5K for AIDS

I didn't hike this weekend because Amanda and I had registered for the Aids 5K on Saturday morning.  That's ok, it still counts.

Boy, was it miserable.  Saturday morning was freezing and rainy.  Amanda and I both contemplated skipping it, but because we had our "Oh Sh*t" moments at separate times of the morning, we were able to motivate each other to show up.  I woke up and saw that it was a light drizzle and very cold.  I texted her to say I would still show up, but was in no way running if it was pouring rain.  She said she would still go too, so even though I desperately wanted to climb back into bed (I'm rarely awake when it's still dark outside), I layered up and headed to Freedom Plaza.  Around 7:15, I was on my way and getting a coffee at Starbucks when I got a text from Amanda saying "Have you left yet?  It is REALLY gross outside."  I called her and said, yes I'd left but if she wanted to cancel, that was fine with me.  I stressed that the rain was just a drizzle so running wouldn't be so bad, and she agreed to go.  

True Story: A guy at Starbucks asked me if I was running in the race and said he was going to cheer on friends.  He said he felt really bad for us runners because of the terrible weather.  He was running the Marine Corps Marathon the next day and the forecast was perfect.  I laughed and told him not to feel too bad, I felt bad for him that he had to run 26.2 miles in any weather.  Ba dum chhhhh.

Anywho, The race was a flat 5K starting at 12th and Penn, running up Penn towards the Capitol, and looping back to the starting line. I haven't gotten the official results yet, but I finished in about 31:00.

I prepped for the race by not working out at all the week before.  It sounds silly, but my calfs and shins have been killing me, so I wanted my legs to be really rested for maximum performance.  I have calf cramping issues, so I ate tons of Spinach for potassium the week before.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the race I also forced myself to eat bananas.  I hate bananas, I always have. (I love banana chips and banana bread though - don't ask me why.)  I hate the texture, the smell and the flavor, I hate everything about them.  But I know from past race prep, that banana potassium is my instant preemptive remedy for cramping - potassium supplements just aren't the same.  That was my prep and it worked!  I ran the whole thing without stopping, not even run/walking!  So proud!

Yum. No. Yuck!

Amanda and I - Ready to Run.  Love her parka, BTW.

Amanda also had an AWESOME tip for sneaker care after running or hiking in the rain:

Put newspaper in your kicks to soak up the water!  Less than 24 hours later, my sneaks were dry and they weren't stinky with mildew.  For those of us who can't stick our sneaks in the dryer because it'll cost $1.50, this is a free and awesome solution.  

Smarty pants.

Overall, I am so glad my lazy butt didn't climb right back into bed at 6:30 AM because the rain really held off and the race was so fun.  Amanda is much faster than me so she finished first, but right when I finished, a little after 9:00, the rain really started pouring.  I told her that if this was what the weather had been 2 hours earlier, there was no way I would have run.  So I guess in a way, my Motivation Cookie was right: It can't rain all the time.  Or maybe it should have said: You can't blame the rain all the time.  Close enough.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Well now, has everyone seen this article about "Party Politics" - the new reality series they're casting for young, hot, politicos who like their party and to party?

I know what you're thinking: Kat, this is your big chance to have reality show cameras follow you around!  Think again.  This show sounds utterly un-interesting to the 99% of the population living outside the beltway.  And should it turn into some type of Political Jersey Shore, I think it will only leave people more distrusting of politics than they already are.  You and I are, after all, the leaders of tomorrow and if anyone has ever seen what goes on on Pennsylvania Ave when the sun goes down - I think they'd definitely fear the future.

And then selfishly I think - yikes, who would ever hire you again after a show like this?  I have my future to worry about people, so I'll stay behind the camera, where I make magic happen.

I'll totally be watching though if this baby ever goes to air, and I'll most likely be jealous of their JShore success.  Oh well, we can't all be reality show stars like Matt...  But if you feel so inclined to audition, you can do so here.

You're on your own for the paper app.  But if you need a producer/editor for your video tape, I'm available for a nominal fee.

