arlington, supreme court, and cupcakes

On Sunday, Drew and I went to Arlington National Cemetery, which is much, much bigger than I though it would be. It is a pretty elite cemetery, and the qualifications to get in seem pretty stringent. To gain admission, you must be a veteran, a former president, a Supreme Court Justice , or someone who made important contributions to science or even sports. (I'm not sure if just any veteran can be buried there, or how it is decided which scientists or sports stars get to be buried there) Anyway, Drew and I were on a pretty specific mission; I wanted to see where the Supreme Court Justices were buried.
So, there is really not a Supreme Court Justice section at the cemetery, but Blackmun, Marshall, Rehnquist, Douglas, Stewart, Rehnquist, Brennan, Burger, and Holmes were all in the same section. We went to another section to find Warren and Goldberg, and we didn't make to Hugo Black's site (that's okay, I think he was a segregationist anyway). I'm a big fan of Blackmun and Marshall.

Justice Blackmun is from Minnesota, and he served as legal counsel for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (my hometown!). In fact, he and Burger (also from MN) were old buddies and were the best men in each other's weddings. Burger was appointed to the SC first, and Blackmun shortly thereafter. They were dubbed the "Minnesota Twins." While they served on the Court, they grew more distant and weren't really friends anymore in the end. Anyway, Blackmun authored Roe v Wade, the decision that legalized abortion. More or less.

Justice Marshall was the first African American on the Court, and he used to be a lawyer for the NAACP. In fact, he was the one who argued Brown v Board of Education, the decision that desegregated schools. More or less.

After Drew and I found the Supreme Court Justices, we checked out the Kennedy sites and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Turns out that this division of the military keeps vigil 24 hours a day, marching back and forth. They do a changing of the guard every half hour, which is quite a production. (It doesn't involve something like "Hey, it's your turn now. Here you go. Don't sweat your ass off.")

After walking around the cemetery, Drew and I went to Sticky Fingers, this vegan bakery and coffee shop. I love this bakery, much better than Cake Love. The cupcakes are moist and the frosting is fluffy and not too dense. The cookies are simultaneously chewy and just a little bit crispy. Here is the coconut cupcake:

And there you have it. Washington, D.C., part 2. The trip was lots of fun, and productive (coffee shops and the George Washington Univ library were my offices away from my office). The summer, as usual, has passed by very quickly. We have only about a month before school starts up again. Well, that's all for now.

tango and falafel

I am back in Irvine now, just in time for a "heat wave," which means that the temperature was in the high 80s or maybe even 90 degrees today. A "heat wave "in Southern California is actually just a normal day, or maybe even a cool day in other parts of the country. Anyway, I'm glad to be away from the heat, humidity, and pesky mosquitoes.

I will recap the end of the trip in a couple posts. So, I completely forgot to mention that last Wednesday, Drew and I learned to tango at this event sponsored by the International Club and the Argentine Embassy. Turns out that the embassies put on lots of fun events like musical performances, artists' exhibitions, and even vodka tastings (that would be the Ukraine Embassy). Anyway, Drew and I learned about this from a deck of cards: 52 Adventures in Washington, D.C. We went to Meze, a Mediterranean restaurant, for the event. Drew and I had a good time, learned a few dance steps (and almost immediately forgot them), and wrapped up the night with a raspberry and pineapple mojito at the bar (fyi, those are two separate mojitos).

On my last night in D.C., we went to the Amsterdam Falafel Shop, this small, no frills falafel (yes, you figured that out already) restaurant. Drew and I passed by it on the way to Meze earlier in the week, and I was intrigued. (actually, we ate there twice- Friday night and Monday night) Here it is:

All right, so the place was pretty cool and very minimalistic. They serve only falafel and fries (and beverages, of course). There are no plates or silverware. You order at the counter and the falafel and fries are prepared fresh (no heating lamps here). They hand you your falafel and then you add your own garnishes from the garnish bar.
You can top your own falafel with hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, tahini, cabbage, and lots of other good stuff. (It helps if you squish the balls a little bit) You are welcome to try a variety of garnishes, but double dipping is strictly prohibited (which means that once you leave the garnish bar, you can only return if you use garnish cups). The fries are crispy and taste great with just ketchup or this garlic cream sauce.

Mmmmm, falafel happiness. The regular falafel comes with 5 balls, and the small has 3. Now, the balls are pretty big, so the small is adequate. Unless you are SUPER hungry, but even then, a small will probably suffice. Drew was extremely enthusiastic about this place, and I really enjoyed it too.

music and food

This past week was my last full week in D.C. I will miss the city, but I suppose it will be nice to back at home. I certainly will not miss the humidity and all the mosquitoes. (there, I sort of said something nice about Southern California) And, Drew will be back in California 17 days after I return, but who's counting?

