aran wool that my brother gave me!

But it was a nice trip. I'm afraid I won't get to take any more little mini-breaks until after I move! But then again, I'll be a lot closer then to a lot more cool places to travel! Like Prague... And Copenhagen... And Budapest... And Zagreb... really quite a lot of places left to see!

Musical Me!

2009-01-03T21:23:00.004-05:00

(10 points to anyone who got the reference in my title*)

I am the official owner of a piano! Well, not quite a real piano, but a pretty darn good electronic one! Now I officially have too many hobbies to take to Ukraine (piano, knitting, wii, learning russian) but hopefully that means that I will never be bored! There's also the whole work thing to do... But the piano is pretty cool. It took a little effort to get it together on the stand (bah! instructions that say two people required!) and in the house for that matter, but luckily, it's actually a lot lighter than one of the other ones I had been looking at. And it was a little cheaper, yet has cool features like "beats" and "electric piano" sounds. 80's here I come! Or at least that Night on Bald Mountain song... (with the pipe organ-not the 80s beats!) But for right now, I'm having fun flipping through the book of songs that came with it because it's like a walk down memory lane! I'm going through and highlighting the songs that I played before. So far, I can only currently play the one that I think I played in my 6th grade recital, but hey! That's not too bad for picking it up after about 10 years! It's funny though, my sight reading is not what it used to be! I used to be able to get through entire choir practices accompanying them on songs I had never seen before... (Don't tell the choir teacher!) My goal is to work back up to my favorite recital piece of all time "Pathetique" by Beethoven. And no, it's not pathetic. It's really nice. Hmm, maybe along with this rediscovery of piano, I should rediscover my classical music cds and get them onto my ipod! Hooray! Another hobby! :)

*Yes, I just re-watched the Harry Potter movies (and am reading them again in Italian to study for my Italian test) and it's a reference to Gilderoy Lockhart's book

(Why am I studying Italian to go to Ukraine? I just have been refreshing my Italian all year and wanted to see what "score" I could get before I switch over to learning Russian and Ukrainian.)

2009! My Goal: Make Better Choices

2009-01-02T20:49:00.003-05:00

The holidays in Indiana were lovely, and I got to meet my newest niece (technically my cousin once removed for the geneology purists out there). She and her big sister were too cute! It was also wonderful to see my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins - including the ones from Ohio who I haven't seen in a long time!

It also was a neat end of the year because three of my friends had daughters!!! And another friend got engaged! So, all in all, I must say that 2008 was a pretty fantastic year!

On to 2009!!!

Last year I decided that laundry lists of new year's resolutions never really work out, so I went with a general goal. I think it worked! Well, a little bit at least. I don't know that I met the goal, but I had a good year anyway. You know what they say about new year's resolutions... So this year my goal: make better choices! Pretty simple, but it really is the focus of what I'm trying to do with myself right now! At the Wendy's drive through? Get the small! That's a better choice! Cleaning up after the buns more often = better choice! Working out more = better choice! Then again, sometimes sleeping in because you're really tired = a better choice also. I like how it's flexible. Something tells me that moving half way around the world is going to require me to be flexible! Eating more beets = perhaps a better choice??? Learning Russian = necessary choice.

Things are slowly falling into place so that I can get my head around the move. The current mystery: How to provide documentation of a rabies vaccination for the buns when the vets won't give rabies vaccinations to buns.... Stay tuned for this and more fun mysteries involved in moving to a distant land!

Chicken Kiev!

2008-12-15T19:49:00.003-05:00

That's right! My other exciting news is that I got my first assignment, I'm going to Kyiv! In Ukraine! (I've been told it's no longer called "the" Ukraine.) Some fun facts about Kyiv:

1. It has a UNESCO site, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra or Monastary of the Caves

2. It does actually have a tour guide book which I purchased the other day

3. They speak Ukrainian and Russian (I'm going to learn some Russian and try to mix in some Ukrainian while I'm there)

4. It has a beautiful metro system (that puts other European metro's to shame in their opinion!)

5. They are excited that Christina Aguilera is going to perform there...

6. They are also proud of their very own Bond girl (I guess in the current movie)

7. There are over 40 casinos (which I will be avoiding!)

8. They have a female prime minister

9. There seems to be lots of restaurants, an opera company, and a few musuems!

So, I'm pretty excited! It's not going to be an "easy" assignment, but it should be definitely interesting and a good project! I just have to wait to find out who my boss is going to be, and when I'm actually going to go! Small details, right? But it won't be for a few months at least!

