I dream of Frosty

Does this remind anyone else of a diet-induced nightmare? I know I've been chased by a giant delicious Frosty in my dreams many times...

CASH CAB

OK! I was on Cash Cab! The Discovery Channel show that takes place in a cab in NYC! And since it aired on Friday July 23, I can now tell you ALL about it!

First question: Did I win? Umm no. But like my mother always used to say, winning isn't everything. YA RIGHT! How do you think I have become the competitive nut-ball that I am today?! Thanks mom! :D

My roommates and I went through a phase in early 2009 where we would ONLY hail Toyota van-cabs in hopes that Ben Bailey would be hiding inside. We also would ask every driver if this was the cash cab, and they were clearly unimpressed with that.But seriously, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that not everyone gets to experience. So here's how it went down:

So my friend Angela and I were going to Elmo, a bar in NYC, and hailed a cab. Right when we got in, I knew something was up. I could see the driver was a REALLY tall white guy, with ridiculously long legs. AKA he was not your average NYC cab driver. My friend Ang looked around and said, "I think we're on cash cab." (Which actually we say every time we get into a van-cab in NYC)

LIGHTS! BELLS! BEN BAILEY! "You're right!" He said, "Welcome to Cash Cab, do you wanna play?"

Umm hells yes!

Okay so we fill out our "forms" (disclosure...yada yada) and we are on our way. The first question he asked had to do with Univ. of Michigan, and being that they are Ohio State's arch-nemesis, I definitely knew that one. The next question's answer was my high school mascot (CRAZY!) So pretty much we were on a roll. The first one we got wrong was "Tiger Beat". I must not have gone through that crazy teen-heart throb stage... oops! Then it happened. We were ONE block away. $1300 in the bank, and all we had to do was answer one simple question. "What do you call the Outback of Alaska not accessible by car?" Umm what? We have no shout outs left. Hurry make something up. So I did it. What every good Public Affairs person (and President GW Bush) would do. I made up a word. "Alleghanquey" I screamed. Umm no. Turns out that is not even a real word/region. Ben Bailey was so funny though because you could just tell he wanted to crack up laughing. He just turned and looked at me and said afterwards, "Really? That is not even a word." lol.

So I didn't win. But I did walk away with a really great memory, and the one thing I always wanted when I came to NYC... a ride in the Cash Cab. (and a hug from Ben Bailey...I got one of those too!) :D

My little garden

Like most DC residents, I don't have a yard. But unlike my NYC apartment, I do have windows and a small balcony patio, so I am very greatful for that much! I know my mother and grandmother will laugh, but I've taken up gardening. I think this is much in part becasue I have been watching too much "Beekman Boys" (LOVE), and I enjoy waking up and seeing how my lil' garden has bloomed overnight.

As you can see, my small patio has been taken over by a cucmber vine and tomato tree. Neither, might I remind you, have yielded any fruit...

That's okay. They still look pretty, and I think my good intentions of being more "green" are really paying off. Despite my somewhat fruitless efforts, my one strawberry plant has been yielding many strawberries... although one at a time.

Note to my fellow gardeners: Watch out for pests in your garden. They can really slow down the process! :D

Dog Park Happy Hour

That's right people. I said it. Beagles and booze. Wine and weinerdogs. If there are two things that I never thought would go together it's gotta be dogs and Happy Hour.

One day after a long week of work while gathered around with other dog owners at the neighborhood dog park, we had an idea. Why not do this... but with drinks? The dogs have been couped up all week, and all they wanna do is play, and yes, we could use a drink after all of those TPS reports we did this week.

So the Dog Park Happy Hour was born unto us. Now, all of our friends head out to the doggie hangout at 5pm on Fridays, and bring snacks and drinks and let loose a little. It has truly become a great way to make friends, and allow the pups to play leash-free. I can honestly say that "dog park" is right up there with "pool" when it comes to future apartment searches.
Big shout out to Sadie, the border collie-spaniel mix, without you I'd have very few friends.

You have been de-friended.

A really scary thing happened the other day. My roommate came home, and she told me she had gotten annoyed with Facebook, and how some really random people were her friends. She went on a Facebook cleansing, and deleted a dozen people that she really didn't know that well.

So knowing that I knew all of my FB friends, and that this was going to be a very short cleansing exercise, I sat down and went through the list. Of this list of all of my FBBFFs (Facebook Best Friends Forever) I ended up deleting 38 people from my friend list. Granted I had multiple friends in common with all of them, but once I clicked their profile picture, I was looking at a complete stranger. There were a few that were friends of friends of friends that I had met long ago and OF COURSE we friended each other afterwards because a fun night out once means you should be FB friends. Others were people that were friends with people on FB that I knew, so of course they couldn't be too bad.

One was really scary though. When I clicked on my "friend"'s profile, it was this guy who I had never seen in my life. I had 13 friends in common with him, all pretty females, and ALL of his friends on FB were females my age. I think we call that a creeper... It was incredibly disturbing. At some point I had friended this guy thinking that no harm could come from it, and that since he was friends with my friends he couldn't be too bad. Come to find out, now my friends were adding him because they saw he was friends with me and accepted his friend request. So THIS is what my mom was telling me about Internet predators for! I thought about this, and how for some people, Facebook friend numbers really were a bragging right. Not accepting a friend request could mean you (gasp) fall behind!

Bottom line: Go through your online social media "friend" list, and make sure these people have some real connection with you. Is it worth having 1,245 friends when 58 of them are sexual predators preying on you and your friends? Not really. I think you will be surprised how many people you really don't know from Adam. Do you really want complete strangers knowing your life details? Well, after my Facebook cleansing, I know who is keeping up with me...

Happy belated Birthday America!

