Next time you move, try doing it after a blizzard

This post is for my one follower. Thanks for being a fan! LOL.

The news I was alluding to in my last post was that we bought a house! We had a signed contract back in early December, but our sellers wanted a 60-day close, so we decided on a random Thursday in February, thinking, at least it won't be really hot when we have to move! Hahaha, what jokers we were. We also scheduled our move for that Saturday, thinking--the house is move-in ready, so why wait?

To our horror, just days before our scheduled close & move, the DC area endured one of the worst blizzards in its history, evident by the multiple creative hashtags. Snowmageddon. Snowpocalypse. SnOMG. Snoverdose. Snoverkill. Snowtorious B.I.G. Three feet of snow dumped on an area that normally freaks out over 3 inches. Both of our employers closed their offices for four straight days: Monday through Thursday. At least we had plenty of time to pack!

When Thursday came, we were able to get to the house for the walk-through, and we stuck to main roads driving out to the attorney's office to sign all the paperwork. I used my 4WD in the barely-plowed parking lots & side streets. I've never had to use it before.

After a successful close, we were homeowners! But the move was two days away, and the streets were still a mess. Would our moving truck be able to get through? On Friday, I marched into the county offices to make sure our moving permit was still valid and ask whether signs would be posted on the street, reserving a place for our truck. A very nice employee said he would go straight there and post the signs right away. By noon, the signs were up! Full marks to the county for coming through for us, even after they had been closed several days that week.

Next, I borrowed a snow shovel from a friend, went to our street, and shoveled for 2 1/2 hours. The street had been plowed, but not very well. I tried to shovel as much as I could in between our no parking signs so that the truck could get as close to the curb as possible. Then I shoveled the stairs & walkway back to our small yard, just in case the movers wanted to come through the back. And of course I had to shovel a path through our yard to the door, which was no small feat, considering our tiny yard looked like an above ground pool filled with snow. Some of the drifts were as tall as me.

Saturday arrived, our movers showed up to our apartment building on time, loaded up the truck, and we made the drive to our new place. Miracle of miracles, they were able to park on the street, and there was just enough room for one lane of traffic to get by around them. That didn't stop a crazy neighbor from calling the cops on us, though. Even though traffic could get by, the cops made our movers move the truck over another couple inches. Inches, people! Stupid crazy neighbor!

When it was all said and done, the move only took 4 and 1/2 hours total, which we thought was really good considering the conditions.

We've been homeowners almost a month now, and we LOVE it! It is so nice to actually have some extra space (we went from 950 sq ft to 1700 sq ft) and not have all your possessions sitting on the floor. Plus, we finally have a guest room, so visitors no longer have to sleep on our couch!

A year ago today . . .

we had landed in London for the start of our three month adventure. I admit I woke up feeling kind of blue this morning. How could it possibly have been an entire year ago? It makes me feel old and homesick, except I'm sick for a place that isn't home. I've slacked off on this blog because, well, it has made me sad to look at all the entries about our adventure and know that it is over (and I've also slacked off because I'm a horrible procrastinator, but that's another blog entry).

A year ago today I remember riding in the van from Heathrow into the city, feeling very relieved that we had actually made it with all of our luggage (three suitcases, two carry-ons, and three laptops) and relieved that our flight, the most turbulent flight I have ever been on, was over. (Thank goodness the over two-hour, nonstop turbulence started around 1 a.m. so that I was too exhausted to be frightened).

I remember looking out the windows of the van and seeing London for the first time--patches of snow that our driver pointed out as unusual (which was comical, considering we'd experience the biggest snowstorm in London in 18 years a few weeks later), funny looking road signs (not to mention the whole driving-on-the-left phenomenon), and how different the buildings looked. Street after street of rowhouses and old apartment blocks--nothing like what we have in the States.

I've shifted so far back to life here, that I have to forcibly correct my memories of this first day: the driver was sitting on the right side of the van, not the left. And it is difficult to not romanticize the entire trip. I had plenty of blue days in London. Even though I was so grateful that my employer allowed me to work at home from our flat, I did get lonely sometimes with no one to interact with during the day. I also hated working a shifted schedule, from 11-7, because it meant having to work for 2 hours after M got home. Finally, we didn't have any friends in London, so it could be isolating at times.

