Unexpected Detour to Washington DC

On my way to Brazil two weeks ago my flight from Washington DC to Sao Paulo was cancelled. The whole thing was a huge hassle and major pain, but in the end didn't turn out to be so bad. I had never visited Washington DC before and since my cancelled flight was rescheduled for the following evening, I took advantage of the situation and toured the city during my day there. After taking a cab to a train station and a train into the city, I walked all along The Mall to the Washington Monument, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial.

Then I grabbed lunch and ate in it a park right across from the White House. After peeking through the gates surrounding the White House I walked around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial.

I happened to get stranded in Washington DC at the perfect time of the year because the Cherry Blossom Festival was happening! The blossoms were beautiful!

After wandering among the trees next to the Tidal Basic I walked to the Capitol and then headed back to my hotel.


Not a bad day after all! And...and the end of my day, I got to get dinner at Bob Evans, which I was pretty excited about since I hadn't been there in years and I used to work there (we don't have Bob Evans restaurants in CA).

Camping in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park

Last weekend I went camping in Joshua Tree National Park with the Steins and Chino. I had a really wonderful weekend--I love camping! I got to the campgrounds pretty late on Friday, but they had dinner waiting for me, which was super nice. On Saturday morning Eric made homemade blueberry pancakes and then we set off on a 8 mile hike to the Lost Palms Oasis. I love hiking!

After the hike we drove around the park for a bit and then came back to our campsite to eat Chino's delicious jambalaya dinner. In the evening I went to a presentation at the campground's amphitheater. Before we called it a day we sat around the campfire and made smores--yum!


On Sunday I made breakfast for the group and then left on a solo hike to Mastodon Peak.


So, lots of good things last weekend: Eating, camping, hiking, and friends. :-)

Camping in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park

Last weekend I went camping in Joshua Tree National Park with the Steins and Chino.

Bagged Santiago Peak!

On Saturday, March 22, I hiked with the Outdoors Club to the top of Santiago Peak, which at 5,687' is the highest mountain in Orange County. We gained about 4000' in elevation and hiked about 15.5 miles. Including a stop at the top for a bit of a rest, the trip took a total of 7 hours. It was a strenuous hike, but very rewarding!

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

...why don't you come too?

Sigh...I loved Raffi as a kid; didn't you? He sang such classics as "Going to the Zoo," "The More We Get Together," and "Shake My Sillies Out."

On Saturday I went to the LA Zoo with Julie and Eva. I had never been there and since I love going to new places, this was a great day and great activity!

On Sunday, I went to a tea house for Sabina and Sara's monthly book club meeting. I had never been to a tea house before, so that was pretty great too.

Dolla Dolla Bill

I'm going to try and make this post positive. Try.

The economy is tanking. My condo's value is tanking. My savings account rates are tanking. My investments in the stock market are tanking. The dollar's value is tanking. Inflation is, well, rising.

Despite all of this, I have two good jobs, savings and retirement accounts, and the mortgage on my house is fixed.

I just got a raise in one of my jobs (sadly, though, the raise does not keep with up with inflation). At least it's something though.

So, got the raise. Check.

And, I (well, my mom) completed my taxes and I will be receiving quite a large refund this year. Check check.

Half Marathon Finisher!

I finished my first half marathon on February 3, 2008! My finish time was about 15 minutes slower that I was hoping for (2:14), but the weather was horrible and it slowed me down physically and mentally. I got a new medal though: