How do you Tame a Unique Bird?

... unique up on it. <-- that was part one of a two part series joke my dad used to love telling us when we were younger. Each time we'd laugh and groan in unison.

Now that I have birdies I realize that is definitely the worst way to ever get a bird to trust you, especially quirky, unique bird like the ones I have! I am still working on the training part, but the surest way to get them to come to you? Introduce fruit and protein into their diet. The weeks you have to remove seed from their diet all together they let their displeasure be known (most of them anyway.)

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Life Lessons from Ms. Ocean

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1.  No storm lasts forever
2.  Sometimes you need a little extra hand to make sure you're heading in the right direction
3. Even when life seems completely empty, if you look close enough there are people all around you
4.  Just because you won't be around forever doesn't mean you can't make a lasting impression
5.  The world can be a harsh place, but buckle down for awhile and you'll be okay
6.  After every storm, there really is a rainbow
7.  The most unlikeliest of creatures may need your help sometime
8. You never find exactly what you set out to look for, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy all the other beautiful things that are put along the path
9. The spikier the outside, the squishier the inside
10. Whatever you puts out always "comes back" somewhere
11. You can be annoyed by the sand in your shoes, or just take them off and enjoy the walk ... so what if you're a bit more vulnerable (you get more out of life that way.)
12. Sometimes the ocean is cruel; it takes away things very precious to us and it's okay to cry. Remember is also gives some of the most beautiful and life sustaining things.
*I had an amazing list that I kept adding to throughout the trip. Alas, my iphone played a bad Houdini and it is forever lost. The above is my horrible V2. I will curse the loss of that list for years to come!

Fauxchitecture at its Finest

I have a strong affinity to fireplaces. I remember having stacks of wood delivered to our house in Utah that would become warm fires throughout winter. We'd gather around and read the Sunday comics, watch a movie or, in my case, stare blindly at the growing flames. I even went so far as to create a paper fireplace in one apartment on my mission so that we could hang our stockings from its mantel. Then came the many wonderful fires at Mt. Ida where we'd roast marshmallows, read books and eat soup, chat until the wee hours or stay warm when all heat sources were cut off during a harsh snow storm. Thus, when I moved into The [other] Hamptons I was sold partially on the fireplace.

Howevever, there was one small detail. It was this little random box in the wall with absolutely no character and I knew that had to change. Thus, as fall began to turn into winter Shannon and I finally completed our DIY fireplace project that had been sitting around since July. We took a small bucket of paint and created a faux finish then drilled a plank board (cut to specs) to the top to make it seem like a nice, open, inviting fireplace! I know, we're geniuses. And now you may all feel free to come join us in roasting marshmallows, reading books and generally lazing by the fire.

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Motivational/Scare Sales Tactic

Yes, this is a rant... a personal and journalistic rant. Recently an acquaintance of mine posted one of those blurbs on Facebook that we're all familiar with: They have a "non partisan" public service announcement-esque post about things we all care about. However, there is always a catch. The catch, you ask? A product that can somehow solve a huge, multi-faceted problem. They've found a new product that they're completely in love with, have devoted themselves to (and for a good cause/reason; bravo to them) and mush it in with a public problem many (not all) care deeply about. There are a number of public policy hot topics out there from abortion, gay marriage, education, role of the government and health care. This recent post happened to mush two things together (government role in citizens lives and disease eradication) somewhat haphazardly. Again, not that I don't agree with the sentiment, just the blanket, sweeping statements within them and often the faulty correlation. So, bare with me:

"Too many people with cancer in my life! Too much sickness around me! That is difficult, I can understand how upsetting it is watching people you care about suffer. This often triggers people on very meaningful paths/impactful crusades in their lives--good for you I agree with you and will keep reading!(FYI, they have found that 1 in every 2 people in America will get cancer, and that cancer is 90% environmental. Can you please tell me who "they" is? A bi-partisan group, a medical group study (often funded by people with certain objectives). How large was this study? When was it conducted and where can I see the results? What is the statistical significance of this study? How does it compare to those in Europe who later the U.S. is compared to? Also, and I hate to be a stickler, but what kind of cancer? Pancreatic and prostate cancer are much more lethal than say most forms of skin cancer.  Meaning, what we eat and put on our bodies is more important than most people think!) This is not necessarily "environment." It is the air we breath, the amount of sleep we get, the amount of stress we are under (which is cited as a top cause of disease) and yes, the nutrients we get in our diet. Also, I think most people understand the importance of what they eat, just like smoking, they're just on a spectrum of how much they care.  I am disgusted by our governments lack of concern for the health and safety of its people. It is true it has less prominence in the news or less "sex appeal" in congress, but how do we determine "lack of concern"? There is a lot of money, time spent on this--several avenues of public policy dedicated to it! Sadly, and what I agree with, is that strong lobbying groups who have their pocket books over health in mind are the giants on the public policy field. I am disgusted that Monsanto and its GM crops (which are untested BTW. WE are the test subjects!) are banned in other countries but are taking over this country. I am disgusted that Europe has banned over 1,300 toxic chemicals in health, beauty and cleaning products, and the U.S. has banned only 9. I agree, GMOs are a sticky subject and while sometimes good (crops able to grow in more arid regions are provide more protein per ounce in areas with malnutrition problems) I believe pure is the best way and would like fresh to actually mean FRESH. No hormones, not pesticides, no preservatives  Labeling and access to fresh goods in the U.S. is  a PROBLEM.I am disgusted by the medical community not educating people about preventing illness and disease through proper nutrition when there is enough research and evidence out there to show that proper nutrition is HUGE in preventing illness. eek, this is absolutely wrong. I mean, the first lady herself is championing more education at younger age of proper nutrition. Could more be done, sure... but a lot IS being done and ultimately people have to care to make a change in their lives. And when someone can't pay bills, they don't give a shit about buying organic. The list goes on and on . . .I believe it is time we take matters into our own hands concerning our health. I believe our government is not protecting us, and so it is our duty to be informed. I believe in a thing called free agency. it is your responsibility to make decisions on what you eat, how you eat, and don't forget other lifestyle choices such as proper amounts of sleep and exercise! As abortion advocates say: your body, your choice. I believe we can get rid of cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and all the other big ailments and diseases out there by our informed choices. I just... i don't know where to start with this. You think that I, as a type 1 diabetic, could have prevented getting diabetes by what I ate? I will tell you that my family had the opportunity to talk to world experts in endocrinology on the subject and do you know what they all said? They said that somewhere in the chromosomonal lines of both my father and mothers there was a dormant, malfunctioning chromosome and I'm the lucky one who got them both, just like my blue eyed double recessive genes. Did something in the environment trigger it at the age of ten, sure?... who knows --medical science doesn't know definitively  As far as what I ate, I will tell you I was an active kid who had a big yard and a lot of field to play in. I picked strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, peas, corn etc. from my parents garden (can you get more organic than that?) and my parents actually had a friend who was a cattle rancher and they'd buy all their meat from him each year. Safe, hormone free... Wait, and I still got diabetes. All this being said, yes the environment as noted above is causing diseases. The U.S. needs less stress, less chemicals and more exercise (but even these are vast generalizations of things that need to fundamentally change!) Every time I've been in Europe I get annoyed coming back knowing it actually costs more in the U.S. to eat healthy--that should change because your income should not determine your ability to take care of fundamental nutrition. But it is not just the government who has to make that change. And I believe we can and must make choices daily that will protect ourselves and our loved ones from companies like Monsanto. I believe a better future is possible, despite what statistics predict. Use buycott, it's a free app. If you don't have a garden, buy local organic produce whenever possible. Ditch the toxic chemicals and check out Ava Anderson Non-Toxic for all your personal care and household needs. Ah, there it is. Not a nonpartisan educational website to go to for more info. A product, spend my money, slightly scare tactic sales pitch. Protect and prevent. And if you ever need help, message me! My goal is to educate and arm anyone who wants it, with information on how to be healthy, truly healthy. I want you to have the best quality of life possible.