All those caveats aside, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I am so thankful that I was able to go. I was able to visit so many places and create so many memories, not only with M, but also with the numerous friends and family members that visited during those brief three months. I need to stop feeling sad when I look back at the pictures because I miss it, and start feeling happy that I had the experience at all. :-)

Now, if only M could work on getting that attaché position in Frankfurt . . . (just kidding, M!)

There will be more trips and more adventures for 2010, and a big one coming up next month. Stay tuned!

My first 10k

I ran my first 10k today.  Yes, that's right--I ran my first half marathon before I ran my first 10k. *shrug*  That's just the way it worked out!  The race was a lot of fun, probably the best race I have ever done, and it benefited the American Heart Association.  This is what I liked about it:

1. The course was great, because the first half is slightly uphill, and the second half is slightly downhill, with a big downhill finish.  

2. They had sponges soaked in cold water on the course!  Sooooooo refreshing on a warm, humid day like today.

3. They had free sno-cones at the finish.  This takes the prize for the best. post-race. food. ever.  Whoever thought of this idea is a genius.

Even though it was warm & humid today, the weather wasn't really that bad.  The temperature was in the low 80s, and it was overcast, so I only ran in direct sunlight about 10 minutes total out of the entire race.  This was my fastest race to-date!  I finished the 6.2 miles with a time of 1:03:50, which is an average mile of 10:17--almost a full minute faster per mile than the half marathon I did two weeks ago!  

Overall, great race, and I'll definitely run this one again.  It's also a great way to go out, because for the next 3 months, I won't run any races and won't even run outside due to the heat & humidity (which is my kryptonite).  My goal for the summer "season" is to work on increasing my speed and pace, for which the treadmill comes in very handy.  Then in the fall I'll start up racing again.

Annapolis Half Marathon

Well, I did it!  I finished my first half marathon.  S and I did it together, which was great (she beat me, but I attribute that to her youth and to the fact I hardly slept at all the night before).  

Why show a picture of us in the car, not at the finish or at least outside?  It is actually a pre-race picture of us waiting until just before the race starts, because it was pouring rain.  Pouring.  It rained for a good hour before the race and for about the first hour into the race, leaving huge puddles that we had to jump over or run around.  At one point on the course, a runner next to me jokingly asked where the rope swing was, because it certainly felt like an obstacle course (though nothing like this).  At least the rain kept the temperature down and the sun hidden away.

I beat my time goal of 2 and a half hours and finished in 2:27:02, for an average mile pace of 11:14.  Not bad considering the longest training run I had ever done was 10 miles, so those last 3.1 miles of the race were uncharted territory, to say the least.  

S and I drove over to Annapolis the day before the race so that we could do a little sightseeing.  It is a cute town, with a cute Main Street, and the Naval Academy is a really pretty place to walk around.  We even saw a wedding there and witnessed the bride & groom exiting the huge chapel.  That same wedding had their reception at our hotel, so it was a little noisy in the halls that evening (not ideal when you're trying to go to sleep early the night before a race).

Main Street; the harbor

Naval Academy entrance; Naval Academy Chapel with wedding guests in front

Thanks, S, for flying up here and doing this with me!  Can't wait for our next one, hopefully this winter in FL.

The swine flu's latest victim: my sanity

The swine flu makes you do strange things in the grocery store.  You don't realize you are talking to yourself until you hear your own voice and notice that people are staring at you.

"Will one box of powdered milk be enough?  It only makes 3 quarts, after all.  That's less than a gallon.  How many bowls of cereal will that make?  I guess we could always water down the milk to make it last longer.  Maybe 2 boxes would be better.  But I can't buy TWO boxes, that's crazy.  one box is still within the bounds of sanity.  We always had a box of powdered milk in the house growing up--the emergency box.  It wasn't the emergency box-es, now was it?  Put the other box back."

