Bad Knees

Okay, I've accepted the fact that I've been cursed with bad knees. Even before I broke my patella in high school, I've never been much of a runner because of my knees. As I've gotten older and embraced my knee issues, I've learned what exercises work to strengthen the muscles around my knees. I've learned that swimming helps and the elliptical machine at the gym is my friend. The treadmill and aerobics class are NOT good for me.

Well, when I joined Marriott, I was thrilled to find out that there was a gym in the building. The previous few months of stress-eating (due to having to make career decisions) and the many "farewell lunches" when people left Ford left me without much of a wardrobe...nothing fit anymore. Plus, I've been hit with the "once you hit 30" curse. My body has definitely changed the way it distributes fat. And to top it off, my brother's wedding is in August and my bridesmaid (an entire other tangent) dress is very unforgiving. So, I made a decision to work harder at exercising and eating right. I started going to the gym after work and I cut back on sugar and ate more veggies, fish and fiber. Things were going well, I was feeling healthy and had more energy. My clothes started to look better and I started to hate my body less.

Until...

The dreaded "phantom knee problem" has returned. My right knee (formerly known as "my good knee) has decided to rebel. Big time. It started with a little swelling after a workout. I iced it down, took some Advil and thought I'd be fine. That was almost 2 weeks ago. A few days after that, it decided to randomly give out on me throughout the day. So I pulled out an old Ace knee brace for some support. All the while walking past the gym on the way out of work, wishing I was in there sweating away the pounds. Today's the first day it's felt somewhat normal (knock on wood) and I'm wearing heels. The real test will be walking in the 5K Race for the Cure on Saturday. If I can make it through that, I may be ready to head back to the gym. Wish me luck!!!

P.S. If anyone has any good weight loss tips, feel free to pass them along!!! I need other options besides starving myself! :)

Rolling Thunder

What a fun, fun weekend! My roommate Liz and I started Saturday with a fantastic breakfast at the Original Pancake House (almost as good as Pamela's) and then hit the outlets for some much needed shopping. I did some damage, but got some great deals!

On Sunday we headed into D.C. after church with two other friends for the Rolling Thunder event. For those of you who aren't familiar with Rolling Thunder, here's some info from the newspaper...

"It's all part of the annual Rolling Thunder Memorial Day tradition. U.S. Park Police said over 300,000 bikers from all over the nation rallied Sunday. The event began early Sunday at the Pentagon, with a thunderous parade to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and out to the National Mall. The parade, now in its 20th year, is intended to provide moral support for troops. The ride began as a post-Vietnam protest of American POW/MIA policy and has blossomed into an annual rally drawing thousands of bike-mounted veterans from across the country. The patriotic display is usually mostly made up of Vietnam vets in their 60s, but some elderly Korean War veterans and even some younger ones who served in Iraq and Afghanistan were seen Sunday."

It's quite a moving event. If you ever get the chance to come to D.C. for Memorial Day, I highly recommend it. It's amazing to see all the bikes and talk to the big, burly, tattooed biker dudes, who are very tenderhearted and love their country and each other. They're like a big family and they support each other fiercely.


Here's part of the parade on Constitution Avenue.

This is a cool guy we chatted with at the Vietnam Memorial.

This is also part of the parade. Notice the lone Marine who stood there most of the day to salute the bikers/veterans. It was 90 degrees and humid and he didn't move a muscle. Yet another reason I'd like to marry a Marine!

Here I am on one of the bikes. So fun! I had a skirt on, so it was interesting to get on it without flashing everyone!

And here's Liz on the same bike, but with the biker dude...he had quite a few tattoos!

Music from one of the coolest people I know in real life...

For those of you who were in the Oakland Ward when Emily Price was there, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who never knew Emily, it's not too late! She's amazing. And it's not just my opinion, it's a fact. Like the fact that Clint is hot and Tim R. has great arms. Anyway, check out her myspace page...four of her original songs are posted for your listening pleasure. And believe me, it will be a pleasure.

www.myspace.com/emilyhopepricecello

New Music

I love it when I discover new (to me) music! My friend Jeremy introduced me to Martin Sexton this weekend. He played me "Diner" (which was featured on Scrubs...Anna, you'll like it!) and I thought it was interesting, so I looked him up on itunes. The rest of the album Black Sheep is amazing as well, especially "I Can't Stop Thinking About You"...WOW. I also downloaded a live album Live Wide Open because anyone who's spent time with me knows that I prefer live music to anything. Martin is one of those musicians who sounds better live...I highly recommend that you all check him out! (P.S. He'll be at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on June 2nd!)

"Martin Sexton is ripe with ... raw, expansive talent. His voice comes in a hundred impossible shades. His songs are sweet and spirited and soulful. His repertoire is like a cross-country tour of the American musical vernacular." – Boston Globe

"Martin Sexton is one of the most talked-about recent arrivals to the "new folk" acoustic music scene. The guitarist, singer and songwriter has an amazing vocal range and makes effective use of it in his live shows. Unlike so many other contemporary singer-songwriters, his vocal style can best be described as soulful, combining the best qualities of singers like Van Morrison, Al Green, Aaron Neville and Otis Redding." -- AOL Music

Besides my new musical discovery, the weekend was pretty laid back and relaxing. I slept in, got my hair cut, ran some errands, re-watched The Office season finale (SO GOOD), went to church and we had a potluck last night. It was a fun weekend. My weeks are so busy lately...I love it when I don't have that much to do on the weekends! I've discovered I watch too much TV. Tivo is wonderful, but dangerous. I get home from work, class, whatever and then I have to catch up on TV. Tonight there are THREE season finales that I'll be watching (Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor & Heroes)...pathetic! I'm kind of glad that the summer is full of reruns...I'll be outside more! I'm looking forward to the upcoming long weekend. I'm excited that I'll be in town this year for Rolling Thunder's "Ride for Freedom"! Last year there were an estimated 250,000 bikes in attendance. It's a very cool event. I'll try to get some good photos to post!