Note, I realize that my response in itself has holes, I just wrote it in 10 minutes. Also, I strongly believe in hearing what people have to say, not how they say it. So yes, people need to be more educated on nutrition and changes need to happen. But ONE thing is not going to get rid of so many diseases let alone solve huge, complex public policy problems. I suppose i'm disappointed that in the end it is just promoting ONE product, not a true life style change. However, BRAVO for taking your life more fully in your hands and I too hope one day it becomes easier choice and financial-wise to live that life.

Our Fickle, Flighty Friends

The house at 6 Mt. Ida has indeed taken on a personality all its own. Different than the small, manicured Victorian home to one side, the once restaurant, now small hipster home across the way, and very different from the cramped, disheveled bricked box claiming to be its mirror image. Once the 3-story farm house of the area, its owners changed crops for cash and gave birth to this neighborhood.

However, it kept an extra plot of land for itself providing unplanned refuge for nature friend and foes alike. Squirrels scampering in abundance around the trees and roof, the occasional fox bounding across the lawn, raccoons and possums scampering through, flowers popping up in unexpected places, and of course the many, many mosquitoes, spiders and crickets that provide a feast for cardinals, woodpeckers and the staple robin.

All these animals seem to come and go, but none makes its mark more clearly felt on the human inhabitants of Mt. Ida than tenacious Mr. and Mrs. Robins. Every spring each claims its territory with an edge more spitefulness until finally, as it always does, nature wins. The spring of 2012 is no exception. No faux snake, mug or pot could elbow these nesting love birds out of a corner to lay their brood. To the human's defense, they did grab up all the corner real estate, however the birds have a keen eye for little holes. In fact, I dare say that this "little hole" was more of a safety net than an empty stoop or branch could ever be.

Welcome the newest members of Mt. Ida. We hear they'll get cuter with age.

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Birthday Bonus

I don't need cards (I don't like wasting paper) but this sampling of the many well-wishes I received on my Birthday are a reminder that even though people are busy, people across the globe care about me.

Angie Castillo McPherson "Hope you're enjoying a wonderful birthday weekend on the beach :) Miss you! Have a great day."

Nicole Herrera "MI'JA!!!!!!! Happy birthday, my dearest mi'ja!!! I miss you...I want to finally see you in person sometime. Cancun maybe?! Love you!! xoxo"

Joseph Dangerfield Peterson "HAPPY BIRTHDAY Melinda! Seems like you are living the life in Puerto Rico. enjoy but come back and play!"

Geoff Openshaw posted on your timeline"Hey lady! I know you're gone, but I wish you a super wonderful birthday!"

Pamela Bressan posted on your timeline"i wish you a wonderful birthday, enjoy it and if you want, today you may just want "to be laTHy" :D lots of love to you!"

Naomi Lusch posted on your timeline"Happy Birthday! Catch some sunshine and have a relaxing day! Xoxo"Emily Kruszynski posted on your timeline"Happy birthday from across the pond Mel!! Love u xx"

Maria Gry Stenholm Paulsen posted on your timeline"Happy birthday Girl. Hope you have an fantastic Day and that someone gives you a ticket to uk for your birthday :-) xxx"

Heather Hancock posted on your timeline"Happy birfday,my little hobbit! I sure love ya!

"Naoko Matsumoto posted on your timeline"hey gorgeous! Happy HaPpy Birthday!!! Hope you feel LOVED on your Special day :) 143"

Kristen Stancombe posted on your timeline"Happy birthday to you. I won't forget it now that I have a little man who shares it with u. Have a great day."

Catarina Morais E Cruz posted on your timeline"Feliz aniversário! :)"

Misha Rahman-van Eeden posted on your timeline"Gefeliciteerd!"

Stefanie Panhuyzen Hasselbach posted on your timeline"Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Have a happy birthday beautiful!"

Carolina Álvarez posted on your timeline"Feliz Cumpleaños, super linda! Espero que tengas un día espectacular! Te envío miles de besossssss!"

Veronica Espinoza Vera posted on your timeline"Hi Melindita, happy birthday to youuuu! Ready for dancing? Que cumplas muchos mas..."