"Ooooh, the 93% fat-free ground beef is on sale!  Hmmmmm, how many packages should I get?  At least two.  Okay, three.  Three is enough, right?  Maybe I'll get four--No, no, no, that's crazy.  Wait a minute, when the food is running out, you'll kick yourself for not buying that fourth package.  Put it in the cart.  Hey, and the big packages of boneless/skinless chicken breasts are a lot cheaper per ounce than the small packages!  Why didn't I ever notice that before?  Oh right, because I never needed to buy 6 chicken breasts at a time before now.  I'll throw one package in the cart.  Should I get two?  No, that's crazy.  Wait, not it's not--that's only 12 chicken breasts.  How many meals will that make?  I have no idea.  Put it in the cart."

"Seriously, Harris Teeter?  It's a random Wednesday night and you are completely out of Brach's jelly beans?  Seriously?"

"OMG--I have to fit this all in one cart.  I can't get a second cart--I am not a Duggar!!!!  Just a little rearranging, stick the peanut butter under the reusable bags--whew!  Thank goodness those mini cans of baby peas don't take up too much space."

London Eye

We've wanted to ride the Eye since the first day we saw it, a cold clear January day when I took the picture at left, because it is an amazing thing to behold, considering how it dominates the skyline of London. When our friend K came for a visit last month, we had a new impetus to finally go do it.

Tickets will set you back £17.00 per person, which is no small sum, but we all felt it was worth it, especially because the ride lasts 30 minutes. There was a long queue for tickets, but with so many cashiers working, the line moved very fast, and we waited less than 10 minutes to purchase them. The line to actually board the eye was also fairly quick, with another 10 or so minute wait.

I appreciate that they do not pack the cars full--there were probably 15 people max in our car, which meant we could walk around and view the city from all directions without too much crowding. There are also benches in the middle for those who would rather sit. Apparently you can rent cars for private parties, because the car directly ahead of ours had 5 people in birthday hats eating food & drink with waitstaff with them.

Can you make out the birthday hats in the car in front of us?

The views were really fantastic--I wish it hadn't been quite so overcast, but visibility was still very good (none of that pesky fog, just a few rain clouds).

Looking West: Westminster, Parliament, Big Ben. Looking East: Waterloo, City of London

M & K on the bench; M & me with Big Ben directly between us.

Crowd around a performing group; Car below us above the performing group.

I found myself taking more pictures of the Eye itself than of the views of London! Hehe. Oops. But it is just so unique that I couldn't help it.

Center of the Eye; the car behind us at the zenith of the ride

For more Eye pictures, go to our Picasa album.

Germany Trip Part 2

After visiting Ruttershausen, Kirchberg, and the Staufenberg Ruins, we took August and Hette back to their house, ate lunch (another delicious meal prepared by Dagmar), took a nap, and then the four of us drove to Marburg, which is about half an hour north of Lollar.

Marburg was largely spared during World War II, so the town retains the old world character. It is home to a large university, one of the oldest gothic cathedrals in Germany, as well as its famous castle, which dominates the skyline.

The walk up the hill wasn't too bad, although my calves were sore the next day! After exploring the grounds of the castle and admiring the view, we stopped at a cafe for coffee & hot chocolate before heading back to Lollar. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, and we got a lot of exercise as well!

Old world charm; the main square & Rathaus

Castle; View of the steep walk up the hill!

Karlheinz & Dagmar admiring the view; Elisabethkirche below us

Karlheinz and I discovered that we have the exact same camera! What are the odds? That evening we went to dinner at a restaurant in an old mill where we met Stefan, Dagmar's younger son, and his girlfriend Pirkko. The food was delicious, and we had great conversation. The next morning, August and Hette came over to say goodbye, and Dagmar fixed us an amazing brunch before she and Karlheinz drove us to the train station to catch the train to the airport. It was such a short visit, but I'm very glad we were able to go. Dagmar and Karlheinz were such generous hosts, and our visit was a very enjoyable one.

Pirkko & Stef; Sunday brunch spread

August, Hette, me & M; Dagmar and me

For more pictures of our trip, visit our Picasa Album.