Walkups Abroad!

2008-12-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

My mom, dad, aunt, bro and I returned safely (if reluctantly) from our Italy vacation! It was lots of fun, and although it rained a little bit (the whole second week!) we got to see and do everything we wanted! And of course we got to eat lots of great Italian food! Also, everyone met my boyfriend who was very well liked by all - especially when he was helping to carry the suitcases! We went to Venice, Rome, and Florence. Luckily, we were in Venice the weekend before the flooding! It snowed a little bit while we were there! In Rome, we had lovely weather, and a perfect day to have a fabulous picnic in the Forum. We enjoyed proscuitto, braesola, bread, and cheese, and of course prosecco and some white wine! It was amazing. Some of the other tourists were even taking pictures of us eating (that was weird). Thanksgiving we also had amazing weather and got to eat Thanksgiving lunch at the same restaurant that I went to last year on the Appian Way. But then the rain started when we went to Florence. It wasn't too bad, or at least not when we couldn't wait it out in the hotel drinking vino and snacking on fruit and cheese before going to dinner! And playing bananagrams! I did not end up running the marathon on my birthday, but it was a lovely birthday none the less, actually all the more! We saw the marathon runners though, and it actually looked quite nice and not too crowded. Sadly, even 2 weeks went by in a flash, and it was back to the real world. But, as you will see in the next post, I did get to come back to some exciting news.... (to be continued!) But first, I am going to attempt to add a Picasa Web Albumn to show the rest of the photos from the trip!

New Project!

2008-10-19T20:23:00.002-04:00

Despite the fact that I haven't finished my previous project, I've started crocheting a new project because I was so excited to start one from Robyn's book! I'm going to make the "Rachel Swing Jacket" because it's getting cold and I've never made a jacket! Or a top down sweater. So it's very exciting. Plus, I like having multiple projects to work on. My Crossover top is actually a knitting project now that I'm working on the edging, so it's nice to switch back and forth between the knitting and crocheting. Yay! I'm off to crochet some more before bed time.

Ridiculous Bunny Cuteness!

2008-10-17T08:08:00.002-04:00

Honestly, sooooo awesome! Maybe one day I can capture my buns in action (although in their older age they are not quite that frisky anymore). I'll have to get someone who has a digital camera and a cool mac to make a video for me...

Manassas and the Civil War

2008-10-16T18:53:00.002-04:00

This past weekend (a long weekend thanks to Christopher Columbus), my friend and I got a chance to visit the Manassas Battlefield Park. Well, really, he wanted to go to a Cracker Barrel, and one of the closest ones just happened to be right down the street from the park, so it really only made sense to drive out to Manassas to do something besides just eating at Cracker Barrel so we also went to the park. It was neat, and did a good job of showing the history. There was a good video and a little musuem. Apparently there were two battles of Manassas, and the North lost both of them. (Northerners actually call it the First and Second Battle of Bull Run.) But the South can't get too cocky because we all know how it turned out in the end... In fact, neither side can be too proud because over 620,000 Americans died in the civil war which is just slightly more than all other wars combined. That is a shocking statistic! The first battle was the first major battle in the civil war. People actually brought picnic lunches to watch from nearby hills and thought that it would be the only major battle. In the second battle, something like 15,000 Northern troops died and 10,000 Southern troops died (or were wounded which pretty much equals death in a time before penicilin). So can either side really call that a victory? It was certainly eye-opening and frightening to picture that much death. And while I'm glad that the North eventually won, I have to wonder what brought them to such a place that so much death was the only answer? Sad. I guess the silver lining is that we haven't had another civil war since! And hopefully, we never will. So it was definitely an interesting visit. And being from the North, it was interesting to be at a site of Southern victories. But like I said before, we all know how it turned out in the end! It has inspired me to rent the Ken Burns documentary. And possibly read that book on Lincoln (Team of Rivals). It certainly was a fascinating moment in our country's history!

