Sightseeing in Washington D.C.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a conference in Washington D.C. this week.  The conference itself was good.  It reminded me why I am in the field that I am in and hopefully I can find that passion about it again soon!  My favorite part of the trip though was getting to spend time sightseeing and exploring in D.C.  I stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Crystal City, VA so was close to the airport and a metro station which made it a perfect launching paid for my sightseeing (and they had the best fried chicken I have ever had).

First up was a trip to my alma mater The George Washington University to stock up on all the latest in Colonial wear and get my alumni card photo taken.  Of course, about 50 yards from the building the skies opened up and I was drenched for my photo taking opportunity.

Well, at least it expires in 10 years so I can get a new photo...

It has been years since I have played tourist in the metro area so next up I just did all the touristy things I could squeeze into the day after the conference, during lunch, and on the weekend I stayed over.  I went to the National Museum of American History to check out the First Ladies exhibit.  I also saw the Curtain Dress from The Carol Burnett Show, Archie and Edith Bunkers Chairs, Apollo Anton Ono's speed skates, and various other items from pop culture.  It was a fun exhibit.

In sticking with tradition, I also did the hop on/hop off bus tour so that I could sit in the open air, enjoy the sun, and see a little bit of everything.  This time around I chose the bus that went all the way out to the National Cathedral which really is quite the impressive building.  I hit all the monuments and memorials (or at least did a drive by of them), went to Georgetown, shopped at Pentagon City (a lot), walked the Mall, and paid my respects at Arlington Cemetery.  I also got to have lunch with my friend Andrea which was really an added bonus! 

I had intended to head to Philadelphia for the weekend but was having so much fun in D.C. that I just didn't do it so I still have that on my Someday list.

Dad's Retirement Party

In August the family gathered in Boise, Idaho to celebrate with my dad as he retired.  This was a big decision for dad and we all wanted to celebrate his career, his decision, and the beginning of the next journey with him.  Congratulations Dad!  I love you and am so very proud of you.

One Final Day in Maine

The 2 1/2 months that I spent in Maine flew by.  When I wasn't working, they were filled with family, sunshine, sand, beaches, ice cream, relaxation.  I so enjoyed the little town of York Beach, Maine.  I found the best chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in the world at Brown's. I became a regular at Whispering Sands and JoAnne's gift shops.  I bonded with Perkins Cove and Kennebunkport. I joined community activities and events.  I was blessed to spend time with my parents and with Mike and Laura and the kids.  It really couldn't have been a better experience. For my final day in Maine I spent time at both Long Sands and Short Sands Beaches just soaking in all I could before heading back to the desert that is Utah.

I am so grateful that my work allowed me to do this.  My time here has been priceless. 

Farewell, Maine.

Walk of Hope or It Could Only Happen to Me...

 

I was in York, Maine for so long that I really began to feel like part of the community so when the signs went up advertising the Walk of Hope sponsored by the local Beast Cancer Survivors group I decided that it was something I really wanted to do.  The day of the walk it rained all day and I began to have my doubts but about 15 minutes before the walk was to start the rain cleared up and the sun came out so I threw my walking shoes and headed over to the park.  First up was the registration.  I filled out my form and when the little elderly lady asked me who I was "walking for or in remembrance of",  "for Jeni's mom" just popped out.  She then pointed me to the table next to hers to pick up my shirt which I did and put it on just in time for the opening ceremonies.

This is where the story becomes an "only me" story.  First up they had all the survivors come together and form a circle so they could lead us in the song "You'll Never Walk Alone".  A woman turned to me, grabbed my hand, told me not to be shy and tugged me along.  This would be the moment that I noticed the t-shirt the nice elderly lady handed over to me was the color ALL OF THE SURVIVORS were wearing.  Holy crap.  There was no way I was putting this karma out into the world! But no there was no shrinking out of sight without making a scene...which is how I found myself holding hands with these amazing, brave, strong survivors singing the words you'll never walk alone.  It might have been one of the most beautiful and moving moments of my life if my brain hadn't been hysterically shrieking "this could only happen to you" every 30 seconds.  At one point I looked up and right into the lens of the local news camera.  Great, now it's out there on film somewhere.

When the song ended I turned to the women next to me and said "there's been a mistake" and explained what had happened.  They thought it was hysterical and no big deal at the same time.  I was not that blase about it. Finally I was able to move away enough to whip that shirt over my head and then the walk began.  There were a lot of people, individuals and teams of people walking for people battling breast cancer now and in the memory of loved ones lost. Some of the teams had been making this walk together for years.  It was really a moving tribute.

This walk was one of my favorites of the summer all along Long Sands beach and back so I just shook off the trauma and relaxed into the walk...until I realized that people were cheering as I walked by because I was CARRYING the SHIRT and they were lined up to cheer for the Survivors all along the route. Would this insanity never end????  10 weeks of doing this walk almost daily and I think the night of the Walk of Hope I set my own personal speed record.

Anyway, all mistaken identity aside, it was great to participate in something so real, so raw, and so filled with hope.  So as I dedicated my walk to her, I also dedicate this blog posting to the memory of Peggy Critchlow aka Jeni's mom.

York's Wild Kingdom

It's my last week in Maine, the day is kind of dreary, what to do, what to do??? I know, I'll go to York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park. I headed for the zoo, walked through the butterfly habitat, saw a few animals and was exiting when I thought "that really can't be it". I went back in and realized I had missed about 3/4 of the zoo. I'd just started off to explore when the skies opened up and the torrential down pour began. I speed walked through, snapped a few photos, picked up my rain check, then settled down with a ginormous funnel cake under a tent to wait for the rain to let up enough to walk home.  It wasn't my favorite experience in Maine but it was an adventure...and the funnel cake was delicious.

Christmas In July

During the York Days celebrations one night is dedicated to "Christmas in July" in which the Nubble Lighthouse is all lit up so we summer folks could see what it might look like in December while having the advantage of listening to Christmas music while being warm and eating ice cream from Brown's (best Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream I have ever had).  It was really fun and there were a ton of people making me grateful that the beach house was within walking distance because it reduced the stress of the evening.  I shared a rock with two other women - one from Florida and one from Maine - and we compared notes on what to do in the area which was just an added bonus to the evening.  We were just chatting away and suddenly the lights came on.  No fanfare, no forewarning, just one moment it was all dark and then the next there were lights. Just a tad anticlimactic and it wasn't until we were leaving that we noticed that Santa had arrived.  I usually only see him once a year so it was nice to run into him, catch him up on what I am thinking about Christmas this year, see how the elves and the Mrs. are doing (they were fine), gossip a little on who is being naughty and who is being nice.  Good times. 

Last, I should probably mention that this happened the first Sunday in August but as far as I could tell from the number of people commenting on how fast July was flying by, I was the only person who noticed this.