Hiking in Heels

Continuing in the Halloweenie spirit - I went with friends last night to the High Heel Drag Queen Race here in DC.  It's an annual DC event, always the Tuesday before Halloween.  It's pretty much the closest DC gets to Mardi Gras - and I'd never been!

It was a ball.  They start with kind of a parade down 17th street.  The drag queens show off their costumes, interact with the viewers, pose for pictures, etc.  They're all so funny, and honestly some of them looked pretty damn good!  My favorite quote of the night was one queen commenting to the other, "Where the hell are all the eligible bachelors?  All I see are girls, girls, girls."  Le sigh, I have that thought every day, Priscilla, every.single.day.

Anywho, the race started at 9 on the dot and really only lasted about 3 minutes, but it was the best 3 minutes EVER.  Some of the queens were actually sprinting, but mostly, they sauntered down 17th.  I'll be going to this event again next year for sure!  What a blast!!

The Pan Am Stewardesses!

Black Swan was definitely the prominent theme of the evening.

Sprinting from the starting line!

The White Swan fell - I think the Black Swan pushed her.

Then they sauntered.

I have a lot of respect for these ladies running in heels.  Lord knows, most of the time I can barely walk in them.  I'm making them all honorary hikers.

This is the closest I've ever come to hiking in heels:

Alaska

As a closing thought, I was actually surprised I didn't see any Snookie costumes or other JShore themed queens.  But I guess the point is to dress up and look like women, and femininity seems to be lacking in my beloved Jersey characters.  Oh well, Snookie Waaaaaah!

Halloween Fright Hike!

I had been planning a trip to Six Flags Fright Night with Amy, John and Jenni for quite some time.  I would have blogged about how awesome it was anyway - but much to my blogging enjoyment (and yours, of course) - Fright Night includes a Halloween Hike!!

The Roller Coaster Jedi Strike Back

The day was a total blast - a crisp, blue-skyed, Fall day filled with roller coasters and excitement!  Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, MD is a relatively small park but the ride lines were short and all of the roller coasters were awesome!  Quality over quantity.  I like it.

The Superman is the most exciting roller coaster I've ever been on.  Great thrills, but an easy ride.

At 6 PM, on weekends in October, the crazies come out to play at the park.  They fill the park with smoke - spooky - and actors dressed like deranged clowns, zombies, and jesters wielding chainsaws chase you around.  At one point a jester started chasing me, I freaked, and I could hear Jenni yelling, "They can't touch you!  They can't touch you!"  It's actually a good tip y'all - the actors aren't allowed to touch you, so if you just act like you're not bothered by them, they don't mess with you.  But isn't getting scared half the fun?  You decide.

John and I were the only ones who wanted to go through the Backwoods Bloodshed aka the Halloween Hike.  We entered through one of the amphitheaters (that usually has a Batman show), so I assumed that it was a haunted house within the stage area.  Not so.  The line was through the theater, but the haunted forest was actually a 1/3 to 1/2 mile hike through the woods behind Six Flags!  John was a total gentleman and let me cling to his arm, yelp, bury my head in his shoulder, etc.  On one particular chainsaw incident at which I tried to bolt through the remainder of the trail, begging the people in front of me to, "Please move faster, Please!" John grabbed my arm and reminded me "No running in the park."  It was great - the last thing I wanted to blog about was getting kicked out of the park for running like a bat-out-of-hell through my haunted hike.  Thanks John.

I was scared guys - and as a Halloweenie activity, Fright Fest comes highly recommended by me.  

Waiting in line for the forest, Six Flags tries to set the mood.

The jester who chased me until I realized she'd be nicer if I wasn't screaming bloody murder.

Fright Fest was a really great activity to get me in the Halloween spirit, as Halloween is one of my favorite holidays all year!!  

John also told me that the reason Rock Creek Park is so gross this year is because of all the rain we've had the past few months.  So maybe I will take a second look sometime.

This Monday brought to you by the letter "M"

Just when you think your neighborhood chinese restaurant doesn't give a spring roll about how you're feeling...