Bunny Buddies on Bunspace

2008-10-10T05:41:00.002-04:00

Wow. Bunspace may just be the silliest but happiest website in the world! It's like myspace, but for bunnies! Mikey, Kevin, and even Murphy have their own pages now. Murphy's profile has a rainbow because in bunny world, all of the little bunnies that have passed away are said to have "gone over the rainbow bridge". I think it applies to all pets actually. There's a really nice poem about how they are all up in some sort of pet heaven frolicking about! But it's a great site to look at pictures of everyone else's bunnies. And the bunnies also have blogs! Some of the other bunnies have already sent messages to Mikey and Kevin. One bunny even sent in a story to Kevin, in response to his attempts to chew on the ottoman, that described an even better idea for furniture destruction! It's pretty cute. So check out their profile pages! And I think that you can give them a carrot. Although that might only be for members...

Crossing Over - Soon!

2008-10-08T21:59:00.002-04:00

No, not to some strange religion or parallel universe. Just that I'm excited that I (finally) finished the second panel of my "Crossover Top"! Hooray! I just have to do the edging and the waist band and voila! My second Robyn sweater will be complete! Then I just have to figure out which of the projects from her new book to make first! :)

Blueprint Crochet has arrived!

2008-09-23T21:16:00.004-04:00

My friend Robyn (of Crochet by Faye) has published a book, and I was sooooo excited to come home after a long day of work and find it waiting for me on my doorstep! I immediately forgot about the groceries I was supposed to put away and tore open the book to look at it. It's so cool! The design is great and the photos of the items are really well done. They're "cool" without being crazy trendy. Which is true about her designs too! You won't find any crazy fun fur monstrosities in here! So, I don't know that many of my loyal blog readers are crochet fans, but it's cool news none the less. If you know any crocheters, tell them to check out her book!

Blueprint Crochet, by Robyn Chachula
(with some help from her dog Faye!)
~L

Victory is Ours!

2008-09-15T22:48:00.004-04:00

That's right! My softball team went undefeated to become the league champions! Good work Falcons! Ca-caw! All in all, the summer has gone by way too quickly, but it's been fun! Besides softball, I've also been training for my birthday half marathon. I ran 10.7 miles yesterday. I was supposed to run a whole half marathon but it was just too hot! I ended up getting goose bumps and being cold which I knew was bad when it was 85 degrees and 1000% humidity! But the first 8 miles went well, and then the rest was down hill. Or unfortunately uphill! But it was a nice trail. I'll have to go there for some more of my training runs. Work is also going fairly well, and there is even some hope that I'll get to move overseas for an FY08 project! But there is also still the chance that they will wait until next year to send me out. But either way, I've starting "purging" out my closets. It is amazing how much stuff accumulates! I've thrown away ratty towels, old tshirts, and even some cooking supplies that were from college! ew! I don't think sesame oil lasts quite that long! I think some of the salad dressings were definitely from my old apartment. But the cleaning is going well! The next big challenge is my books! I'm going to hopefully take a bunch up for the book sale.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2008-08-02T09:34:00.000-04:00

I finally made it to a nats game and to the new stadium. It is wonderful! It's a little like camden yards or fenway, but it also is very "new" looking. But it works! The scoreboard is cool, and it really does seem like there are no bad seats. They also have lots of cool dc food places like ben's chili bowl and five guys. So its a very DC ballpark! The nats even actually won the game! And afterwords they had fireworks. I got to go with a bunch of people from work and we all had a great time! I'll have to organize another night for my other friends to go too! Hopefully next time it won't be 90 degrees out! But even then, a good time was had by all. Now I'm off to New Haven to see my bro and to celebrate Traci's bd!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The one about the eye surgery...

2008-07-23T08:10:00.000-04:00

So here are the details that I typed in yesterday but were deleted! Hopefully no such misfortune will occur again today!

The surgery was really only mildly unsettling. First, they re-examined my eyes. OK, actually, first, they gave me a valium which the odd receptionist referred to as a "blue bomber". I didn't feel that it actually affected me, but it did apparently affect my sense of balance! After looking at my eyes again, they explained the steps of the procedure. Then the doctor came in and explained it again. He also explained the parts that people "mess up". It doesn't mess up the surgery, but it was sortof an "I asked you to do one thing" scenario. In this case, I was supposed to look at the blinking orange light. I said I could handle that!

