Niagara Falls & Palmyra

This weekend was a big one --- I traveled to New York! Let me start from the beginning of the trip.

{Friday}
After Leanne got off work on Friday, she stopped by my place to pick me up. (This was convenient since she works just off of Fleet Street down from where I live.) We drove to her place where Christian picked us up, and the weekend began.

Friday evening was spent driving to our hotel near Buffalo, New York (I am not sure what city it was in). That took us approximately 7.0 hours. After a good time of snacking on pretzels and Oreos, laughing, and a few pit stops for gas and dinner, we arrived at Super 8 at 1:30 a.m. I slept like a rock that night.

{Saturday}
After eating a complimentary breakfast, we made our way to Niagara Falls.

It was absolutely breathtaking! My first view of Niagara Falls even had a rainbow to complete it. It was absolutely fascinating to look at and watch the water surge over the rocks.

I could hardly believe that I was there! Here is a picture of me just happy to be there. Proof that I made it almost to Canada. :)

There were a lot of tourists, which makes sense, but I was amazed at the amount of Asian Indians around. There were a few gift shops and restaurants that were Indian --- my personal favorite was one called Bollywood that was playing music reminding me of "Bride and Prejudice."

I could see Canada just across the water. All I would need to do to be in a different country would be to cross over the bridge. Since I did not have a passport, this was not an option. In any case, that was the closest I have been to another country!

I asked a guy to take a picture of the three of us. From left to right: Christian, Leanne, and me. We paid a dollar to go out on a deck that had been built to better observe the falls. It actually looks like you get the best view from the Canadian side, but we did not go over there for reasons previously discussed.

There is a trail people walk up
to get closer to the falls, but you
definitely get drenched going up!

Our view of the stage from our seats.

 After we decided that we had had our fill of the view, and enough of the mist to cool us off, we left Niagara Falls and found Leanne's uncle that lives in Buffalo for lunch. She had not seen her uncle in several years, or met his wife yet (they had been married for three years), so it was convenient for her to catch up with them. They were very friendly, and extremely hospitable. It was a pleasant experience. As we left, I felt like I had just visited with family.

We drove to Palmyra for the Hill Cumorah Pageant. We arrived there that afternoon, so we saved our seats for later with a blanket.

A close up of the stage hours before the pageant began.

We then took a hike up the actual Hill Cumorah and admired the view from the top as well as a monument placed there. A statue of the Angel Moroni was a reminder of the events that took place nearly two hundred years ago.

The view of the stage on
top of the Hill Cumorah.

 Leanne told us that the artist that carved the statue had modeled the face of Angel Moroni after her great grandfather. (If not great grandfather, then a direct ancestor i.e. great, great grandfather, etc.) Naturally, we had to get a picture showing the family resemblance. :)

After we hiked back down the hill (which was very steep by the way), we headed over to the Joseph Smith farm area also in Palmyra. A visitor center is built there, but just outside of it a man stopped us and told us that they were not giving tours due to the pageant. I guess the pageant brought in too many visitors for the staff to handle in previous years, so they discontinued the tours during the weeks of the pageant. However, there were missionaries stationed at some of the stops to explain a few details of each building or structure.

Here I am in front of the log home of Joseph Smith Sr. It was quite small. I could hardly imagine fitting so many people in such a tiny space.

As we walked along the Smith property, I could see the Palmyra temple peeking through the trees. It was neat to see it from that location.

We walked around and saw several other buildings including the Smith frame home, and a barn from the same era.

After learning about beehives in the hollow stumps of trees, we walked through the Sacred Grove. It was a peaceful place, and I enjoyed listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees. I felt totally comfortable there.

Throughout the grove, along the pathways are benches placed for anyone to sit and ponder. If chance would permit, I would love to spend more time there; if I could, I would go everyday.

We stopped by the printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first published. Missionaries were again stationed to explain and answer questions. It was a big job to publish 5,000 copies of one book and it took them about 23 months to complete the job.

We got dinner and made it to the pageant about an hour before it started. The performers were out and about dressed in their costumes greeting everybody they could talk to. It was fun to see the variety of costumes and ages of the actors. Some were grouped in families, others by twos; some carried a Book of Mormon, other held programs and pass-along-cards. Many were eager to talk and make a contact.