You crack open the cookie that cares:

Is this really a fortune?  It's more of the cookie equivalent of "Don't Jump."  Or Little Orphan Annie popping out of a cookie to sing, "The sun'll come out...tomorrow."  Mei Wah has me on suicide watch.

"It can't rain all the time" was also the Prozac marketing campaign circa 1999.

(I know this because in the 8th grade I cut out that sun and used it in an art collage.)

As far as hiking goes - this little fortune means keep hiking, hikers!  If it rains, if people cancel on you, if you had one too many at happy hour last night and can't bear the thought of the sun - just reschedule, let the rain pass, and keep hiking!!  

Friday is only 4 days away.  Don't jump.

Happy Monday!  

  

Things I Shouldn't Have to Tell You.

This is an installment that will hopefully only have to happen once.  But, should it become necessary, I will grace peeps with my knowledge, let's say, as an annual Friday post.  Open your notebooks please.

Things I shouldn't have to tell you, Vol. 1:

1.  Please don't wear just a sports bra at the gym.  Refer to locker room etiquette - this is a public place.  If you have a great body, I'm distracted.  If you have a gross body, I'm still distracted, but more so in a car-crash kind of way.  *The only exception to this rule is if you're a "Real Housewife" - if I paid that much for my body, I'd probably want to show it off too.  Plus, they're usually not in a public gym - it's just them, their trainer and a national viewing audience.

2.  Conversely, please don't work out with just a tee shirt and no sports bra.  No matter what your cup size, it's gross.

3.  Wear deodorant.  That's mostly to you men.  Enough said.

As far as I'm concerned the gym should be like a restaurant at the beach:

No shirt. No shoes. No service.

Don't make me tell you again.

An Ode to Guinea Pigs and Rowers

As a former rower and lover of all things tiny, this is my absolute favorite commercial on le boob toob right now.  It cracks me up every time.

Took me 6 months to train each one.  

8 months to get the little chubby one to yell, "Row."

Reminds me a bit of this video I found from my Marist days.

Freshman Year Spring Training, Clemson U, 2004

Aren't we all just little guinea pigs trying to save a few bucks?  Thanks Geico.

Oh, I'm the one in Red.

Are We THERE YET?

Brace yourself for the worst hike ever - the hike that made me regret this stupid 60 hikes thing for the very first time.  From 60 Hikes, it's Hike 10: Rock Creek Park, Rocky Central Section (There are three sections of Rock Creek Park).

I have to explain before we get started that I joined a hiking group online so that I would have hikes to do more frequently and with other people.  I don't think Chandra Levy jokes are appropriate - but I think we all know it's not safe to be alone in a park (especially in Rock Creek Park) if you're a woman in DC.  That being said, the group I joined is the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group and they were actually just featured in the Washington Post.  The group is kind of a pain-in-the-you-know-where because it has so many members that the hikes are often booked and you are put on a waiting list.  But there are an abundance of hikes offered - so I can't complain.

Anyway, the Rock Creek Park hike was my first with the group.  I met some very nice people, which was a plus, but the hike in general was really not fun and for the first time since I started these hikes I found myself thinking like a 6 year old on a road trip - Are we THERE yet?  The hike was apparently only 4.5 miles, but it felt like 40.5.  We started around 11:15am and after a series of wrong turns finished around 1:30.  Over 2 hours for only 4.5 miles.  Absurd.

There are a few other reasons the hike was not fun.

1.  Apparently to lead one of these hikes you do not have to be a certified hiker, guide or anything.  It was like hiking with Helen Keller and letting Helen be your guide, even though you have five functioning senses and she does not.  We kept taking wrong turns and having to backtrack over and over again.  I did this hike Sunday and I mentioned that after Saturday's hike in Great Falls I am somewhat of an expert map reader.  Helen, on the other hand, had an iphone GPS system for the trail and still couldn't get us from A to B.  Let's say she's not on my level of map reading - anyone can follow a blinking dot on an iphone.  Duh.