Then they took me in the room and I had to put on my hair net and lie down. The bed swivels between the two laser machines. The first machine was definitely the scarier one! I think because it was first, and also, there was a little more discomfort associated with it. The first thing they do is put in those "Clockwork Orange" eye-holder-openers. That actually was the most painful part until the doctor reminded me to stop trying to close my eye! But then they had to put on the suction cup thing. That was actually unpleasant, but not painful. A little bit of pressure, and the scary thing was that it made things go dark (because of the pressure). But they just told me to stare straight ahead and the first laser did it thing - it makes gas bubbles in the cornea. (Ew!) But the good news is that it only takes 20 seconds and the doctor counted down for me. I swear I could see little specks of white all over where it was making the bubbles, but maybe I was hallucinating. When they take you away from that machine though, you can't see because of all of the bubbles. But the doctor put a little patch over that eye and then did the other one.

So that was probably the scariest moment because for about 30 seconds I couldn't see anything! Which in a way, made the second laser less scary because I just wanted them to get it done. The "flipping of the flap" was the part I had been dreading the most, but it actually was quite soothing. Both because I think they did it with something moist which felt nice, and also because when they did it, the grey went away and my blurry vision was back. So then I could stare at the orange light and the corrective laser did its thing. This laser only took about 15 seconds. Then, they put the flap back. Again, it felt kindof nice. Sortof like an eyeball massage, but in a good way! (Of course my eyes were "numbed" for all of this.) And what was really cool was that when the flap was back in place I could tell that things were clear. I was only looking at the laser that was probably only 6 inches above me, but before, that would have been blurry!

So at that point, I was pretty sure that it had worked, and the second eye was no big deal. In fact, when I sat up, I could indeed read the clock on the wall! I could see pretty well, but everything was foggy (which is normal). It looked and felt like I had very very dirty contacts in.

So then my dad drove me home. My eyes definitely hurt at that point. But they really only hurt about the amount that they do when you're wearing contacts and there is something in them. And they felt really dry. They give you eye drops for pain, and also another "blue bomber" and a tylenol with codeine. So I took all of them and took the prescribed nap. When I woke up from the nap, things were no longer cloudy! And I could tell that I could see at least as well as I used to with my contacts! And they say that it takes about a week for your eyes to fully heal and your vision to stabilize.

But I am having no problems with reading or anything. I do just have to remember to blink more. But again, it really doesn't feel any different than having my contacts in. I also just need to remember not to rub my eyes. Hence the cool goggles! But they are only for sleeping. At first they were weird, but I'm getting used to them.

The strangest part of the whole procedure is that I can't actually believe that I'm not just wearing my contacts! I had a little ritual where I donated my old glasses and threw away all of my contact supplies, but it still seems surreal! Just, all of a sudden now, I have perfect vision! (Actually a little better than perfect! 20/15 for whatever that means).

So, I'm taking one more day to focus on blinking, putting in the correct eye drops, and not rubbing my eye, but I should be able to do work tomorrow no problem! Again, I really think it helps that I'm familiar with the feeling of having something stuck in my contact, because that's what it feels like. The first day was the worst. But then by the second day it was only mild discomfort, and usually because I had forgotten to put in eye drops. Now, it feels just as if I was wearing good contacts. In other words, I can feel something, but it's not really pain. So hopefully by next week it won't feel like anything!

All in all, I give the surgery 4.5 out of 5 stars. It only loses the half star because it's so expensive! BUT! At the same time it's totally worth it! (And it qualifies as an expense for your FSA.) Plus, I calculated the simple payback time is 8 yrs. Hopefully I will own my eyes for 8 more years!
~L
(p.s. bonus points to anyone who got the friends reference in the title. Which is fitting because the first time I ever saw friends was when I was waiting in a hospital in high school because I had had an accident building book shelves for JA and poked myself in my eye, shattering my contact, and it had to be removed by a doctor!)

It's a miracle!

2008-07-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

I can see! Said the formerly practically blind girl as she picked up a hammer and saw... Or after her miraculously short laser eye surgery! The surgery actually went well! I was writing a long post about it, but it accidentally got deleted, so I'll have to retype it in later. But don't worry, these goggles are only temporary! And really just for sleeping. But I'm so happy to have to wear them! I get to go to a follow up doctor visit in a little while, but I think everything is going well!
~L

This one is for the fans...