On Tuesday, Drew and I went to the Kennedy Center to see singer/songwriter Jennie Arnau. The Kennedy Center has a free performance at the Millennium Stage everyday at 6 pm, including theatre, dance, and music. (you should check it out if you're in the area) The concert was really good, and Arnau put on a good show. I'm not sure what musical genre Arnau falls into, but her music was like a cross between folk and bluegrass.

On Thursday, Drew and I went back to Soul Vegetarian, a vegan restaurant near Howard University. We liked this place so much on my first visit that we had to go back a second time. This place is so amazingly wonderful. It is a little, no frills restaurant that seems to have a cult following. You can order off the menu, but the restaurant also keeps ready-to-eat food at the buffet. There is a steady flow of customers, so you don't have to worry about getting gross, dried out food. This time, we ate the wheatloaf, bbq tofu, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and green beans.

The wheatlof was peppery, and the bbq tofu was sweet and tangy. The tofu was nice and chewy, and the wheatloaf melted in my mouth. My favorite was the macaroni and cheese. It was creamy and slid down my throat. And oh yes, Soul Veg does not skimp on the garlic. I don't know if that's what made the vegan mac and cheese so good, but I need to figure out the secret. This was the best mac and cheese I've ever eaten, hands down. It was that good.

Tonight, Drew and I went back to the Kennedy Center for one of the free performances. This time, we saw Moch Pryderi, a Celtic band. (by the way, Moch Pryderi means Pryderi's Pigs in Welsh) The performance was fun, the music upbeat, and the band played a variety of instruments ranging from the bagpipes, flutes and whistles, the fiddle, and a double and triple harp.

virginia is for lovers, a hemi-versary, and the waffle house

Last weekend, Drew and I journeyed to Floyd County, Virginia, located in the southwestern part to see his parents. It was the first meet-the-parents event for me. I wasn't terribly nervous or anything; I mean, I tend to not make enemies until at least the 7th or 8th meeting. Drew reassured me that I couldn't possibly do anything that would make them dislike me, unless I like punched him in the face or something. Rest assured I had nothing to worry about; I reserve face punching for slow walkers and people who have cell phone conversations in the library.

We got to Virginia super late on Friday night. On Saturday morning, Drew's dad made french toast. It was really good, and I wondered why I don't eat french toast more often. Oh well. Then Drew and I went to Blacksburg and walked around on the Virginia Tech campus, Drew's alma mater. Then we ate Jimmy John's subs on the drill field. Later that afternoon, we went to Charlotte, NC to have dinner with Hawkeye, Brian, and their new baby, Heidi. Remember Hawkeye? She's my old friend from Girl Scout camp; I was in South Carolina last January for her wedding. (go back to the blog archives- you'll find the posts) Heidi sure was cute, and it was fun to catch up with Hawkeye and Brian. Plus, they got to meet Drew and Drew got to meet them.

On Sunday, Drew and I took a walk in the woods. Seriously. You see, Drew is from rural Virginia and his parents live on this huge piece of property that's like way bigger than the neighborhood that I grew up in. Being out in the country is quite a contrast to what I'm used to, I mean, I can't imagine what it must be like to drive 40 minutes just to get groceries. I might be a city girl, but I do like the open air, the trees, and the peace and quiet in the middle of nowhere. (it reminded me of Girl Scout camp!) Drew and I walked to a mini waterfall and then sat out by the pond.

We left Drew's mom and dad's in the early afternoon. Okay, so something that I find amusing is how there are churches like every 10 yards in the South (20 yards in the rural areas). And, I like all the clever sayings on the church marquis, you know, the rhymes that basically tell you that you are going to hell. Well, we drove past this church and saw this rock that says "Jesus Saves." We actually turned around to take a picture, and here it is:

Yeah, I'm totally going to hell now. Anyway, Drew and I went to the town of Floyd, which is like the only town in Floyd County. The downtown area was only about a 4 block radius and it had one stoplight. Nevertheless, there were a few restaurants, some shops, and some art galleries. Even though Floyd is in a rural area, surprisingly, it has a thriving arts community. We checked out a couple galleries, and Drew, nice guy that he is, bought me a sterling silver bracelet with freshwater pearls. Here I am in front of the Floyd Country Store:

The Floyd Country Store was kind of cool. It had a little restaurant and a stage. The resaurant served Southern food like bbq and collard greens. On that afternoon, there was a group of people having a jam session, playing banjos, fiddles, and guitars. The store had stuff like cookbooks, cooking gear, children's toys, and clothing. I got some hushpuppy mix and an egg timer shaped like an ice cream cone.