2.  Rock Creek is not a pretty park.  The title of this hike online was "Leaf Peep" and was described as experiencing the Fall colors of DC.  I was mislead into thinking that our guide would be pointing out different types of leaves and trees and that the hike would be somewhat educational.  Well, Helen obviously had no such intention or the capability to do so.  On top of that - there are no Fall colors in Rock Creek - it was just a bunch of dead trees and dead leaves.  The colors of Fall in DC are withered and brown.  Take that info and do with it what you will.  No wonder we're famous for our Cherry Blossoms as opposed to Fall foliage.

3.  For a National Park, Rock Creek is poorly maintained - if it's maintained at all.  It's embarrassing.  I can't blame Helen completely for getting us lost because most of the trails are so covered in dead leaves that it's hard to tell they are trails at all.  They are also covered in horse manure.  There are also rocks jutting up on whatever trails there are - making me realize I need to take this hiking relationship to the next level and get some hiking boots (Mom and Dad: Donations welcome).  There is also no paint on the trees as trailmarkers - which is a standard, pro-environment way of blazing trails.  I know this from my expert level blazing through Great Falls.

Real Hikers Wear Fanny Packs

I'm going to post some pictures that make the park seem pretty, but don't be fooled - whatever wasn't green was brown, and I decided to spare you from the death and destruction that is Rock Creek Park.

Don't be fooled.

This was the only tree with any semblance of Fall foliage.  Don't be fooled.

The light was pretty in this one.  Don't be fooled.

I'm going to give the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group another chance - but I will not be going on the third installment of the Rock Creek Park series next weekend.  1. Helen will be leading (Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  I'm onto you Helen).  2. Rock Creek Park is disgusting and doesn't meet my standards of park beauty.  I'm not willing to wait and find out if Rock Creek has a good personality - I'm judging this book by it's cover and there will not be a second date.

I wasn't the only hiker to have these feelings either - many were exasperated by the end of this trek.  But I promised the good, the bad, and the ugly in this blog and well, this hike fulfilled 2 of those 3.  I'll let you figure out which 2 those are.  It shouldn't be hard.  Unless you're Helen Keller.

Great Falls in the Fall

As promised, I returned to Great Falls Park over the weekend to spend some more time there.  This time, with guest hiker Hawi, I completed almost all of Hike 32: Riverbend Park and Great Falls Park from 60 Hikes.  The book says this hike is 9.8 miles - but I think we accidentally got onto one of the 'shorter option' trails and also, we didn't do the shorter section down by the Falls.  However - with the powers of my hike with Matt, combined with Saturday's hike with Hawi, I can say I have completed the whole thing - From Riverbend to Great Falls.

The Map from 60 Hikes

I remember being confused by the above map when Matt and I did this hike earlier in the year because we had walked around the Falls and other than a 1.5 or 2 mile hike at the Southern end of the Falls - there didn't seem to be much else.  Well - look West little hikers.  Or North.  Whatever - I don't do directions.  Essentially though, while Matt and I had stood at the Falls and turned right, Hawi and I took a left.  And that has made all the difference. (Ha - a little Frost trail humor, if you will).

Hawi and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to hike.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky, it was a crisp 70 degrees and the Fall leaves were all shades of orange and yellow.  We walked up the river and I was like - phew - this is hiking.  If you look at the map - We started around 9:55 AM at the 3rd "P" from the bottom and walked up and around back down to the Mather Gorge and then back to the car.  We were done around 1:15.  Including our brief picnic for lunch.  60 Hikes says we reached an elevation of 2200 feet!  Most of the hike was leisurely up the river, through the woods, and back to the park parking lot.  But - Hawi and I were sweating by the end and we had our out of breath moments from heading uphill.

There are 2 significant stories that came from Saturday's adventure.  1 - I learned how to read a map.  Seriously, they paint on the trees and sometimes you feel totally lost.  I'm pretty sure that when we were supposed to be on the red trail, we were accidentally on the orange trail (cutting our hike a tad shorter) but like a Last of the Mohican I was all over those tree markers leading the way.  2 - We had some snake run-ins and I still hate nature.

Where we started.

Good thing I made my horse wait back at the car.

Hawi and Me at Riverbend Park Nature Center

I'm not sure we ever made it to the Bootlegger Trail - we diverted to the Highlands Trail

Sweet...Nature

Fall Leaves!