Germany Trip Part 1

From the moment we learned of the opportunity to go to London for 3 months, I was planning a side trip to Germany. I've been there twice before, once in 2000 when I studied abroad for the summer, and once in 2003 when I worked there for the summer. My mother's side of the family is German, with my great-great-great grandmother, Katharina, emigrating in 1858. Her sister remained in Germany, and though they never saw each other again, they corresponded for 40 years, and most of the letters remain. The descendants of both sisters have kept in contact ever since.

No one had made a trip back to Germany to visit those relatives until the early 1960s, when my great-grandfather, Wilfred, left his farm in Indiana, got on a plane for the first time in his life, and touched down in the land of his grandmother. He stayed with a married couple, August & Hette, and their young daughter Dagmar (who is a few years younger than my mother) for several weeks. I never knew Wilfred because he died just a few years after the trip, in 1965. The only members of my family to have visited since Wilfred are my aunt & uncle and myself.

I was excited to go back this time, not only to see my relatives again, but because M would be coming with me, and I would get to show him where the German part of my family comes from. We flew from Heathrow to Frankfurt and then took the train to Giessen, where Dagmar met us and drove us back to where she and her husband Karlheinz live, in Lollar.

That evening we ate a lovely meal at their home, and August & Hette, who live next door, came over and greeted us as well. We talked about the family history, which is actually contained in several books about the local area, as Karlheinz is explaining to M at right. There's even a picture of Katharina and her husband Georg in the book!

The following day we spent sight-seeing, travelling to Ruttershausen, Staufenberg, and Marburg. Our first stop was the tiny village of Ruttershausen, just a few miles from Lollar, where Katharina lived before going to the United States. The picture on the left is the very house that she lived in, amazingly.

August entertained us with many stories, including the tale of Katharina's journey. She traveled to the US all by herself, because Georg had gone over first. Unfortunately most of her possessions were stolen at the very beginning of her trip, and the rest were washed overboard in a storm during the 6-week voyage on the ship.

When she arrived in New York, she had little more than the clothes on her back and a few personal items she always kept with her. I cannot even imagine going through an experience like that! She then traveled by train to northeastern Indiana, where she and Georg settled, and where most of my mother's family still lives.

Ruttershausen; The Lahn River, which feeds into the Rhine

We then made our way to Kirchberg, just across the river Lahn from Ruttershausen, which is the old church that Katharina would have attended when she lived here. It was built over 500 years ago!

Kirchberg; the church interior

The colorful pulpit; The organ built in 1773; Crucifix at the altar

After dropping off the key to the church, we drove by a house on the same street and August mentioned that another cousin lived there. At that moment, the door to the house opened, and a woman came out, so we stopped to talk to her. She invited us in, and we couldn't refuse such hospitality. Her name is Kristal, and she is the same relation to me as August is. She and her husband are in their seventies, but they are still avid travelers--they are going to Dubai later this year! I was able to follow most of the conversation in German, and Dagmar & August translated the rest. They both speak very good English, as does Karlheinz.

Me and cousin Kristal; Dagmar pointing to the map of Ruttershausen

Next we drove a few miles to the Staufenberg castle & ruins. I believe the ruins are over 700 years old, and there is also a hotel/restaurant on the site. We climbed to the very top of the ruins and enjoyed a view of the surrounding countryside, even though it was gray and foggy.

Entrance to the Staufenberg hotel; the old castle ruins

Looking down from the top of the stairs; View of the surrounding village

This brought back memories of my last visit, when it was one of the hottest summers on record! Here's a blast from the past--one of the few pictures I have from that trip in digital format.

Me in 2003; Me in 2009 at the same spot

Next up--Marburg!

Free Wifi is Awesome!

I'm currently on the train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh and taking advantage of their free wifi.  Sure, maybe it's a little slow, and maybe it cuts out every so often, but it's FREE.  And there are convenient outlets at every seat.

In 4 1/2 hours, we'll be in Scotland.  Yippee!

