A Christmas Carol

         I have had many exciting experiences lately; but this one takes the cake. Last night I went to "A Christmas Carol" at Fords Theater. I got there early, and was able to grab some hot cocoa before heading into the museum in the basement of the building. It was really neat being able to see the museum before the show, and there were a few people around who knew what they were talking about; so I stuck close and learned a lot. Around 7:00 the seating was open, so we went up and found our seats. I was in the fourth row on the left side of the orchestra seating. It was a better seat than I could have hoped for.
Although one of the upsides of going to a theater as historic as Fords Theater is certainly an upside, it's a bit unsettling too. They have preserved the presidents box with flags and a picture, and it is an odd feeling to be sitting in the same room where a great president was shot. It was certainly an experience you simply won't get anywhere else.
          The play itself was fantastic. The first scene began with the characters entering on stage, as well as through the doors into the audience. Throughout the play the cast spoke with each other, as well as to the audience at occasional points. The play itself was incredibly well-cast, and was very enchanting. Jacob Marley was certainly a sight to see, and Scrooge was an incredibly well played part. This is my second time seeing A Christmas Carol, and it is a play that I will surly remember for years to come.

There Goes Sandy

Two-Tone tree outside my window

So, with the weekend came the so-called Frankenstorm known as Sandy. With the impending storm on it's way I made sure the cabinets held two gallons of spare water, and the bathtub was filled as soon as the roomies finished showering. I can't say that all of this was a waste, since not even the amazingly accurate weatherman can predict exactly where a storm will land. Fortunately for us, the storm seemed to have overlooked us in terms of rushing rivers and over ten inches of snow. The downside is others are still living with that reality, so my prayers (and hopefully yours as well) are with those families at this time.

This five story tree (pictured on the left) was bent sideways by the wind last night. It is truly extraordinary to see the pure power of nature, and yet still be able to sit cuddled in safety. The full wrath of Sandy may not have hit my neighborhood, but there was certainly a mighty storm blowing through. Our road resembled a small river while the winds took their toll. The amazing thing is I never lost power, and the lights only flickered a few times throughout the evening. Some may say it has to do with the underground power lines, or the fact that the storm went right over our heads and headed for the North. But, regardless of what others say, I'm calling my safety a gift of my Lord, and I'm counting my blessings.

This morning I spoke with my dad on the phone, and when I told him the storm seemed to be on it's way out he proclaimed it was picture time. And although the warmth of my bed still called to me, I eventually showered, checked my cameras battery life, and headed outside. Although there wasn't a lot to photograph, and the brisk wind kept me close to home, I'm glad I did. As is my M.O., I stuck primarily to the leaves, trees, and of course the drenched sidewalk. No matter what angle you take, the world outside my front door is certainly drenched.

Perfect Fall Mix

So, I have three or four posts that I started and saved, but never got around to posting. I suppose the insanity of classwork and schoolwork and portfolio work, not to mention tangle time and sightseeing leaves much to be desired on my poor little blog. So, as a recap; the last few weeks have been busy, and yet amazing. 

Lockheed Blackbird Wing Logo

A few weekends ago I went to visit the Air and Space Museum part II. Also known as the Air and Space Museum: Udvar-Hazy Center.They say it's practically the overflow room for the "real" Air and Space, but I don't believe them; not one bit. The Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC that everyone knows is located on the Mall; right where everyone thinks it ought to be. The missing fact here is the large airplane hanger hiding out in Virginia far surpasses it's better-known sibling. Like most good tourists I went to "ooo" and "ahh" at the Air and Space Museum, but then more recently spent a much longer time heading down to the huge hanger in Virginia. At this location I got to see huge quantities of real aircraft, up close and personal. Of course, I will forever say that the primary treasure is the Lockheed Blackbird. I think that many others would agree with this point, but that isn't to say it's the only amazing hunk of metal in the hanger. Although I would probably still have taken the trip even if it was.

As you can see on the left, this was no little hanger filled with tinker toys. And this photograph is only one portion of the full hanger. I was constantly in awe of just how big (or how small!) these aircraft are. They span over decades, back to some early models that look as if the Wright brothers built them in their backyard. However, the really neat thing is to know that each and every one has lifted off, and come down safely, bringing humans (quite literally) to new heights. Of course, there can't be an air and space museum without both air AND space. And in this field, this hanger certainly delivered. The Space side was certainly a smaller room, however it still packed a pretty good punch. 

The main exhibit there was the Enterprise. This huge space shuttle (pictured on the left) had a pretty unique story to go with it. The obvious story is the knowledge that it took men to space, but the other neat story is that to get to this hanger, it just hitched a ride on another aircraft. What a sight that must have been too see!

Another section that blew me away in the space portion was the sheer size of the missals. Some reached from floor to ceiling in a huge airplane hanger, others were short but very fat. I couldn't even imagine having the audacity to drop one of those on my enemies, regardless of the waging wars.

The Lil' Stinker
This ones apparently named after my Dad ;) 

That's all for tonight. I should be able to keep my blog a little bit more current now that it's up and running again. So there shall be more coming soon :)

Monday Comes Again

Alright, so to be honest this post is a few weeks old now. I started it and then ran behind on getting everything up-to-date. So here's the post from a few weeks back, and more will soon follow!