2008-07-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

So I am ludicrously addicted to "Super Swing Golf" for wii. It's awesome! It's like real golf, except all you have to do is stand there and swing the wii-mote. So, really, as my dad found out, not really much like real golf at all. (But he's just saying that because I beat him!) But it was nice that the other day Kevin wanted to show his support for my fake golf skills and laid down right in front of me and the tv. So he was cheering me on. Or more likely, he had no idea what I was doing and just wanted to lay there despite the fact that I was standing near by swinging the wii-mote. But I like to think that he was just being my number one fan!

I also had the opportunity to teach my dad how to play guitar hero! Despite the fact that he keeps calling it "air guitar", he did ok! Well, after being boo-ed off stage a few times, but we've all been there! It's tough getting started in the music industry! Or in the fake music industry world of fake guitar playing that is guitar hero!
~L

Long weekend = Nice crochet progress!

2008-07-12T08:26:00.000-04:00

Hooray! I had some travel time to kill over July 4th weekend and so I've made lots of progress on the Crossover top (that was designed by Robyn of course!). This weekend I'm supposed to be de-cluttering and cleaning my house, but I feel like crocheting instead! I'll just have to do both. We had a feng shui seminar at work and I realized that I have bad feng shui. Mainly because of my clutter. So although my life seems to be going pretty well even despite my bad feng shui, with good feng shui it can only get better! We'll see! ~L

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Always look on the bright side...

2008-06-18T23:14:00.000-04:00

So the bad news is that my softball team lost horribly tonight in our playoff game. But the good news is that the stormy weather blew theough with just a few sprinkles and some blustery wind. And, it produced this pretty cool double rainbow! I couldn't fit it all in the picture, but both rainbows were a full 180 degree arc from ground to ground. Pretty neat! Even if things weren't quite as nice for my softball team! Oh well, there's always summer league! ~L

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Fun Top!

2008-06-17T07:24:00.000-04:00

Yay! I am loving making the "crossover top" that my friend Robyn designed for crochet today! The stitch pattern is so fun and the construction of the top is neat too. And the best part is that I'm making it out of this great turqoise blue cotton yarn I bought a few years ago because it was on sale but never found anything to do with it. Voila! Soon it will be an awesome top! I'm also working on another project but it's a secret until I get them finished and mailed off to the people they are for. Not that any of the recipients know how to read let alone do they read my blog, but their parents might! All in all it's tempting to skip work to work on my projects! Cough cough. Hmm maybe I'm catching something... Alas, off to work I go! ~L
(And yes, that's my guitar hero guitar in the background! Another reason to stay home! I'm close to beating it on the second highest level)

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Summer and the City

2008-06-15T18:21:00.000-04:00

Hooray! Today I found out that the pool at Hain's Point does leave lanes for lap swimming! And that it's not too crowded on Sunday afternoons. I know where I'll be every Sunday from now on! It's an olympic sized pool so it's great for lap swimming. I swam a leisurely half mile and then relaxed on a lounge chair. A perfect way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon! ~L

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Another Project Finished!

2008-06-07T19:45:00.000-04:00

Hooray! That's two projects in two weekends. Pretty good. I still have two other UFO's (unfinished objects) but instead of working on them, I think I'm going to start a new project! In an effort to minimize, declutter, and generally decrease the amount of stuff that I own (and might have to move with me!) I have been going through my collection of knitting and crochet magazines to take out the patterns I might actually make some day. Happily, I have discovered that my friend Robyn is officially my favorite designer! I've been going through a year's worth of "Crochet Today"s and every time I get to a picture and think, "ooh! i really want to make that" I look at the title and sure enough, it says it is designed by Robyn! So the next project I make is going to be the cute vintage sweater pattern that she updated. At least I think, I'm also trying to use up the stash of yarn I have accumulated but I think I have a yarn that will work. Then again, I really like the 'Crossover Top' from the July edition, and that's a little more summer-y. And her book (Blueprint Crochet which looks amazing!) comes out in September and I already see lots more of her patterns I want to make! Too cool, because she is an awesome woman and and awesome designer! Coincidentally, this sweater that I finished is a predecessor to one of the sweaters in her book! I was supposed to finish it, oh, a year ago for my friend's wedding. Oh well, better late than never! Maybe I'll take of picture of myself in my bridesmaid dress, but with the sweater! Hee hee.