We left Floyd and headed back to D.C. So, Drew and I have been together for six months now, so we went to the Waffle House to celebrate our hemi-versary. Now, you might think that the Waffle House is a strange place to have a celebration, but not so. Drew and I are big fans of the Waffle House. Big fans. When he lived in Virgnia, he dined at the Waffle House about once a week. Let me tell you how much I love the Waffle House. Everytime I go to the South, I HAVE to eat there. In fact, sometimes I even pilfer things on my Waffle House visits, like menus and salsa. On my last visit, I took home two Waffle House mugs. So when Drew and I realized that we had a hemi-versary to celebrate, we made a unanimous decision to celebrate at the Waffle House. (by the way, I didn't take any souvenirs on this visit, in case you are wondering. It just might be the first time I left the Waffle House empty handed)

Drew told our server that it was our hemi-versary, and he asked the server to make us a special waffle. Isn't he sweet? (this was all a surprise, by the way. I was in the bathroom while Drew was taking care of this)

Drew brought a candle he purchased at the Floyd Country Store. Even though we didn't light it, it was like had a candle light dinner at the Waffle House.

Here is what I ate: Sausage, egg, and cheese on Texas toast, and hash browns, scattered, smothered and covered. (for the uninitiated, that means that I ate hash browns with onions and cheese)

Here is what Drew ate: A fiesta omelet without ham, hash browns scattered and smothered, and toast. (that means hash browns with onions)

We were in Waffle House bliss. When we celebrate one year together, I will be in D.C. Another Waffle House trip just might be in order.

ford's theatre and a ghost tour

Let me make a confession: I am scared of ghosts. Ever since I watched the Sixth Sense about ten years ago, I've been afraid. But here's the strange thing- I love ghost tours. I love them. So far, I've been on only two, but I love them. I went on the first one in Charleston, SC about 6 years ago and I went on my second just the other day here in D.C.

Drew and I went on a ghost tour around Lafayette Park, nicknamed Tragedy Square. Lafayette Park is across from the White House, and it has like more ghost sightings per capita than anywhere else in the United States. It was a fun evening. We learned stories about scorned lovers, apparitions in St. John's Church, Dolly Madison, and lots of tragedy. Oh, and we heard stories about White House ghosts- apparently, it is the most haunted house in the U.S.

Last Friday, I went to Ford's Theatre touring the museum and listening to the ranger talk. It was nearly the whole shebang, but I skipped the Peterson House, the place where Lincoln actually died.

The museum had been closed for renovations and just reopened about a month ago. In fact, my old friend Travis works for the company that was in charge of redoing the museum. Travis is an artist, and I guess that I had never thought that museum exhibitions are actually constructed by a team of artists. Anyway, I tried to imagine what Travis might have worked on in the Ford's Theatre museum.

Here is the box where Lincoln was shot:

Stay tuned for more blogging. Drew and I went to Virginia last weekend, visited his parents, saw Hawkeye and company, and went to the Waffle House.

getting published

Amid all of the DC activity, I forgot to tell you that this paper that I and two coauthors sent out for review in April was accepted for publication. We found out a couple weeks ago, and it will come out in September. Go us!

d.c., part II

I am back in D.C., this time for three weeks to visit Drew. I arrived last Wednesday, and I'm really glad to be back. I love big cities and most everything about them- the tall buildings, all the people, the stuff to do and see, public transportation, and how I can walk everywhere. Let me tell you about my first weekend:

We kicked off the weekend with the movie "Julie and Julia," the one where the disgruntled secretary cooks her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I had read a the book a few weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it. For one thing, I love food and I love cooking, and for another, I think it's cool how Julie Powell challenged herself and combated her mundane life by cooking every single one of Child's recipes (no easy feat). I think it's easy to get into a rut, and it's interesting to see how people get out of them. For Powell, she was able to cook her way out of a rut.

On Saturday, Drew and I went to the Museum of American History. It was educational, interesting, and we were pleased. Sure, the exhibits talked about how the US was guided by the philosophy of liberty and democracy for all, but the exhibits did a good job showing how this philosophy excluded women, African Americans, and Native Americans. We walked through exhibits on labor and industrialization, slavery, the presidency, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. Overall, the museum did a pretty good job of portraying the minority point of view. Below, I stepped up to the podium in the presidency exhibit:

Here is Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's (first woman Supreme Court Justice) robe:
On Sunday, we went to the Museum of the American Indian. Check out the building:

The museum was cool because it talked about the history and cultural of many different American Indian tribes throughout Canada, the US, Mexico, and into South America. There was so much information that it was difficult to remember everything and remain interested. The museum had firsthand accounts of the lives, experiences, histories, and cultures, and it also discussed how the US broke treaties with the American Indians, suppressed their culture, and seized their land. After walking around, we went to the cafeteria and ate fry bread with honey and a dusting of powdered sugar. Fry bread is kind of like a funnel cake, except better. It's more dense and flavorful.