Follow the Orange Tree Road

And we made it back to the Falls!!!

Those people are standing on the Maryland side of the park....I was standing in VA looking at MD!

The Snake Story:

We saw TWO of these Black Rat Snakes while trekking the trail.  This guy was the first one we saw.  And we aren't even the ones who saw it - we were walking with a park volunteer briefly while he helped us find the trail from the Riverbend Nature Center and he alerted us to this guy.  I would have just kept walking on...oblivious...until I stepped on it.  Yuck.  Well Hawi and I freaked out and I'm pretty sure that said-volunteer was beyond annoyed that neither of us would cross the path with this snake on it.  In our defense - it didn't help that the guy told us the snake might be poisonous.  I kept picturing the snake striking faster than my human legs could get away, like they show on the Discovery Channel.  In the end - the volunteer stood in front of the snake and we crossed behind him.  

We had a chance to redeem ourselves later in the day when we saw the second of this harmless snake in the parking lot on the way back to the car.  I don't know what this snake was doing, but he was right in the middle of the parking lot entrance.  2 cars saw mine and Hawi's reactions and figured out that they shouldn't drive over the snake.  The third car threw caution to the wind and ran right over it.  Rude - we are in his house.  We decided that our good nature deed of the day would be to go find a park ranger.  I explained that the snake seemed to still be alive but it's tail was all crinkled and it wasn't moving.  The park ranger radio'd (or fake-radio'd - who knows) her boss.  We'll never know if that little guy made it - but I can sleep at night knowing I'm not a killer of God's creatures.

That guy that ran over it certainly can't say the same.

iHike.iPhone.

Today, we upgraded to the new iPhone4S.  

My hipster, humanitarian, healthy, happy, hiking persona is now complete.

Pay no attention to the Republican behind the curtain.

*Evil Laugh.

Foodie Post

On Sunday I went with a few friends to the Taste of DC Festival.  It was the most beautiful day for early/mid October: 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

The restaurant representation was quite complete and my mouth was watering as I walked to the food ticket booth.  The layout of the Festival was the only issue - It was set up on Pennsylvania between 9th and 14th with all of the booths facing out so that crowds and worker golf carts were stuck between the street and the sidewalk.  Talk about a traffic jam.  There were also portions blocked off for VIP concerts, alcohol tents, smaller food sections - it was like a maze.  I really don't know why they don't just set it up on the mall where the National Book Fest is but unfortunately, it's not up to me.  I'd like to live in a world where everything is actually up to me...but I digress.

My boss mentioned that the Festival can be a huge waste of money - and I agree that it has the potential to be. Admission is free but every little thing is sold with tickets.  You have to have separate tickets for food and alcohol (10 for $15 and 20 for $25), a bracelet for day concerts (increased price) and an even more expensive ticket for the night time concerts.  The food tickets were a good deal - but the alcohol tickets were a total waste.  1 ticket for a shot of beer and about 5 tickets for a regular plastic cup size.  If you're that keen on getting buzzed outside, I recommend going to sit at one of the bars along Pennsylvania and watching the festival from the sidewalk.

I went to the festival solely for the food, so I don't think it was a waste for me at all.  I did the 10 food tickets deal and (always worried that I'm not going to eat enough) I thought I'd have to go back for more.  The food price ranged from 2 to 6 tickets.  To maximize efficiency, my plan was to only try food that was 2 tickets or less - allowing me to try more things with my 10 ticket budget.  The plan worked great!  And by the end I was stuffed!

I was so excited (and not used to being a foodie blogger) that I forgot to photo-document the first few dishes I had.  But below are some descriptions and pictures of what and where I ate.

I started with a cheese, tomato, bacon sandwich from Wicked Waffle.  Their shtick is that they refuse to serve waffles with butter and syrup.  Wow, was it amazing.  I've never had such a light flaky waffle before.  My accompanying taster, Amanda, had the Nutella and banana waffle.  I don't like bananas, but she said it was incredible.  I will definitely be frequenting the Wicked again.