Chet wrote: "You sure know how to live it up....happy birthday dear Melinda."

Derek wrote: "Well happy birthday then, as it looks like youre spoiled, im not getting you anything"

Wesley Rasmussen commented on your photo. Wesley wrote: "I'd wish you a happy birthday, but it looks like thats pretty much a given. Enjoy!"

The Day (or week) You Say I <3 You

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I had class on Valentine's day but M still came over with flowers that night then we celebrated over the weekend. However, before that Shannon had her annual Valentine's day meal that was delicious as always. M asked for chicken soup, Patti loved my meal so much last year she asked for it, I asked instead for cornbread stuffing, then there was pasta, chocolate cake and more. The usual "hearts and stomachs were full", perhaps stretched.

Overall, I celebrated the day (and weekend) of love with food, friends, flowers, a romantic dinner followed by tea and a new stuffed animal (that he searched EVERYWHERE for).

Love him, 365 days a year.

The Hollowed Dubai

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Hallowed or hollowed, Dubai is a fascinating place. For better or for worse depends on the lens from which you dissect it. Anthropologically, sure they've managed to prosper in an inhospitable desert for centuries. Economically, you literally watch it grow before  your very eyes -- it's a booming economy. Sociologically, it is somewhat (in my mind) ridiculous. For example, you are given money by the government if you are an Emirate person; they pay for your education, your wedding and all your healthcare. However, if you are a non-Emirate person, you get no such benefits. That makes sense, until you think about the thousands of non-ethnic Emirate people that have lived in the Emirates for generations. If you are African, Indian or Philipino decent, no such luck for you! Take it one step further, if an Emirate man wants to marry a non-Emirate person, they still get all their government money. But if you are an Emirate woman who marries a non-Emirate man, game over.

Another thing to note, if like me you enjoy going to countries to learn about the local culture etc., you can only find that in Dubai if you have loads, and loads and loads of money. Ana and my penny-pinching trip afforded us two glimpses of an actual Emirate person, both of which were at the airport. Other than that, we were surrounded by the people mentioned above. Our tour operator, taxi drivers, shop keepers, restauranteurs and more were ALL foreigners. This baffled me, so much so that while we were on a "tour" around Dubai, I asked any social structure question I could think of! And well, in the interim I took a few good photos as well! (see above)

Stop 1: The Creek. A glimpse of where the moderately extremely wealthy dock their yachts.

Stop 2: Dubai Museum. The museum was much less than we were used to in D.C. In and out in 15 minutes, and that's with staging the perfect photos. It was fascinating to see how the people developed the area, what they cultivated and traded and how they lived before the oil boom.

Stop 3: Jumeriah Mosque. Located in a swanky part of town (and that's saying something for Dubai), it is the only mosque open to non-muslims. Of course, not while we were there.

Stop 4: Burj al Arab. Just for a photo op, we didn't want to pay the request $100  minimum for a drink in order to go in. The next hotel over, we also got a glimpse of how the Emirate live ... via the cars they had parked out front. Alas, we didn't have the minimum to enter there either!

<Drive By> Atlantis. He wanted to take us to see the amazing Atlantis. Both of us said, meh, we don't care. So we gratefully quickly drove through one of the many man-made Palm Islands, which is where I also learned they're busy making an island shaped like the universe, where everyone has beach-front property.

<Drive By 2 > King and Prince's Palaces. Ah, the life ...

Stop 5: Burj Khalifa. Well, a view of it from the mall.

Afterward, we asked to be dropped of at the old market instead of the hotel, that way we could go straight to the gold and spice souks without paying a taxi. We took the water taxi over and from there, another adventure began!

The Real Slumdog Millionaires

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After lectures in the morning we piled in a bus (ugg) and made our way to Dharavi slums, one of the largest slums in the world. Different than what we in the U.S. think of as a "slum" i.e.  a place littered with used syringes, dilapidated housing and the only real form of business come from drugs and prostitution, Dharavi is filled with entrepreneurs and buzzing with life.