Earlier that day, we went to the Farmer's Market at Dupont Circle. We picked up some garlic cheese curds, smoked mozzarella, peaches, basil, rosemary bread, and some kickass herirloom tomatoes.

That evening, Drew used the heirloom tomatoes to make a roasted tomato sauce with roasted garlic, carmelized onion, and tomato paste. We used the sauce, basil, and mozzarella to make pizza on the rosemary bread. I can't even describe to you how good this food tasted. It smelled so fresh, tasted fresh, and was just absolutely phenomenal. Totally worth the splurge.

what if?

Sometimes, I have nagging questions for which I need an answer. These are usually random and rather strange questions, but I need to know. For example, sometimes I think to myself "What if I am driving down the road and my tire falls off my car?" Will I go careening into the side of the road? Will I suddenly halt traffic? Will my engine erupt in flames?

Well, now I know the answer. Sort of. I was driving to The District yesterday and my car, Charlie, started to shake a bit more than usual. I got a little nervous, but I just thought I was being paranoid. When I parked Charlie, I got out and took a look at all my tires, just to make sure I didn't accidentally get a flat. The tires looked fine.

On the drive home, Charlie started to shake more and more, and I was having difficulty accelerating. As I got closer to campus, I became worried that I wouldn't make it home and I silently began swearing at the mini van in front of me to hurry up and drive faster. I barely got home and parked Charlie, and when I got out, I saw that my front right tire was gone. Only the rim remained (is that what it's called?).

My roommate's boyfriend put the spare tire on Charlie, and after everything was squared away, I wondered where I had actually lost my tire. On my way to yoga, I scanned the street for signs of tire scraps, but I saw nothing. From my apartment window, I could see a black object on the side of the street, and I wondered if that was my tire. Well, this afternoon, I took the back way home just to check it out. As I got closer, I had confirmation. There was my tire, entirely in one piece. My roommate said that she and her bf passed by it earlier this morning and chuckled, impressed that it was all in one piece.

So I guess that now I know the answer to this "what if?" question. Everything is fine, and obviously, I am in one piece.

things i don't understand

If I may (and I may because it's my blog), I'm going to be a little cranky right now. Here are things that I just don't understand. Here goes:

Why is it that men push strollers using only one hand? Has anyone else noticed this? Women, when pushing a stroller, will use two hands, usually at the ten and two o'clock position. Of course, I'm making a gross generalization here, but I don't think that I have ever seen a woman pushing a stroller with one hand. However, of the men I see pushing a stroller, the majority do it with one hand. Maybe men are just so much stronger than women, and pushing a stroller requires just one hand. Maybe. OR, maybe men are secretly trying to hide the fact that they are taking care of children, a predominantly feminine task. Whenever I see a man pushing a stroller with just one hand, I want to go over to him and shout "I can still see you there pushing a stroller! You can't fool me! I can still see you performing a traditionally female task!"

Why is it that people in California cannot handle returning their shopping cart to the cart corral? Go to any grocery store or Target, and you will see carts littering the parking lots. I don't get it. Seriously, I've spent some time in South Carolina, and they can handle the simple task of locating a cart corral and depositing their cart. Really, if people in the South can handle returning a cart, I would think that people in California can do it too.

baseball and nachos

Last weekend, the Minnesota Twins were here to play the Angels and I went to the game on Sunday. Actually, I almost didn't make it to that game, and in case you're wondering why, it's because I got my dates mixed up and I thought the game was in August, not July. Anyway, never fear, I made it to the game to cheer on the Twins, who won by the way.

My friend and I showed up early for Fan Photo Day, which is when fans line up along the periphery of the ball field and take photos of the players as they make their way around. It is announced that players will not stop and pose for pictures, but if you are a child or a hot woman, there are exceptions.

The game was during the day, so it was hot under the blazing sun. Justin Morneau hit like 2 homeruns, I think. Or maybe it was someone else. Anyway, I got an order of nachos, and my friend offered me $10 if I ate the whole thing. Here they are:

It took me a half an hour, but I polished them off. It wasn't painful or anything, but I'm pretty sure I could feel my arteries constricting. By the way, I will no longer be accepting challenges to eat full orders of nachos again.