And so at last my weekend has ended, and a new week emerges. Currently I'm watching the clock tick on, praying that my food in the refrigerator won't go bad with the current power outage. As far as my roommate is concerned, killing food that belongs to interns with zero income is just wrong. I'm still praying for power before the food rots.

These Leaves were just too cool!

Anyways, I'm glad to say that Monday is only a half day, but that's only half true. I go into work for a few hours, then I leave and go straight to programming. These "programs" are really just lectures typically based on how interns can better themselves in the years to come. Most of the time the speaker is interesting and can hold the audiences attention... but at other times it's a bit hard to focus. Regardless it does help break up the day and therefore I'm grateful for a change. Tonight there is a resume workshop that I hope is really helpful. In order to leave Washington successfully (and with a good grade), I must be attentive and flexible at my internship (32-36 hours a week), finish a complete portfolio (pieces    are do in 1-2 week intervals), and also do well in my class which mostly consists of essays of various lengths.

My little Caterpillar!

This weekend left very little to be desired. On Sunday I went to the U.S. Botanical Garden, and then to the National Air and Space Museum. It was a really amazing day although I must say I missed having my family around for tons (TONS) of photo opportunities. The little Caterpillar on the left was not easy to take a picture of, especially with the wind blowing. However, I finally got this shot that I'm pretty proud of; and I think it was very artistic with the flowering plants in the background. I think if they would let me I'd move into the Botanical Gardens. There was just so much to see and it was beyond relaxing.

My blogspot simply doesn't want to agree with where I choose to place my photographs, so I will randomly assort them below :)

Baby Pineapple <3

Straight out of Dr Seuss!

Misty colored leaves

Have a Good Week Everyone!!!

Unconnected

These days it seems you can't do anything or go anywhere without a cell phone. Unfortunately, that means that when yours goes missing, you are pretty much unconnected until some sort of recovery plan kicks in. In my case, my phone has become one with natural history. I must say it's an odd feeling when you reach for your phone only to be reminded that it's gone (very likely for good). Of course, loosing a phone in a museum is far from the worst that can happen in this day in age, and modern technology has even made it easy to recover all lost data. It's funny how you can loose your phone, and very suddenly have time for everything else. I've been meaning to update this blog for weeks now, then I lost my cell phone last night and suddenly I have time to do homework, and even blog a little.

Living in Washington, DC has been positively amazing. Well, aside from last week when incorrectly thawing some chicken gave me food poisoning. Whoops! The most disappointing side of that was missing the National Book Festival that was supposedly a lot of fun, and also happens to only be around for one weekend. Oh well, life always moves forward.

I have made a list of all the things I want to do and DC, and as a result I think that I need to get moving. I still have a few more months living in the Capital... but I'm afraid I'll blink and be back home. And since my internship runs the entire week, it's up to me to keep weekends on the track to adventure. I have tons of photographs to upload soon, and then I'll be able to give a full account of my recent whereabouts in the big city.

That's all for now though, I'm off for yet another big adventure!

A Touring Day 09/04

This Blog starts the new adventure that I am soon to embark on. As of recently I have moved into an apartment in the nations capitol, Washington DC. On Monday I will begin an internship with the Attorney General's office, and I can not wait for things to start up. However, although my excitement is nearly overwhelming, this is my last truly free week before everything begins; and I plan to make the most of it. While today is mostly been consumed with getting everything checked off of my to-do list, yesterday was a day on the mall. My first trip out here alone was to a tour of the Capitol Building. It was about an hour long tour and went through all the main buildings. It was very exciting to be in an building that was so important in this nations capitol. 

Here's a look at this incredible building from the outside. After being inside for so long it was odd looking at the outside and knowing that I had been roaming through the halls only moments before. I think that a lot of this had to do with the fact that you don't simply walk up the stairs, but rather you go through the information center and pop up in the crypts of the building. 

This is the inside of the dome, which was an amazing painting. The tour guide told us that the painter had to go up on scaffolding to make this painting. If you look closely, it's George Washington sitting at a table with Lady Liberty at his right side.

After going to the Capitol Building I headed on to the National Museum of the American Indian. I wasn't really sure what I would find, but I was really glad that I went. The building outside was an architectural wonder. Inside the exhibits were set up in a way that was almost disorienting. The exhibits themselves were very interesting and I gained a great insight into the lives of those native to America. 

Here's the entrance way to the Museum. The whole building was huge and there was just so much too look at. The front doors are made of thick slabs of glass, engraved in ancient symbols, a perfect way to begin the experience.

These are part of the first exhibit that I looked at. They actually look bigger in this picture than they really were. In fact, they were made to fit an infants little feet, and I just couldn't help posting a picture of them.

 This was part of a newer exhibit on the necessity of horses. This buffalo head has actually been altered as a mask of sorts for a horse, and the slits where the buffalo's eyes once were fit the horses ears. All in and all it was a great head mask for a very confused horse.

I couldn't help but take a few snapshots of the arrowhead exhibit. It was a very long wall that took a stereotype of the native peoples and made it into a great exhibit.

The past week has been extremely fun, and a little bit exhausting. I can't wait to find what the rest of my time here in Washington DC will hold, and I certainly cannot wait to find out.