Greenwich (Family Visit Part 3)

For Thursday, our last full day together, we were contemplating taking a trip to Hampton Court Palace or Windsor. In the end we chose neither, opting for a trip down the river Thames to Greenwich, and it was a great decision. Even after just one visit, I adore Greenwich, and if I could move into the observatory, I would. But more on that in a second.

To get to Greenwich, you can either ride the Tube and switch to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) at Canary Wharf, or you can get on one of the boats that cruise the Thames. We chose the faster, slightly cheaper commuter boat pictured here, the Thames Clippers, over the slower, slightly more expensive & more touristy boat. The commuter boat took about 40 minutes to travel from the Waterloo Millennium Pier (which is located right beneath the London Eye) to Greenwich. The trip on the river was a lot of fun and very scenic! It is a great way to view the city.

The London Eye; St Paul's & Millenium Bridge (doesn't it resemble a spine?)

Tower of London; Tower Bridge from the East

After we disembarked from the pier at Greenwich, we walked by the Cutty Sark, which unfortunately was closed for renovations. Feeling a bit peckish, we stopped at a local pub, the Spanish Galleon, for a bite to eat. I had a cheddar & pickle sandwich, which was quite tasty.

Then we walked toward the green spaces, of which there are many in Greenwich! I couldn't stop taking pictures of all the daffodils that were blooming. It was so lovely! I've limited myself to only posting a few of them here, and it was a very difficult editing process, I assure you. :)

Such a handsome bunch!

Okay, okay, enough flowers. :)

One of the nice things about Greenwich is that most of the sights are free! And of course, the beautiful vistas don't cost anything either, like the view towards Canary Wharf, at left, and the marvelous juxtaposition of old & new it provides.

Our first stop was the National Maritime Museum, which contains Lord Nelson's coat and more ship models & naval memorabilia than you can shake a stick at. From there we walked over to the Queen's House, which is a beautiful building (unfortunately no photos allowed inside) that has been turned into an art gallery. Upon exiting the Queen's House, our eyes beheld the Royal Observatory, perched upon a hill just behind us, and hiked to the top.

Royal Observatory; The road to the Observatory

Upon reaching the top of the hill, you are rewarded with the most amazing views of London that I've seen. On the far left, you can see the City of London, including St. Paul's and the Gherkin, straight ahead is Canary Wharf, and to the right are landmarks such as the distinctive O2 Arena.

City of London; Greenwich & Canary Wharf

The park on top of the hill; Mom & Dad

The Royal Observatory was really interesting. It was commissioned by King Charles II in 1675 with the purpose of charting the night skies in order to provide the data to ships so that they could calculate longitude at sea by examining the stars. The story of how they solved the longitude "problem" is fascinating, and I spent a lot of time looking at all the exhibits in the museum.

Time & longitude are directly related, and knowing the time at a certain reference point is needed in order to calculate it. One way to figure out the time at the reference point was to bring a clock with you that was set to that time. But this was not easy. We think nothing of buying a $10 watch that we can take with us on planes, trains & automobiles now, but finding a mechanical time piece that would work accurately on a ship was a challenge. The British Government set up a Longitude Prize in 1714 to encourage people to tackle this problem, and even then it took 50 years before John Harrison solved it with his chronometer.

The other problem was where to set up the reference point. After an international convention, it was decided (with notable detractors such as France, not surprisingly) to place it in Britian. Probably the most famous attraction in Greenwich, located in (or I should say running through) the Royal Observatory, is the Prime Meridian.

Prime Meridian

After taking in one last view of the city beneath us, we headed back down to town and rode the rails home instead of the river. When we arrived from the DLR to the Canary Wharf tube station, I was shocked at how huge it was. The place was a zoo, especially since we were there right at rush hour. But it was all very orderly. At many stations along the Jubilee line, there are doors at the platform, so you know exactly where the doors of the train will be. This allows people to queue for the train in a fairly civilized manner.

I think I still prefer the river journey, though, and if we had bought return tickets, it would have been about the same price as the tube/DLR method. And even a few extra pounds would be worth it to not be squished in a hot, crowded car.

I'm so glad that my family was able to visit! I was very sad to see them go. We had a great time and now have lots of memories.

For more Greenwich pictures, go here.