Home to between 300,000 and 1 million people (I'd say closer to the million mark!) Dharavi has an active informal economy, numerous household enterprises that employs the slum residents. It exports goods around the world including leather, textiles, and pottery products  In fact, on our tour we met a textile manufacturer who's business was growing so rapidly he was leaving Dharavi to head up north to a larger plant. It also processes the bones and scrap that others leave behind, such as metal, plastic from cruise ships (i now NEVER want to go on a cruise), paint containers and more. The total annual turnover has been estimated to be over US$500 million. Imagine, because it is an informal economy none of that money is being taxed! You can see people in the slums driving luxury cars and doing who knows what else with their hard earned cash.

Sadly, as more immigrants came flooding in from the countryside and city dwellers were pushed out from new developments, Dharavi skyrocketed in growth. However, as textiles, potters, tanneries etc., moved in, there was no effort to plan or invest in infrastructure in or near Dharavi. The living quarters and small scale factories grew haphazardly, without provision for sanitation, drains, safe drinking water, roads or other basic services. Thus, since its beginnings in the 1880s, the "slum" continues to grow, chaotically, and prosper, chaotically.

Notes from Bombay

Within the variety of contradictions (in mind) that exists within India, there were three things that stood out to me about Bombay, especially in contrast to Bangalore. The first two, a more general statement I discovered during our touring time of Bombay, are the variety of churches and religions represented in the area as well as the entrepreneurial spirit alive in much of its population. The third, which come as a result of dining and discussing Bombay with locals I knew in the area, is the evolving roll of women in Indian business.

Pick a church, any church

I admit that for its size Bangalore represents more than one religion; namely Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Yet their size, scope and variety pale in comparison to that of Bombay. I suppose I find this most interesting because even in Delhi, another large city, I encountered very few non-Hindu temples. In contrast, in the single day I was able to tour around Bombay with a small group, I visited a Hare Krishna temple, a Buddhist temple, a prominent Catholic church—the oldest in Bombay—as well as a Hindu temple, the Haji al Dargah mosque, and a Jain temple. Even more inspiring was that unlike the U.S. where many would be empty with the exception of tourists snapping photos, each was bustling with active worshipers.

What I found even more intriguing (and delightful) is the artistic interpretations of the various deity and/or gods each of these structures were built to worship as well as how Indian culture has been incorporated into each. Recognizing that several of these come from Indian scripture, it was still interesting to see how fundamental beliefs are interpreted amidst local surroundings. Thus, seeing baby Jesus with Indian features and complexion, Mary with a bindi, and local fruits and floral garlands given in supplication to the gods were new to my western eyes.

I hear often from my boyfriend that he feels no loyalty to a country that consistently turned its back on Muslims, his heritage. Visiting these various religion sites gave me hope that the gaps between religions, especially Islam and Hinduism would eventually be able to heal. However, when I had dinner with my boyfriend’s family I shared this thought with them and the generations quickly divided. The teenage boys said, “of course they will, I have a lot of Muslim friends and we don’t care about that stuff like older people do.” Yet the adults dismissed their thoughts, saying, “They’re young and don’t know what they’re talking about. Give them a few years and they won’t be friends anymore. The divide between our cultures will get worse, not better.” My sadness at this outlook was compounded when talking to other local friends who were ecstatic at the thought of my dating an Indian. However, when they discovered he was a Muslim Indian, I could see as they tried to hide the shock and annoyance on their faces. “It’s not that they’re bad people, I just haven’t met a single trustworthy Muslim,” they said. As the night went on they’d try telling me about Muslim friends they had that were nice, but the stories always ended the same: no Muslim is trustworthy or kind. The only argument I could say on both sides was that regardless of beliefs, if a person lived their religious they will be a good person.

The wily entrepreneur

In the book I read before the program began Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off the Impossible, I was surprised to learn that Indians don’t think of themselves and entrepreneurs. Instead, they view themselves as more of a yes-man to the developed countries. This saddened me because I’d learned during my previous visit that so many early accomplishments such as the decimal system and the concept of zero, plastic surgery (for good or bad) came from India. Through colonization and India’s growth as a new country, I guess India lost its way.

