Missing someone...

True story. 

With the addition of Shake Shack, apparently DC is now on the "food map"

I completely forgot I had these pictures on my camera until today, so this post is tardy but still timely.

Two weeks ago, a Shake Shack opened near Dupont. A self proclaimed "modern day roadside burger joint," Shake Shack has taken many parts of the east coast by storm, and now DC is along for the ride. 

When they opened, there was a bunch on nonsense floating around the internet about DC now being a reputable "food destination" in the likes of New York and Miami. All because we got another burger joint in town? I, along with many others I'm sure, resent the fact that DC was formerly known by those people as a lack luster destination for culinary adventures. My time here has taught me nothing but the opposite. I won't go into the specifics, but if you're a regular reader, I'm sure you've seen some of the tasty photos I post. I assure you, I don't eat like this everyday. It would be hazardous to the waistline and the wallet; but for blogging purposes it's ok to venture out once in a while. So take it from me, DC has a lot to offer, Shake Shack or not.

So last Sunday, my friend G and I thought we'd check it out to see what all the hoopla was about. Regardless of the drama and pride at stake here, Shake Shack was pretty damn good. 

 I got a "shack burger" and a root beer float. The photo below may look partially distorted, making the root beer float look really tall. But there were no optical illusions in play here my friends, it was one tall float.

Overall, very tasty meal. Maybe not worth the line out the door, but definitely worth a trip to Dupont if you're in the mood.

National Memorial Day Parade

Happy Memorial Day everyone. I'm happy to be here in America's capital city celebrating. Summer holidays are my favorite; parades, food on the grill, patriotism, general merriment...it just can't be beat.

Headed into town to watch the National Memorial Day Parade, and despite the intense heat I had a great time. I was well equipped with sunscreen, a large bottle of water, and good walking shoes. Not the same could be said for many other people out on the Mall today. Not knowing what the parking/commuting situation would be, I took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery and walked to the parade route (a little under 2 miles). Found a nice bench under a shady tree around 14th and Constitution.

main goal of the parade - to obtain a little American flag.

flag - check!

Only to be outdone by the large flag at the start of the parade (above). All branches of the military were represented in the parade, marching in unison, and dressed to the nines despite the temperature climbing into the mid 90s (below, Arlington Virginia police and sheriff's department).

 And, oh look, it's Pat Sajak, this year's parade marshall (below).

A large portion of the parade was dedicated to the many victims and heros of 9/11. With 2011 being the 10-year anniversary of the attacks, I expect lots of tributes in DC. All very humbling.

It was a beautiful day in the district. Made me really excited for the 4th of July (my favorite holiday, btw). I'm already planing my outfit. Watch out DC.

Happy Memorial Day, and thank you all members of the military, home and abroad.

Things I love today

1. The fact that after six (plus) years of friendship, I know Maggie's fashion sense to a t. (I knew she'd love this, and she did!) It makes shopping so much more fun when, instead of just shopping for yourself, you're shopping for your three best friends (even if they're not there). Best for the wallet that the BYM doesn't get to shop much anymore, but bad for the soul.

2. In exactly one week I will be on a plane to Milwaukee for my Dad's wedding and various festivities.

3. In exactly two weeks I will be on a plane to Milwaukee for my brother's graduation and various festivities.

4. 2+3= Lots of friends and family time coming up. love.love.love.

5. Today is Hannah's birthday! She's so fantastic I can't even put it into words.

We're all happy pandas when she's around. 

 Happy Birthday Hannah! Can't wait to see you a few weeks.

Photo 1&3 are courtesy of Hannah's facebook. Photo 2 is courtesy of Maggie's facebook.

Three Things Thursday: B's of my week

The Three B's Of My Week

Buster Posey
My 2nd favorite Giants player broke his leg in the 12th inning of last night's game against the Marlins. See the clip here. The most heartbreaking thing about extra inning injuries, is the game could have ended hours ago; you look back at those early game errors and wonder how they would have altered the outcome. Hope he's back later this season.

via

Books
I plan on spending an entire day doing homework this weekend. Glamourous right? I know, I lead a thrilling life. We've got a huge marketing project due in  a few weeks, and I'm out of town the next two weekends so I've got to get it done now. I'm tired just thinking about it.

via

Broke
After $1,000 dollars in car repairs, registration, etc., my cash flow is a bit low. But good news is I can now legally drive my car in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yay.

via

"Happy" Thursday.

What I'm Reading: Runner's World's Advice for Women

I got this book on a whim, at a "going out of business" sale at a bookstore down the street from my office. It, honestly, wouldn't have been my first choice, but the store was pretty picked over; with the discount I couldn't pass it up, I figured it could help my motivation to get back into running. (I took a two and half week break after the Cherry Blossom 10 mile run and getting back to running was quite painful.) Maggie read this book a few years ago, and didn't give it the highest recommendation, so I didn't have high hopes for it from the beginning. But alas, I dug into it (and about two months later)...here are my thoughts...

