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!

Weekend

What a nice, relaxing weekend...we really needed it! We all had crazy weeks and just needed some time to relax. I ran some errands (and cleaned) on Saturday and then hung out with Michelle B. who was in town visiting from Colorado. It was great to see her and get to catch up! On Sunday I had to teach the rugrats (I mean 6-year-olds), which was good, but I'm always exhausted afterwards. We all relaxed in the afternoon, had dinner with our friend Jamie and then watched "Extreme Makeover Home Edition", which we all love. And now it's Monday again...oh joy.

And of course, Friday was the big steak dinner at Ray's the Steaks. We had to wait in line for an hour and a half (they don't take reservations), but it was SO worth it! Hands down the best steak I've ever had. The restaurant is great. It's super tiny, nothing on the walls, plain tables & chairs, but great service and amazing food! They were quick to get our food out to us, which was nice because we were STARVING by the time we got seated. We started with soup (I had incredible crab bisque), then had our steaks (I had a filet with blue cheese sauce), enjoyed the sides (mashed potatoes and creamed spinach) and finished with dessert (I had strawberries and cream, which was to die for!). All that, plus a soda and a generous tip and I walked out of there only spending $40! I'll definitely go back and anyone who comes to visit MUST try this place out!

The NFL draft was very interesting. Brady Quinn had to wait until pick #22 and then ended up being drafted by the Cleveland Browns?!? Poor guy. I think the Steelers had a successful draft. We picked up some good defensive talent and I'm anxious to see what Mike Tomlin does with the team this year. I love the summer, but I'm excited for football season!

Idol Gives Back - Stars perform

If you haven't seen yet...it's pretty funny! Needless to say, I just figured out how to post youtube videos to my blog. :)