In the increasingly globalized world India is attempting to get back on track. In Bangalore I was able to witness firsthand how companies and institutions were trying to overcome this yes-man mentality and expand the already booming information sector as well as diversify outside it. Despite lack of structure of funds, Bombay was as example of the many innovative ways people can make a living. I realize my experience was a blip on the map, but seeing vendors’ peddle creative goods made from what someone in the U.S. would just discard, passing vendors who set up shops for food, jewelry, cleaning, reflexology and garment making wherever there was a free space—I call that an entrepreneurial spirit!

These small businesses could even be superseded by the growing businesses found in Dharavi. A slum in America is synonymous with stagnation; a place with dwindling to no business, unless you count the unsavory kind. In contrast, the Dharavi slums were bustling with entrepreneurs recycling cruise trash, paint barrels, aluminum products, fabricating cloth, baking and delivering goods etc. During our tour of the business sector of Dharavi, we even met a man who was in the process of moving his business to north Bombay so he could expand his business, “we’ve been here 25 years, however in order to expand and meet customer needs, we must move elsewhere.”

It’s Tradition

In every single city I’ve been to besides Bombay, I’ve asked myself, “Where are the women?” Whether it was a small hill station, a budding metropolis or a medium and growing city, it was a rare occasion to see women, let alone to see groups of them out and about for pure entertainment. Not only do you feel slightly out of place due to your skin color (and in my case my hair color) As a female tourist but also because you are often the only women wandering about, especially at night. My friends have explained to me that in Indian culture it is important for women to be escorted by a male if they want to go out in public. Not only is this important from a cultural perspective but also from a safety perspective due to the high rate of violence against women.

In contrast, from the time we landed in Bombay it was refreshing to see equal amounts of men and women out and about. I encountered groups of local women shopping for clothes, wandering the streets, meeting for tea or brunch, and even managing shops. When I expressed this to friends they explained that Bombay was a much more “civil and open society,” in contrast to the archaic way women are treated and viewed by men in the more “traditional north,” and therefore a much safer place for women.

I was even happier to see that once the group reached Bombay several of our lecturers were women, such as Poorima Dore’s focus on NGOs as well as Dimple Bhandia’s focus on the financial sector. This further demonstrates that within India it is possible for women to be seen on equal footing in terms of job performance. I don’t consider myself a feminist, but it is slightly disheartening as a woman working on a master’s degree to feel so out of place. When I met a few family friends in Delhi, I found that I had more in common with the men than the woman as we discussed the focus of my education. I freely gave my opinion about politics, religion, economics etc., yet I was the only female in the room to do so. I realize that this is somewhat of a sweeping generalization, thus it was refreshing in Bombay to see that indeed there are women I could connect with on an educational level within India.

As a bustling metropolis Bombay had a unique feel; a western and modernizing twist to the Indian culture you see elsewhere in India.  This metropolis creates room for more religious diversity (and hopefully tolerance), a space for budding entrepreneurs who are making the most of their situations, as well as creating a space for Indian women outside their traditional roles within India.

HoW aBoUt JuSt 'KeEp CaLm'

Yes, there is such a thing as beating a saying dead horse. This time last year life was more than a little crazy for me. One day when everything seemed to culminating into a perfect storm, a friend of mine from across the pond emailed to check in on me. After a bit of prying I kind of just dumped everything that was going on in my life. In response, he sent me a Keep Calm and Carry On image. We talked about the incident later, but apparently in response to his encouraging gesture I did the opposite of "stay calm" ... oops.

In his defense, he had every right to use that phrase; he's British after all. However, in my defense what he didn't know was that this wonderful Churchill phrase from World War II has been completely overused in the U.S. the past several years. You can buy it on a t-shirt, a wall plaque, a paper weight, a card, a poster, see it on a billboard or even follow it on tumblr. Not only that, but any number of people can use it to geek out in their own "special" way.

