There's No Place Like Home

I've only seen The Wizard of Oz once but there is a part in it that rings true. Dorothy clicks the heels of her ruby red slippers together and says "there's no place like home." There really is no place like home!
My family is so awesome! I've also decided that it's better to get sick when mom is around because she took way better care of me than I would have of myself.
We've played games, laughed until we've cried, eaten until we're stuffed, and I'm steadily making my way through fixing everyone's computer. Did I mention that I met the puppies? I met the puppies. I really want one of my own!
The best thing of all: we went and saw the new Harry Potter movie! We got such a great deal! $5 a ticket! I remember most of us going to see the first one 10 years ago (10 years! Has it really been that long?) It was perfect! I ended the Harry Potter era just as I began it, with my family. And yes, the unicorn blood in the first movie still looks like the ink from one of grandma's gel pens. I'm proudly a part of the Harry Potter generation so I'm sure I'll read the books at least once a year and my kids (if I ever have any) will too. But even I have to admit, there is a small empty place in my heart now that it's all over. :(
I made my first from scratch red velvet cake for my sister's birthday and I thoroughly thumped my brother-in-law my first game of pinochle against him. I also helped my sister sew the baby blanket she's making for my first niece or nephew (and by help, I mean I stepped on the pins she dropped with my bare foot).
It's been an awesome week already! I can't wait for the next three weeks!
We may not have a lot but together we have it all.

Finally a Camping Trip

I finally went camping! I've been wanting to go since February and the desire to up and go in March about killed me. Not to mention the whole months of April and May. My cure for this problem: I pull out my camping sweater. I put it on and revel in the smell of smoke still clinging to it. I went on a quick overnight camping trip two days before I moved to Baltimore. Thanks to my awesome friends (Tim and Ryan) and their last minute planning. I believe they changed their plans so I could go camping with them one last time. So my sweater got one more outing and wasn't washed before being shoved into the trunk of my car while I was packing. It was a souvenir that helped me through my  I-Must-Go-Camping episodes although it makes me miss those friends even more and it kinda makes me homesick at the same time. My mother wanted (and tried) to throw it away once she discovered that it had somehow managed to get to Maryland with me. Lets just say that it was quickly hidden where my mom couldn't find it. But back to the camping...
My friend Bethany had come out and wanted to go camping because that would be the reason anyone would fly back east from Idaho for. Ok, I admit it. I have long had plans to hike portions of the Appalachian Trail and to backpack in the Adirondacks. So we planned to go and camp down at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Because what's almost as good as camping? The beach. Combine the two and you have a combination that cannot be refused. And luckily my parents had come out the week before Beth and brought me all my camping gear. :)
The most awesome thing about getting where we were going is that we got to drive on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I love Bridges!!! And this one is over 4 miles long. It kinda gave me a taste of what the bridges connecting Florida to the Florida Keys would be like. (It's a bucket-list item of mine to drive those bridges.) And of course we took pictures!

This doesn't do this bridge justice.

The "bridge" is actually two bridges. One was built in 1953 and the other in the 1970s.

You can kinda see the arches that are in the center.

The arch on the other bridge.

I had no idea she was taking this pic. I was busy driving and talking with my hands.

We finally got to the campsite despite sitting for several hours in Memorial Day traffic and road construction. We set up camp which gave me an opportunity to use the tent I received as a gift for graduation. After setting it up, I kinda had to laugh at the joke that the friends who gave it to me had played on me. It is a junior pup scout tent built for an average 12 year old scout. I fit just fine but Beth who is much taller than me didn't enjoy the new accommodations.

It actually looks like it's a decent size in this picture but if you use the corner of the tent in the background as a reference you'll notice that it is in all actuality very small. I could barely kneel in it much less stand up in it.

Since we had eaten a late lunch from a gas station on the way down (FYI Royal Farms does not have the best chicken in the world), we decided to hit the beach. And boy was it a beautiful beach!

And it was uncrowded and there was a very good looking surfer guy skim boarding. Having braved the very cold Pacific Ocean in Oregon, I lost no time in getting in the water. How much different could it be? Well it's not as cold as the ocean in Oregon but it's not as warm as the ocean in California either. But it still didn't stop me.

It was kinda of a shock though with the temperature being more than 90 degrees that day.

And I have to say the waves have a pretty good sneak attack. And they got me several times over the weekend.

And I had to protect the my last pair of contacts. If you were wondering why my hands are up.