It's got a great chapter break down, covers everything a running book should. But within the chapters, it jumps from being very basic, to being far to complicated, without much in between. It gives basic one foot infront of the other type instructions (not literally, but you get the idea) in one chapter, to a molecular level breakdown of Powerbars in another (literally, this time). Neither is information I necessarily need, but I'm sure they were just trying to appeal to a wider audience by including information like those examples in the book.

I particularly enjoyed the "Caring for your body" chapter; which provided descriptions, causes, and treatments for a vast array of running related ailments - everything from chafing, to stress fractures, to plantar fasciitis. And, being a women's running book, it featured a lot of entries about lady problems resulting from running. Felt a bit like over-sharing, but I'm sure some people appreciated the info.

Something about the author's voice did not sit well with me. It didn't have the comforting sarcasm of Dawn Dais, but not the usual authoritative command that Runner's World carries. She's trying to be your supportive friend, except it's like you're not actually that good of friends so it comes off as being very phony.

There are a lot of interjections within the chapters. For example, in the chapter about diet and nutrition; the chapter is 16 pages long, and I would say a solid 7 of those pages are separate sections, not a part of the normal chapter's text. While I enjoy the extra information, it's really distracting. All of that information should just be worked into the chapter's text. While I was reading, I didn't know if I should stop, mid paragraph and start reading the separate box, or read through and then come back to it. It was all good information, but it was very distracting. All I could think was, "she needed a better editor."

Something bothered me about the "Training Logs" interjections; it was first person narration from someone clearly very serious about running. The mere mention of a "coach" made the author inaccessible. Not a runner I could relate to.

That seems like a lot of complaining about a book that i'm willing reading, but there were some redeeming qualities. At the end of the book there are about 25 pages of stretches, each targeted at a different body part meant to either strengthen or relax a muscle group. And the best part of the book, for me, was the detailed training plans. There were three: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I took the intermediate one, and adapted it to my needs to make my newest training plan.

Overall, I can't say I'd recommend this book. It's definitely a "borrow from a friend" type of a book, not a "rush out the door right now to get it" type of book.

Either way though, it got me back into running, which was it's purpose all along.

I miss my dogs

These are my dogs - Cooper, Diesel, and Buddy. And I miss them. A lot.

Whenever I'm out running, I always see dozens of people out with their dogs and I think, oh my dogs would just love to run around the park with me. But they're a bunch of happy Labradors back in Milwaukee at my parents house. I'm moderately homesick today, but just for the dogs, so here's a bit about them.

Sometimes they were hats. Not willingly, of course, as they don't have thumbs to put them on. To get this picture, the story goes, my sister spent 20 minutes in the backyard, in December, in Wisconsin, to get the shot. It's like wrangling toddlers, I tell you.

But Buddy is generally the only one who puts up with it. Here, he's wearing a beret and pretending to be French by using his bone as a cigarette. Dogs can day dream too, right? 

We got Buddy in spring 2006. He was just a little peanut butter color puppy at the time. My mom and step dad (Brad) brought him home three weeks before I was home from college for the summer; the night I got home I played with him for more than an hour, and then the little pup was so tuckerd out he took a nap in my lap as I sat on the kitchen floor. I couldn't bare to move because he was so cute. 

But now Buddy's all grown up now. He's the most well behaved out of the three, which made him the perfect candidate for a running partner last summer. He's very loyal, and always listens to Brad. And when he looks up at you with those sad peanut butter eyes, there isn't much I couldn't be convinced to do.

Then there's Diesel, who joined the family in December 2008. I was up north at my then-boyfriend's parents' house when I got a text message from my sister; "Mom bought a dog off of Craig's List named Diesel." That was it. No back story. I came to find out that Diesel's previous owner got a new job that required a lot of traveling  and he wanted Diesel to have a good home. He sure found one. 

Diesel is part-Black Lab-part-German Shepard; he's got the Shepard tail, nose, and legs. But we're all convinced he's part panther too, he's more graceful than some of the house cats I've known. He's very loving, and all he wants in life is to chase a tennis ball. Throw one for him and you've just found yourself a new best friend; but be prepared to throw that ball for hours because he'll relentlessly bring it back to you, and whimper pathetically if you don't throw it. Dogs sure have a way of making you feel like a terrible human being, don't they.

And then there's Cooper. He was a little blonde fuzzball when we first got him in March 2010. That's my brother, Ryan, holding Cooper in the backyard the afternoon we brought him home (the dog, not the brother). Note: Both are significantly taller now. 

Look how tiny he was compared to the other dogs! He had no idea what to do with a tennis ball at first, but then he saw Diesel carrying one around so he figured it out.

He is definitely a goofball; we always call him the "teenage dog" because he growing so quickly he doesn't know what to do with his arms and legs. Nor does he know how to lay down properly; he kind of just lets his entire body flop to the ground. But he sure was cute, wasn't he. He still thinks he's a lap dog, but he is mistaken. He's really playful, likes to jump on people (but we're working on that) and can never stay clean. Last summer he got into my brother's construction project and ended up with wood stain all along his side; getting a blonde puppy is like dressing a two year old in white - you know it's not going to end well.