Next I got a shrimp po' boy slider from Puddin'.  It's a cajun restaurant.  The slider was ok - but practically hailing from New Orleans, I have pretty high standards for le po' boy.  This one had cole slaw and a remoulade sauce and was not served on french bread.  Weirdest lil' po' boy I've ever had.

I went back later and had the bread pudding.  It's the best dessert I've ever had in my life, hands down.  It just melted in your mouth.  

Puddin' Bread Pudding

Next I went to the Ping Pong booth, a new dim sum restaurant in Dupont.  I walk by Ping Pong almost every day and the food presentation is intriguing enough that I've been dying to try it.  I ate a little chicken puff and it was quite delicious.

Then was the greatest sample of the day.  CoCo Sala.  I think their hook is that all of their dishes have chocolate.  I ate a little Mac and Cheese tart with chocolate covered bacon on top.  It was a dream come true.  I have previously had praline covered bacon, but you haven't lived, or really clogged your arteries, until you've had chocolate covered bacon.  After all of these hikes help me lose a million pounds, I'll be going to CoCo a lot more frequently.

Just ignore that Chococovered Bacon looks like Mr. Hankey

After my ten tickets were done I was SO happy I had not indulged in the 20 ticket deal.  I don't know how I would have eaten another bite.  I also wound up being quite happy I didn't waste my money on alcohol tickets.  The festival was a great DC experience overall and quite a deal, since going out to all of these restaurants could get quite pricey.

I ate, I saw, I conquered.  Then I rolled my little body home.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bus

After the hike Saturday, Katie and I started to get ready to go out.  After a college style fashion show featuring the clothes in my closet, Katie decided it was time to shower.  I continued to hunt through my closet looking for an outfit that fit and flattered.

Now some background - my apartment is about 15 feet above the building dumpster. Don't worry - it never smells, it's just really loud around 7 every morning when the garbage men come and yell obscenities at each other. I'm also more than familiar with the sound of people rummaging, throwing away things and glass breaking in said dumpster during the day. Don't cry for me, DC - my apartment is adorable and in a prime location. It's just the hazards of city living.  Anywho, I share this because while Katie was showering I heard a commotion.  A serious commotion above me. Pounding, breaking glass, etc.  I first thought it was nothing, but as the commotion grew into full on earthquake mode (noise sans shaking) I raced out of my closet to the window to shout the oh-so-classy, "HEY - SHUTUP!" I assumed someone was being annoying and banging the dumpsters around.  I rushed to the open window and as I screamed, "HEY" I noticed glass.  LOTS of glass falling from above.  Secondly, my brain took in the fire truck parked outside.  I changed my class-act, "SHUTUP" to an, "AH WHATS GOING ON?!". The firemen didn't answer - but the observers across the street calmly and kindly announced, "The apartment above you is on fire. You might want to get out."

This is exactly what we didn't do.

The next 30 to 45 seconds are exactly why I think reality show cameras should follow me around.

Reminder: Katie is in the shower.

I ran to the bathroom, flung the shower curtain open and threw Katie a robe - simultaneously screaming, "There's a FIRE above us!" (Katie in shower looks confused). "NO, REALLY THERES A FIIIIRRREEEEE".  Minds out of the gutter people. This was a state of emergency.

I then grabbed my ipad while Katie yelled, "What is expensive??  I have your camera. What else is expensive?" I grabbed shoes, my purse, our keys and my mind went blank. My apartment is in a constant state of disarray and calm school fire drills are no prep for that Oh My God moment where you have to decide what to grab and what to leave behind.  Especially when you're a spaz like me.

We ran out and maybe 5 people had evacuated.  My neighbors were actually entering their apartment as they told me the one above mine was on fire.  We made it ten steps to the lobby and the firemen nicely told us everything was under control and there was no need to leave. I think one was laughing at us.

Katie and I turned around laughing - the adrenaline fueled lunatic type of laugh - but no less, laughing.  She got back in the shower and I tried to regain composure.  I looked out the window again and the firemen were extinguishing a charred mattress. It turns out the broken glass was because the neighbors threw their flaming mattress out of the window.  Seems logical.  Weirdly enough I think there was also a burned bra stuck to the mattress.  Romance gone awry? Maybe. We'll never know.