After kinda getting sleep and being eaten alive by mosquitoes (I think they think I taste like a soda because I had considerably more bites than Beth), we went to the beach at Fenwick Island the next day.  All I can say is I wouldn't mind living near that beach especially if my house had a dock right outside. Some of the communities had a rather Venetian feel to them

Not only do they all have docks (and boats to go with the dock), they all had wrap around porches and some had captain's walks. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind owning a house like that. Maybe someday when I'm done with school and have a real job.

We got very sunburned despite using sunscreen (my suspicion is that the sunscreen really wasn't water proof like it said it was). We hit Ocean City, Maryland and partook of the fabled Smith Island cake that Emily Kimball keeps mentioning. I can see why! It was so good!

After our foray to Ocean City, we went to the next campsite. It was a very pretty campsite if you like the sardine type campgrounds. Well beggars can't be choosers and it was the last one in the area with any room left when I started making reservations for Memorial Day weekend. Though I'm going to argue that a few of the campsites could have been made into bathrooms so I didn't have to hike a quarter of a mile when I was in dire need.
Sunday, due to the degree of our sunburns, we wandered around Rehoboth or rather the outlet mall at Rehoboth. What outlet mall doesn't have a bookstore? Needless to say I spent most of the time at the outlets sitting on a bench watching people. But I finally was able to go to Friendly's to try their ice cream. I can honestly say I was not disappointed. I'm pretty sure that my diabetes doctor (and Brinton and my mom and a few others) are going to hit my upside the head for it.

It was HUGE!!! A glorious five scoops smothered in hot fudge with bananas, sprinkles, and whipped cream!

This picture so you can actually see the size of the sundae in reference to something else (me!). Also it documents well my feeling (look) of contentment and happiness. Ice cream is a magical thing.

Though I must say Beth's sundae looked awesome as well!

After our magical sundaes and the run to wal-mart for more aloe vera, we went back to the campsite where we read and became acquainted with our neighbors who have the most obedient lapdog I've ever seen. It sat on its pillow in the car the whole time they set up and it stayed in their campsite when told to. My dog would have been out of the car as soon as the door was opened and I probably wouldn't have seen him until he got hungry.
The next day we went to Lewes Beach (which was the last one we went to). Apparently Lewes, DE was the first town in the first state according to their welcome sign which was a replica of a lighthouse. And before you ask, I am also a little obsessed with lighthouses. I've loved them since I was a child and they always remind me of the hymn Master the Tempest is Raging. They are the ultimate symbol of hope during trying circumstances. Not to mention they are awesomely designed.

And yes I got a picture with it. Like I said I'm obsessed.

Me and Beth at Lewes Beach.

Close up of our wetness. I love the ocean and the beach!

So during the whole trip I was in charge of things like setting up the tent and building the fire. I haven't had to build a fire in several years because of my awesome guy friends did it. Don't get me wrong. I have the skills. But after a weekend of getting back into practice, I more fully appreciate that Ryan always got up when I did (which is always 5 or 6 am when camping. I don't know what causes me to wake up so early, I just do) and would build the fire. I'll be honest I missed the company in the wee hours of the morning. Because unlike me, Beth had no problem sleeping in. I think it has something to do with the fact that she had more room with me not being in the tent anymore.
I will also be the first to admit that I'm a pyro (the whole reason to go camping is to stare into the fire, isn't it?) and growing up in a small town in Idaho only adds to my deep love of large campfires. In fact it irritates me when you go to a campsite and they give you a fire ring barely big enough to put the wood into. And if you combine it with it being our last night in the campground and my desire to use all the wood that we paid for, I had a rather large fire going in our fire pit. A big fire not only draws in bugs but people. Our neighbors came over to ask how we had gotten our fire so big. Beth's comment was that I was an Eagle scout though I've never been a scout. Although I have helped with enough Eagle Scout projects to qualify for one. So I gave a step-by-step tutorial on how to build a log cabin style fire. Soon we heard the ecstatic, "I built my first fire" from next door. Which kind of caused me to giggle because it reminded me of the time I taught some of my guy friends how to build dry ice bombs.
The next day I was sitting outside reading; waiting for Beth to wake up so we could visit the beach one last time before heading back. I was soon joined by the little lap dog who had been let out of the tent next door. We sat in companionable silence with him finding a place on my lap before his masters came to get him.
We talked a little before they left. They were an openly gay couple and we had had some discussions which had stemmed from the fact that we wore one piece swimsuits (they had been drying on the clothesline) when it was out of fashion. We had a good talk about religion, school, and science. Not that they were interested at all in the church, but before they left they thanked us for being so friendly and nice. Apparently when most people find out they are gay they aren't very nice to them. Which makes me sad because they were very nice guys. One of them told me that he was going to re-evaluate how he viewed the church after meeting us. It goes to show how following Christ and the standards set by the church we can let our lights shine and envelope everyone. Even if they are one rather large campfire.