Ok so I made the cheater version... but it was still delicious!

Williamsburg, VA

Here ye! Here ye!

This weekend we went to Williamsburg, VA, and I have to tell you I was pleasantly surprised. The food was amazing (try Trellis, and get the Trout), the people were so nice, and it was beautiful weather (minus the 98 degree weather).

The first day we went to Busch Gardens, which by theme park standards is extremely different from anything I've ever experienced. This place is clean. I don't even think I saw an ant anywhere! I rode ever roller coaster they had (which was only four) and sat in the front row everytime. The lines were miniscule, and longest we waited was for a LAME log ride that might as well been a dry ride. I stopped by the restroom afterwards and splooshed myself to cool down... so pathetic. I was disappointed however that 1)there were minimal trashy tattoos, which is admittedly one of my favorite parts about theme parks, and 2)they did not serve beer in Germany. WHAT?!? That is exactly what I said. The park is seperated into countries, and I was SO excited to get to Germany and have a beer. I mean it is BUSCH gardens after all. No beer to be found. O, and somewhere along the line we saw bald eagles and sheep... not together of course.

After sitting in the sun for hours, it was time for something more colonial. If you visit Williamsburg, definitely stay at the Williamsburg Inn or Lodge. It's the only way to go. I searched online for the best deal, and decided to not take a chance on a Howard Johnson or Ramada, and just go to the Inn. I'm so glad I did. the other hotels are on a strip that may as well be Nyrtle BEach without the beach. If you going to Williamsburg and prefer an Applebees to a local establishment then stay on the strip. If you want an original experience close to Williamsburg downtown, spend $20 extra and go to the Williamsburg Inn/Lodge.

The next day was filled with some shopping and walking around Williamsburg. What a cute little place, and a great getaway.
I call these the fences of Williamsburg...

Overworked...under-blogged

Hi Grandma!!! So there were two very distinct incidents that made me realize I needed to back to blogging. One happened the last time I was at home, and a friend of a friend approached me at the bar. This is a guy that I see maybe three or four times a year, and not someone I have in my phonebook. You know the type. We were hanging out with a large group of friends at a bar in Columbus, Ohio engaging in the friendly chit chat you do with a friend you only see once in a great while. You know, "Hi." "How are you?" "Why haven't you written on your blog lately?" What?!? Defintely not something I expected to hear. It's kind of cool to hear that people you don't expect to care about your trivial bloggings, actually acknowledge your writing... at a bar. Ha! Who would've thunk it?

The other reason is obvious. Grandma said I had to. And everyone knows that is if Grandma's happy, everyone's happy...

So the new job has been keeping me from blogging. That's okay though. Busy is good. I will never complain about busy. What's that saying? Idle hands do writer's... okay nevermind.

DC snow globe

You would probably think that living in a winter wonderland would be amazing. It's kind of like a shaken up snow globe with magical little snow flakes drifting through the water colored landscape of our nation's capital. Little children are making snowmen and engaging in playful snowball bouts. Dogs are frolicking in the white powdery drifts while their human counterparts sip on hot cocoa and various wine products around the crackling fire.

Here's the real deal: This sucks! Day 5.5 snowed in, and the natives of DC snow globe land are getting restless. Steve's quaint little neighborhood has turned into a parking space battleground as neighbors fight for the last spot not taken by mounding snow piles. Apparently 25 percent of the snow plows here are broken, with another 25 percent being 2-wheel drive and it didn't seem that they were being used appropriately when they were in peak working condition. The children have giving up on hot cocoa and snow balls, and they have now turned to complete boredom. The dogs are still frolicking, but I think ours is losing her mind. I caught her licking a bare wall this morning. "The snausberries taste like snausberries!" If doggie cabin fever exists, she is definitely a victim.

Living in a snow globe is officially over rated! The radio stations and news personalities have run out of clever puns abut the storm. I am running out of board games to play, and the wine supply is getting low. I have made every type of snow creature and structure, and climbed the biggest snow mound in the the neighborhood! Every episode of crummy reality television has been watched, and I even caught myself watching TV Land's "High School Reunion"! The madness has set in, and I have aged 40 years, now putting together a 750 piece puzzle of the New York skyline. (I can't wait to finish it. It glows in the dark!)

As a child, I sometimes prayed for a snow day, but now I find myself praying to go back to work! Please send wine...

Snowpocalypse

As the Chicken Littles of the DC Metro area descended into every grocery store and bought every loaf of bread possible yesterday I realized something... What the heck are they freaking out about? And how exactly is bread going to help? I knew I was in trouble when my friend Josh referred to the previous 4 inches we got earlier in the week as "the last snow storm". This one would be significantly bigger. It makes me thankful that I am from the great state of Ohio where the snow plows run free, and the counties don't go into a state of complete panic over a little snow. Yes, I know. This is not going to be a little snow. But it certainly is not a reason to act as insane as some of my DC brethren these last few days. I chatted with a Floridian friend the other day,and was asking her about hurricanes. She said that this reminded her of the reactions of people down south when a big storm is coming. So can't we react the same? Can't we hold one of those "hurricane parties" I hear so much about? I know I will. I will be here my friends, holed up in my apartment with a bottle of Ketel One and my lengthy unwatched DVR recordings.

Now, I have to admit something. I bought bread. I walked into Trader Joe's yesterday, and the chaos and R.E.M's "End of the World" playing on the store's speakers broke me down into the groupthink mentality. I snagged the last 12 grain on the display and rushed out of the store victorious. And as I returned home with my prize I realized I didn't even need it. I already had a loaf and a half sitting on my shelf.

What I am upset about is that they were out of sleds! How am I supposed to dog sled race with no sled? I hear trash can lids work just fine...