Mmmmm - I'll have the mattress, Well Done.

About a half hour later, Katie called her friend Elizabeth because we were still cracking up about the whole thing.  Elizabeth's one question was, "Who grabbed Layla?"

The answer is no one. No one grabbed Layla.  Neither of us even remembered I have a cat that can not escape a burning building alone.

But don't worry, we got the expensive stuff.

What also comes to mind is that I can't boil water without my in-unit fire alarm going off but the building alarm did not go off at all.  The fire trucks didn't even have their sirens on.  But there was a giant ladder.  For a second floor apartment.

Maybe we over-reacted, but this wasn't a faulty alarm.  I think everyone UNDER-reacted because let's be honest - the best thing to do in an impending emergency is to run screaming from the building.  The only thing that would make this story more ridiculous, I think, would be if Katie and I had had to decide elevator vs stairs.  Luckily, I'm on the first floor.  I think my brain would have exploded if I had to decide anything so complex at that moment.  As I've mentioned: I'm no one's port in a storm.  I certainly wasn't Layla's.

And to think - I always thought I'd be the one to burn the place down passing out with a lit cigarette.  Just kidding, Mom.  But really.

Kat Sass

Don't worry, I didn't forget what this blog is really about - and for the first time in a number of weeks, I HIKED!  With guest hiker Katie, I completed the abbreviated version of Hike 3 from 60 Hikes: Potomac Park.

And phew, we walked our hinies off.  Sore feet and legs ensued.  The hike from Smithsonian Metro, to the Jefferson Memorial and completely around Potomac Park/Hains Point was about 6.3 miles.  But then Katie and I walked home from the National Mall, so I'm saying this hike was more like 8 or 9.  It was a perfectly beautiful sunny day around 75 degrees.  We started at 11:17am and were home around 2:30pm.  Not too shabby for myself and freshman hiker, Miss Lane.

This hike was very similar to Hike 1: The Lincoln Loop as far as sightseeing and DC areas go, but Potomac Park is very peaceful, not swarming with tourists or exercisers and the views of Alexandria and Southwest DC are really nice.  It's a great hike because it's a loop and by the time you've completed, you don't even realize you've gone 4 miles!  I love being tricked into calorie burning!  Also, there are clean public restrooms - always a plus.

And now a photo montage of the fun we had!

"To show it all would take too long - we need a montage." -Trey Parker, Matt Stone

All About The Jeffersons

@The Jefferson Memorial

Yes, that's a fanny pack.  Now that I'm a serious hiker I need both of my hands for things like scaling rocks and directing traffic.  Have no fear fashionistas, it's a real brand called Matt and Nat and it's made of vegan materials (or something like that) to fit my fashionable yet tree-hugging persona.

Then we met up with a friend of ours, George Mason, at his park.

Seriously guys, I told Katie to go pose for a picture and I turned around and she was on his lap.  She's not this forward with most men, so I think George is a keeper.  She says she likes that "he makes her feel small."

Oh, George...

Katie and I have a knack for finding license plates with our name on them.  Not kidding, I have a picture from a road trip after college where Katie is posed by a very similar license plate.  I wish I could reprise the photo here - but it's lost somewhere on an old computer.  

The funny thing about this story that makes it such a gem, is that there was a little old man in this Toyota convertible (top down, he was enjoying the day as well) with a huge clown horn somehow attached to his dashboard.  I'm betting this little old man's name wasn't "Kat" but who knows.  Since he was sitting in the front seat, Katie and I thought it would be appropriate if we asked first if we could take a picture with the plate.  He honked his clown horn and said "Yeah you can, and why don't you pretty ladies jump in the back."  Uh, it sounds creepier than it actually was - we said we had to keep hiking and thanked him for the pictures.  But if that old man's name is Kat, he definitely had Sass - and I totally get the vanity plate.  He earned it.

So that was our day and we walked our way home.  Fun, Fit, and definitely quirky.

Always fade out in a montage.  MONTAGE!