For example, if you like drugs there's one for you. You like tea or traveling? thongs or typing? Yup, one for you too. Obsessed with saving the earth? Your own bowel movements? Christmas? Thanksgiving? Harry Potter? Your pet (or any fictional) animal? How about electing Mitt Romney? Yup, one for each and every one of you. Don't believe me, take a look at this nice spread:

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And to the latter Keep Calm, all I have to say is: how about just keep calm and vote? And if your candidate of choice doesn't win, please don't do the freak out and throw stuff. Happy election day!

Call Me A Gas Whore?

I don't get people. When two gas stations DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER have varying prices by more than just a few cents, logic says you go to the less expensive, correct? Well, apparently not. In our little town of Del Ray there is a local shop (love them) and an Exxon. With no exceptions the Exxon prices are always more, yet I see lines of people at the Exxon, why? i don't get it, but if there is something wrong with going to the (in this case) lowest bidder than I'm proud to be a gas whore, somehow I've got some more money in my pocket! ;)

Serindipilicoius

Ever since that cheesy movie that I can't even remember the plot to came out, all the women I know have been obsessed with going to Serendipity in NYC. Well, always the NYC follower, D.C. got it's own little cafe in hipster Georgetown. On a much needed girls night out, Chareese, Shandi and I decided to go to a movie in Georgetown. We wanted to grab a quick bite and since I'd never experienced it and there was NO wait we jumped at the chance. I'm to critic, but food, average TGIF food fare and the not-to-be-missed frozen hot chocolate: not bad, but i'd rather waste my calories on macaroons or a (frozen) Lindt chocolate bar. Company however: 10 out of 10.

*Even better was when we went in to see The Artist (a silent film) and we didn't realize it had started 30 minutes early and went in talking REALLY loudly. Then quickly ran out embarrassed (and giggling.)

Ballet for Two; Make That One

[caption id="attachment_4643" align="alignright" width="300"] Us on a warm day at the Kennedy Center. Smiles (before) grumpsters (after)[/caption]

I mark it a tragedy when someone's first ballet is an epic fail. MK knows I love the ballet and bought us two tickets to see Giselle ad the Kennedy Center. I was excited that I got to introduce him to something I find so amazing. I figured it'd be an easy like for him since he is a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD)... but alas, not so much. We went, we were excited and dressed up and wandered taking photos ahead of time. Then half way through the first part, he was in total snoozeville. I felt terrible and told him we could leave during intermission, but he decided to stick it out. To be honest, it wasn't the best ballet i've been to (-1 for the Kennedy Center) but I at least appreciated it.

Now, if we ever talk about the ballet and the fact I want to see Don Quixote and Swan Lake, he says, "I'm glad you have friends that appreciate it and will go with you." Okay, I can take a non-subtle hint!

Percentage on MY Side

It's all just healthy competition. I love watching the Summer Olympics, i mean I love the Olympics in general but they're is just something amazing about summer. Swimming, Track & Field, Gymnastics, soccer etc., etc. I was particularly excited this year since I worked on a magazine feature story dedicated to the games (enter in my tom boy nature.) Well, several of my British friends and I began sparring back and forth on winners, what country was better, how had the better looking players and well, who just was more damn awesome. My friend KM and I had a lot of these back and forths... so much that I actually pulled out my journalistic nature and did some research. This is the email exchange outcome:

I was curious so I looked up stats from the last few years. Going off the last 3 Olympics, the U.S. wins far more medals per athletes sent than the UK. Who cares about population base to pull from, based on percentages below the delegates you send aren't so great! :) We'll wait until the end to see how you all do this year... I'll give you a 15%, home court advantage and all.

YEAR          CHINA                                   USA                                UK

2008         100 (639)   15.65%             110   (596) 18.46%          47 (547) 8.60%

2004           63 (384)   16.40%             102  (613)  16.64%          30 (264)  11.36%

2000           58 (271)    21.40%              94  (586)   16.04%         28 (310)   9.03%

medals won (delegates sent) percentage of medals

I can safely add the following:

2012        88 (380)     23.18%               104  (530)  19.62%           65 (542)  11.99%