Spirit to Serve

As part of Marriott's Associate Appreciation Week, we participated in the Spirit to Serve our Communities program yesterday. It was a really fun day. My department went to the Izaak Walton League (a 53 acre conservation organization) to help clean, weed, paint, clear land, put up fences, etc. Luckily the rain held off until we were just finishing up and we had a blast! (And I got a tour of the shooting range...it's cool! I may try to go back and do some shooting there!

My group was sent to the "old homestead" where we cleared trees, sticks, weeds, leaves, etc. from a very old foundation that was discovered a few years ago. They're hoping to get funding to excavate the area and do more research to find out what was there and how old it is. Here we are after clearing the area.

And here's a photo of a little baby fox we discovered near the site we were clearing if I get better photos, I'll post them). She followed us around a bit (we had to be careful not to touch her) and then took a little nap. When we left, we heard (and our guide saw) mama fox come and get her.

Marines

I was wrong in my last post. Tonight I really found my new love...Marines. I've decided that I'd like to marry one. And I saw quite a few tonight who would be perfect! ;) Why are they all so hot when they put on that uniform?

My friend Marcia and her husband Ralph were in town this weekend with Ralph's parents for a Marine Corps weekend tour of D.C. & Quantico. Ralph's dad is a retired Marine. They invited me to go with them to the Evening Parade that's held every Friday night at the Marine Barracks downtown (who knew?). It was AMAZING. I love the tradition and honor that's displayed. There were a lot of retired Marines there, who were saluted by every Marine who walked past us. During a time when so many people are anti-war, it's so nice to feel patriotic and spend an evening celebrating this great country surrounded by men and women who are proud to serve. I have the utmost respect for them all...I can't even put it into words. I got all choked up every time the crowd stood and clapped & cheered for the Marines as they marched past. The event lasted just over an hour and included performances by the U.S. Marine Band, the U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, the Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Ceremonial Marchers. We even got to hear the Drum & Bugle Corps play Ode to Joy with the cannons! My all-time favorite part was definitely at the very end when the bugler played Taps (which always gets to me), while standing on top of the barracks in the darkness with a single spotlight on him. Incredible.

One of the most amazing parts of the evening was the Silent Drill Platoon performance. These men are GOOD. The crowd (which was pretty rowdy) was completely silent...and it took my breath away. But really, I could watch Marines perform their drills all day long. I still can't get over the precision...

From the Marines website..."The United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon is a 24-man rifle platoon that performs a unique precision drill exhibition. This highly disciplined platoon exemplifies the professionalism associated with the United States Marine Corps. The Marines execute a series of calculated drill movements and precise handling of their hand-polished, 10 and one-half pound, M-1 Garand rifles with fixed bayonets. The routine concludes with a unique rifle inspection sequence demonstrating elaborate rifle spins and tosses. "

According to the Marines website..."The Evening Parade, held every Friday evening during the summer, has become a universal symbol of the professionalism, discipline, and Esprit de Corps of the United States Marines. Using the resplendent setting of the Barracks, wistful imagination and the Marines' flare for showmanship, the parades were to be a showcase for the ceremonial prowess of Marines and the musical eminence of the U.S. Marine Band, which had achieved international renown under the premier military band leader of all time, John Philip Sousa."

At the end of the night, Ralph took my picture with a really HOT Marine. I'll post it once they send it to me. I'll definitely be going back to check this out again! :) This was the best time I've had in a while! I LOVE MARINES!

A new love...

I've discovered a new love. Liz came back from a trip to Utah with chocolate covered cinnamon bears from the Rocky Mountain Candy Co. HOW have I never tried these before? I've been to Utah many times...WHY haven't any of you taken me to this place? I'll admit, at first I was skeptical. I love chocolate...I love cinnamon bears...but would I love them together? The answer is YES. I. love. them. These bears are GOOD. I've also discovered that you can't order them online. What's that all about? So, the next time anyone comes to visit from Utah (or goes to visit Utah and comes back to D.C.), I'd be happy to accept some of those chocolate covered cinnamon bears! :) YUM!

Russian

I had my first Russian class last night. There are only 5 of us in the class, which is nice because we'll get extra attention, but also can be bad because we'll get extra attention. I think I'm going to enjoy this instructor, if only I can get used to her thick, Russian-accented English! We learned most of the alphabet last night and did a lot of repeating words. I've found that forming some of the sounds is a challenge for my mouth, but I'm confident I'll get it eventually. I think I'll feel better once I learn this new alphabet...right now it's pretty overwhelming. But, I'm really excited about this class and hope to learn enough to get around when I go to Russia. Anna, I may be calling Chase for some assistance with pronounciation!

Here's a little Russian for you all!

Привет мои друзья! Я тоскую без Вас всех!

Dave Matthews - Stuck On You

I've been listening to a lot of DMB lately (in preparation for the summer/fall tour!) and I stumbled across Dave singing this Elvis cover that was too great not to share! Enjoy!