Walk and/or Run

~ The Cherry Blossom 5K Walk/Run is this Sunday. While the prospect of running 10 miles terrified me, the idea of a fast-paced walk for 3 and a half miles (give or take a few decimal points) on a beautiful Spring morning is far less daunting. (Wish me luck!)

~ I think know that I'm getting crankier about tourists in DC with each passing year. I know they're good for the local economy, I know they're just trying to enjoy our Nation's Capitol during a beautiful time of year. But could they at least be polite? Don't they realize that people actually live and work in this city -- and need to ride the Metro system to do so -- all year round?  I overheard a man riding the Red Line complaining loudly to his friends/family/fellow touristas: "OhmyGAWD, the New YORK subway system is so much EASIER to navigate! What the hell is with this city?" I found it hard not to turn in my seat and respond "Well, then why don't you go back there?"

~ In general, though, I'm much less of a cranky/emo bitch. I had a feeling that things would get easier once the record-setting snow had melted, the sun started to shine more often and the flowers began to blossom. And .... well, it has. 

~ If you need motivation, moral support as you try to get into shape, find a workout routine that works for you, or just want to know that you're not alone in the struggle to fit into that adorable dress that you used to look really cute in two summers ago, I highly suggest reading In It To Gym It 

Quick Updates

~ My beloved iPhone is back to normal, which makes life in general much better.

~ In the past week, I've attended two of the Stanley Cup Semi?Quarter?I'm not sure? finals to watch the Washington Capitols get pounded; nonetheless, I'm excited to go to the game on Friday.

~ Spring has fully descended upon DC. I love it, even if my allergies have been terrible!

~ So have the tourists - which I do not love. I really wouldn't care -- or complain -- so much if they could just remember that there are quite a number of us who actually live and work in this city. It's not just picturesque monuments and impressive museums, people. And I need to get to work, so please don't try to hold the Metro doors open like they're elevator doors, okay?

~ I realized this morning that I have only dissed female footwear decisions, and not paid any attention to the fashion travesties committed by the men who walk amongst us in DC. That was quickly changed this morning when I heard a jangling sound in sync with the foot-falls of the gentleman who was walking next to me. It was like a chain was attached to his shoes, or, as I realized when I glanced down... Spurs. On business shoes. Oh, how I wish I'd had the chutzpah to take a photograph! I was intrigued and baffled and tried not to laugh. Then I thought: Perhaps this was not as much of a fashion disaster as a fashion statement that I simply did not understand. I just hope someone (else) got it.

Winter? Huh?

This week started with the first REAL snowfall in DC this winter. It was all iced over by the next day, and most of the roads and sidewalks remained slippery. And I noticed on my commute to and from work that a significant number of women, of varying ages were wearing rainboots or Uggs -- I counted 10 pairs of Uggs at my Metro station, and five pairs of of rainboots.

While not a fan of Uggs, I will admit that I'm rather jealous of what I imagine are the wearer's warm feet. I'm not sure how I feel about rainboots, style-wise, but I do know that they're not good on ice. I personally wore hiking boots to brave the DC sidewalks, and I'm sure I'm committing a worse style faux-pas than others.

But the most ridiculous thing I've seen this past week: Women wearing heels with no socks or stockings.

Maybe these women don't want to schlep an extra pair of shoes to the office. Maybe they don't have to be on the frozen tundra of our sidewalks very much. But shoes with no socks when it's below freezing? Maybe the answer here is that I'm more of a Jewish Mother than I've realized... but this seems absolutely, utterly and completely ridiculous.

Anyhow. After two days of the cold (and ridiculous footwear, natch) the Boy and I decided to stop talking about him teaching me to snowboard, and actually make a day trip this Saturday to a ski resort for my lesson. We started assembling gear of his that I'd borrow, talked about what I should wear (long underwear, absolutely; fleece would be better than wool; are cashmere socks a bad idea?), and looked up prices for board rentals.

But now, we have to postpone our plans: It's going to be almost 75 in DC tomorrow, and not much colder than that at the mountain. Trust me, I am the last person to complain about nice weather -- when it gets to be spring, I will spend hours rhapsodizing about the warm weather, sunshine and flowers -- but this is insane weather for March.