So there they are, our pack of Labradors. They can be a bit much at times, but I love them. And despite the fact that we can't keep any picture frames or trinkets at tail wagging level, I love having them around. I love coming home and having three dogs attempt to tackle me before I make it in the door.

I couldn't leave out our first dog, Rocky; our sandy brown Husky who passed away a few years ago. We  got him as a stray when I was about 9 or 10, and he lived a long life. I still miss seeing his fluffy white face when I would pull up to the house. He'd howl the whole time I was unloading my luggage/laundry, until I went over to scratch his head. 

This was the only electronic picture I could conjure up, although I'm sure there's boxes of photos back in Milwaukee. So, sorry for publicizing this one of you and your head gear, Carly. 

I hope you've got some animals in your life that you love or have loved. 

Happy homesick Monday.

I wish every Saturday could be like this one

Brunch at Matchbox Capital Hill with KU. 

They called it banana bread french toast; I 'd call it cake for breakfast. 

 I'd like the whole pile, please. They were delicious, thank you.

Not too shabby of a day to be walking around Eastern Market.

It was far too nice to just get on the Metro and head back home, so I took the really long way back.

Came across a street festival right on Pennsylvania. Rapture festival? Not quite, it was some sort of Asian festival.  So, no rapture t-shirt for me? I'll take a lychee bubble tea instead.

And then, somehow, I ended up in the used book store on King Street. I don't know how I got in there. I swear. Me, a bookstore? Either way, found this adorable copy of "When We Were Very Young," a series of stories before A.A. Milne wrote Winne the Pooh. Pooh Bear makes it into the book, but he's called Mr. Edward Bear. Beautiful cloth cover, and for only $3, couldn't hurt to add to the collection.

Hydrating and relaxing now. Run around Haines Point later. And then an evening phone date with one of the fabulous married ladies I know.

Happy Saturday.

Three Things Thursday - Outfits I wish I had in my closet

via

Everything about this one is perfect. I'm in love with lime and navy right now. Long sleeve cardigan. Dark denim. Scarf. Flats. Cuff. Love it all. I want it. This would be my brunch and shopping on Saturday outfit.

via

Ummmm, hello boots! I want to put this outfit on and go curl up at a Starbucks on a rainy day with a good piece of nonfiction. Easy enough to put together, it's just those elusive boots. I think Maggie would agree, they're a hard thing to find.

via

Oh my gawd. This outfit should come with an iced tea and boardwalk. It's a damn shame I'm such a hot mess otherwise I'd run out a buy white shorts immediately. Knowing me I'd spill something on them before they got home to my closet.

Happy Thursday night.

PS - I'm not quite sure if posts like this are helping me avoid shopping or if it's fueling my urge to run to the mall immediately. I'll report back soon.

score of the day - chia at whole foods

This was posted last week, but Blogger deleted it and it just reappeared today.

via

Walked to Whole Foods on my lunch today to get a loaf of bread, and of course I wandered around a little bit. I happened to be down the bulk food aisle, and what do I find...organic chia seeds! My favorite new ingredient to use in oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, and tons of other stuff. Problem is, most of the time, chia is really hard to find and when you do find it, it's super expensive. Maggie and I split a package when we found them at Whole Foods in April, but at $16.99 for a 1-lb package, I didn't think I'd be making a regular habit out of it. I had heard some people ordered it online, but for some reason that made me a little nervous. So, you'll understand how excited I was to see it in the bulk foods bin.

This is what chia looks like, very tiny little seeds...

via

...and no, those are not my man hands. I googled a picture so you could see how tiny they are.

Up close they look like little, crackled, jelly beans.

via

If you hear "chia" and all you can think of is this...

via

...let me adjust your frame of mind, because, yes, there is a difference.

Here's some of the benefits of chia seeds:

helps weight loss because it helps you feel fuller faster - chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water

reduces your blood pressure

contains more omega-3 than salmon

can help control your blood sugar - great for diabetics, and helps food cravings

easier to digest than their cousin the flax seed because they don't need to be ground up

info via

So, for any foodies out there hunting for cheaper chia seeds, I found mine at the Old Town Whole Foods in the bulk bins for $6.99/lb. Happy hunting.

The Greatest List I've Ever Seen

And my commentary about it.

1. More like text messages after a night out drinking.

4. Hell yes there is.

5. You don't. Just throw it in the back of the linen closet.

6. No.

9. It was at least 7 years ago.

11. Yep, every day.

13. I hate Word. Those tricky Microsoft bastards make formatting a nightmare.

14. True.

16.I feel like that happens at least once a week.

19. Those Kay Jewelers commercials annoy me to no end.

20. This would have been a nice feature on that trip to Philly.

21. Dances With Wolves.

22. I'm glad I'm not the only person who does this.

24. It's called college.

25. Two.

29. Almost did that at work yesterday, in a wheely desk chair, wearing a dress.

31. Not watch, but cell phone.

32. My alarm clock and I have an understanding now.I just glare at it, and it turns off rather than be savagely beaten.