I also ran the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure this morning. Very cool. It is the largest race for the cure in the country. It was very successful although we were under an "excessive heat" warning. And really, the heat was excessive! It was unnecessarily hot even by 10 in the morning. It's only gotten worse! So now I'm going to go do errands at Target, but maybe stroll around a little extra to enjoy the air conditioning. (Mine doesn't exactly work!)

Afghan Complete!

2008-05-31T17:58:00.000-04:00

Finally, after a few months of having just one row to go, I finished my afghan that I started at the beginning of the year! And just in time! It is officially too warm to be knitting an afghan. I've decided to go on a "finishing" spree. I have three more projects that are over half way done and finally I will get them finished... I swear! We'll see how long the last few rows of the next project takes. Sadly, it is a project I started a year ago!

New Technology!

2008-05-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I've finally broken down and gotten a blackberry! I will soon be one of those people always typing away at this silly thing - but! Maybe that means more postings! Only time will tell but this thing is pretty cool!
~L

Good Times in DC

2008-05-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

This weekend I had two friends come visit me, and one of them had never been to DC! So we had a great time walking around to see all of the monuments and also going out in the city. We had falafels in Adams Morgan, ate oysters (and drank an "oyster shooter) in Chinatown, and ate Ethiopian food on U st. It was fun to show off the city! And fun to see my friends! So now that I've pretended to be a tourist in my own city, it's time to finalize plans of what to tour for Memorial Day weekend... Stay tuned!
~L

National Building Museum's Snazzy New Website

2008-05-08T20:58:00.000-04:00

For a musuem dedicated to architecture, engineering, and design, and really all things construction related, the Building Museum always had a so-so webpage. But now it's pretty snazzy! There's even a neat-o video of the great hall and people in the museum. If only I hadn't quit volunteering there! I could have been a star of the video. They show both a docent and someone ringing up a sale in the shop! Oh well, yet another 15 minutes of fame that I've missed out on. So check out the new page, some info on the exibits, online video or audio from lectures, and even some of the items from the shop! I have friends coming to town this weekend, so now I'll definitely have to make them stop by!
~L

Buon Viaggio!

2008-04-30T07:19:00.001-04:00

I had a great trip to visit my friend in Italy! We went to lots of cool places. I started with a trip to the Vatican museum while he finished up work. There is definitely lots to see there! I had been before, but enjoyed revisiting. I rented an "electronic tour guide" and got to learn about the Egyptian collection, the Etruscan collection, the sculptures, the tapestries, and the Raphael Rooms. Very neat stuff. Most of it was "purchased" by various popes as they worked to assemble the Vatican collection. Being in Rome always reminds me of how little of history I know!

Then we rented a car and went on several adventures outlying towns. We tried to go to the Tivoli gardens but it was too crowded! But we had a nice lunch in Tivoli anyway. We saw the Acropolis of Alatri and would have looked at the stars that its alignment is based on, except it was a little cloudy. It was very cool and the walls are very old - over 2400 yrs!

Saturday we drove in traffic with all of the other Romans to go to the beach. We went to the beach in Terracina which looks up at "Il tempio di giove" (The temple of Jupiter) which is shown in the picture. After having a nice picnic on the beach we drove up the mountain to visit the temple. It was very cool, although we didn't actually fully realize what we were looking at until the end. But then it all made sense!
We tried to avoid some traffic and drive home on the old Appian Way, however, the roads aren't exactly marked in any consistent way, so there was some adventure involved! We ended up in the Castelli Romani area and in the town of Frascati for a great dinner (and of course Frascati wine).

For my last day in town, we had a relaxed lunch and went to the Park of the Aqueducts to people watch. We had a great supper at the restaurant on the Appian Way where we ate for Thanksgiving. It was still very yummy! And we even had room for dessert!

So a quick but fun filled trip! I can't wait to go back! I'm not sure yet if I'll get to go next for work or vacation, but at least I know I'll be going for my birthday... and my birthday marathon in Florence!

Ciao!
~Lisa

Spring!

2008-04-20T12:22:00.001-04:00

Well, it is officially spring because I was woken up by thunder. Plus, the flowers and warmer temps and all. So it is also time for a new blog! For anyone who was worried about the demise of my previous blog. Which really only was my family...