I suspect the tourists will descend upon us once again. Cherry Blossom season is approaching, and this weekend could be a sneak preview.

I bet they make ridiculous footwear choices, too.

OBAMA!!!!

The inauguration was amazing. I've never felt so exhilarated by the inauguration of a president! Granted, I did not watch the ceremony as one of the hundreds of thousands of people that gathered on the Mall -- an experience that I know was unlike any other -- but I still feel like I was a part of that incredible day.

My friends and I walked from Dupont Circle to my office on Pennsylvania Ave. At first, we were amazed at the quiet and empty streets:

Then, once we got into my office and joined my coworkers on the balcony, we had an incredible view of everyone on the street below:

I was amazed at how many people had poured into this city, impressed at how smoothly the Army and DC Police were managing the crowds... but ultimately, grateful that I wasn't stuck in those crowds. It was enough for me to watch the President and Vice President be sworn in on CNN, because we could then stand on the balcony to watch his motorcade make its progress from the Capitol to the White House:


We stayed for hours, watching as much of the parade as we could until our faces got too cold to stand outside. Just amazing.

Only in DC ...!

DC WILL BE OVERRUN BY TOURISTS!!

(...yeah, what else is new...)

I left last night's post hanging with that solo link, so I thought I would finish up this morning with a few more tidbits about the inauguration:

Officials Expect 10,000 Charter Buses

The 'People's Inaugural Project'
This is a great story about how a local businessman donated $1 million so that "underserved, marginalized and distressed individuals" can be a part of this awesome event.

Walk to the Inauguration if you can!

And finally, a few lawmakers aren't very happy with the idea of 24/7 bars...

And Now For Something Completely Different:

...it's time for a quick update.

~ DC in December never fails to surprise me. After spending the better part of 30 years here (wow... what a concept...) you would think I'd be used to the lack of consistent weather. But no, this is not the case. I was freezing cold this weekend, but pleasantly surprised by the light snowfall on Saturday night. Shivered at work today. But tomorrow, it will be in the upper 50's, and there's a chance of rain.

~ Ah, Facebook. Thank you for letting me know that the Nice Jewish Doctor is "now in a relationship". Because I think the boy deserves someone who doesn't feel obliged to go out with him, someone who really cares about him.

~ Why am I feeling so generous to this shmuck? Well, I have recently found myself "In a Relationship", as well. (No, my Facebook status will not change.) And yes, I was hinting at this in an earlier post, when things were starting to develop. Just in case you were wondering.

~ Work is very strange right now. Things are fine for me (i.e. my job is safe, my department is still intact) but there's just been too much change in a very short period of time.

~ This city is going to be un-fucking-BELIEVABLE during Obama's inaguration. (I can't wait!)I could devote several posts to the news stories we see every day about how many people will be here, how we should all walk into the city since the Metro will be a mess, et cetera.

For example, one of my favorites: D.C. Bars Open 24 Hours...

Those Smelly Tourists....

Reid: We won't smell the tourists anymore

By Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin

The Capitol Visitors Center, which opened this morning, may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found a silver lining for members of Congress: tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore.

"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

But it's no longer going to be true, noted Reid, thanks to the air conditioned, indoor space.

And that's not all. "We have many bathrooms here, as you can see," Reid continued. "Souvenirs are available."

$621 million well spent.

those stylin' DC women

A few weeks ago, it was still unseasonably warm enough for my hometown to be a tourist's delight. I was walking from the Metro to my office building and passed a mother, crouched down to her child's height, pointing into the commuting horde, saying: "... well honey, the ladies wear sneakers for walking and carry nice shoes in their purses to change into at work..."

Okay, I'm one of those sneaker-wearing-ladies. Granted, I wasn't until this past summer, when I finished the process of recovering from a broken foot, but I've joined the ranks for women who carry their nice shoes to change into at work.

But that's besides the point. Overhearing this snippet of conversation made me wonder: Why is this child so observant of the footwear habits of DC women? Is DC really so fashionably backwards that wearing sneakers for part of one's commute is that strange? Strange enough for this child to ask his mother why women aren't wearing their heels?

I'm glad the tourists won't be back until the holidays.