DC with Bethany!!!

I've been very blessed to have so many visitors this year. First Ryan in March, my parents in May, and Bethany this last week. Both Beth and I needed a vacation. She just finished her dental hygiene program and I just finished my first year of grad school (I passed Advanced Biochem!).
We visited DC and went camping. I'm going to split our vacation into two parts: DC and camping. We picked the worst days to go to DC weather-wise (it was 97 degrees both days). While in DC we went through most of the Smithsonian's and saw the major monuments. I'm becoming quite the tour guide of the National Mall.

We went to the National Air and Space Museum first. This is my all-time favorite of the Smithsonians (although the Natural History museum is a close second because it has dinosaurs). Every time I go I'm tempted to buy the aviator hat and goggles that are supposed to be for the little kids (Don't laugh they fit).

I'm in the pic with the bomb to give you an idea on how big that sucker really is.

Next, we went to the Museum of Natural History to see the Hope diamond and my favorite, the dinosaurs!

Beth with the creepy sloth thing in the mammal exhibit.

Me contemplating how it would be to be eaten by a T-Rex. Painful I would imagine. I may or may not have watched all 3 Jurassic Park movies in the last few weeks.

Beth looking like she's being eaten by said T-Rex. "I have a big head and little arms!"

We next ventured to the Archives and saw the documents that are so very important to our country. Then on to the Museum of American History! Which in my opinion is the biggest hodge-podge of exhibits. Inventions, the dresses of the First Ladies, War, Abe Lincoln, science, and American icons like Kermit the frog and Dorothy's slippers.

Beth and Abe Lincoln's top hat.

Yes, I did find a model of DNA in the American History Museum. I'm a nerd remember. They also have a recreation of a chemistry lab from John Hopkins and the lab/testing area for the Manhattan Project.

And we found something better than Dorothy's slippers. C3PO! They also have awesome star wars memorabilia in the gift shop. I kinda want the Yoda backpack, the Darth Vader and Stormtrooper bobbleheads, and the stuffed wookie.

After the main museums, we hit the monuments.

Beth doing a handstand in front of the Washington Monument. It took a lot of pictures to finally capture it and I'm still not sure of the reasoning behind having to have a picture of doing a handstand in front of the monument.

Me in my favorite tree at the National Mall. It's awesome. You should visit it sometime.

Beth was born on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor so the trip to the WWII memorial was a solemn one.

We finally made it to the Lincoln Memorial.

Beth and I in front of old Abe.

Between the heat and all the walking, we were exhausted by the time we got to the Lincoln Memorial.

Don't judge. I was dying of heat and it was cool in the shade. I got a lot of funny looks though.

And you thought I looked exhausted.

We weren't the only ones bushed from the heat. This poor little guy hardly moved when we got close to him to take this picture.

We kept pressing on and finally got to what I think is the most awesome thing in DC. Einstein!!!

I wonder what she is thinking. Maybe she wants to be like Einstein.

Beth's legs are almost as long as the statue's femur.

I'm just showing my appreciation to my number one favorite scientist.

I've always wanted to learn at the feet of Einstein.

Somehow at the end of the day we ended up at the Foggy Bottom metro stop on the George Washington campus.
Our next foray to DC included the National Arboretum and the Arlington National Cemetery. The arboretum is beautiful and houses a very large collection of bonsai trees (over 53 of them) and scholar's stones. I also think that it would be a most excellent place to run.

A scholar's stone with a Chrysanthemum pattern that occurs naturally from high heat and pressure.

Close-up of the pattern.

This stone includes light house, mini hikers, and miniature kayakers.

This bonsai has 'been in training' ie growing since 1625. That is one old little tree.

These are the original columns from the Capitol Building when it was expanded. It is now a monument at the arboretum.

It was pretty awesome.

Eternal Flame at JFK's grave.

There were a lot of funerals on Tuesday. Here's a coffin going to a grave site. Did you know you have to qualify to be buried at Arlington?

Pierre L'Enfant's grave/memorial. He was the one who designed the layout of DC.

View of DC from the Arlington House (aka Robert E. Lee's House). It was interesting to learn that the government took the land from Lee because of back taxes and commissioned it a place to bury Union soldiers. I found it all very ironic.

Even seeing DC as many times as I have, it still hasn't lost its charm and wonder for me. I still have to pinch myself. I never imagined myself living so close. It's almost surreal. I really enjoy visiting it and sightseeing with friends. There is so much to see I doubt I will see all of it by the time I'm done with grad school. I had an awesome time with Beth and I'm glad I got to share the experience of her first visit to DC.