As we waited in our chairs, two boys came and talked to us and gave me a program. Later, two girls talked to us and shared a favorite scripture. The last 25 minutes or so of waiting, we played Uno cards. A little Hispanic boy named Adrian wandered over when he saw the cards and asked to play. I helped him play on my team. Of course, as soon as he joined me, we began winning. He was cute and enjoyed talking to us. Before the pageant started, his mother called him over and thanked us for playing with him. 


I smiled when he came back to show me his angry birds pillow that he proudly displayed. 


The Hill Cumorah Pageant started as soon as it was dark. It was a beautiful performance. I learned earlier that everyone auditioned and began practice only a week prior to opening night (Friday). I was amazed that so much could happen in such a short period of time.

The pageant was about an hour and a half long, but we did not get out of the parking lot and to our hotel until midnight. My eyes were irritated and red by that point, so I wore glasses all of Sunday.

{Sunday}
The next day we woke up early and ate breakfast before driving down to Fayette for church. We went to Sacrament meeting in this building which serves as a church and a visitor's center at the Whitmer farm.

There were missionaries that gave details about the artifacts in the visitor's center.

 Outside of the church is a little log cabin where the church was first organized on April 6, 1830. (If I remember my dates correctly.) What a neat location to be at on a Sunday. I can only imagine what those saints were thinking as they knelt in that humble home, most likely unaware of how big this church would grow to become.

We left Fayette and drove along the Finger Lakes down to Harmony (Oakland), Pennsylvania. We wanted to hit the site of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.

We made it. Here is the monument showing Joseph and Oliver Cowdery kneeling. Just to the left of this is a cemetery were Joseph and Emma Smith buried an infant son. The grave was difficult to find at first, since we had no idea what to look for, but we found it on the far left hand back corner of the cemetery.

Along the way, I found a cool headstone that I liked, so I took a picture of it. 

We looked at a map to get over to the river, but we missed it the first couple of times. It was really hard to find in that it was not very well marked. We made it though. For future reference, turn right on the very next road past the cemetery (by the barn) and drive down the dirt road on the other side of the railroad tracks. At the end of the dirt road is a trail. It's a short walk, and it might be muddy. The view is beautiful.

It started to rain and we made it back in our car just in time. We drove home to Baltimore. It was a long drive. At one point along the freeway, it was like a parking lot for an hour. A couple of ambulances had passed us, so I assume it was because of a wreck.

Just after we got through the slow traffic, it started to rain again. This time it poured. It was like it came down in sheets of rain so thick that it was difficult to see. All we could make out was the car's tail lights just ahead of us.

The rain also slowed traffic considerably. Our drive home was a little longer than we had hoped or anticipated. 

It was difficult to believe our luck when we happened upon another accident just before we reached Maryland. It did not look pretty.

I am so glad that we made it home safely. I even talked to my family on the phone on the drive back. Well, I talked to Mom, Dad, and Jacob, so not the whole family, but some.

It was a good weekend. I am glad that I had the opportunity to go, as well as return, safely.

In God We Trust

Last week I had the opportunity to be at our nation's capital on the beloved day of independence. Natalie was kind enough to drop Curtis and I off at Greenbelt, and we rode the metro into Washington DC. It was a popular day to be in the District, and the metro was almost completely filled. 


As we left Union Station, we passed the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Since my father works at the post office, I felt as though I held a deep connection to this building: so much that I stopped to get a picture. (This is for you Dad!)

Anyway, we started walking and saw the Capitol building. It is magnificent to look at. I enjoyed it. Also, Curtis took my picture by it.

I am small, but that is me on the steps of the Capitol!

We continued on, but ended up back at Union Station. We had walked in a big circle, actually I think it might have been more of a triangle or some abstract polygon. In any case, I took a picture of some pretty flowers. That makes everything better. 

After walking in circles, we oriented ourselves and made our way to China town. Curtis served a LDS mission in Taiwan, so he loves Chinese things and speaks the language fluently. We explored --- meaning I looked at the Chinese characters and asked Curtis what they said --- and ate food. Of course, since I could not read Chinese, Curtis decided where we ate. The service was wonderful, the waiter refilled my glass of water about six times; it was a hot day. The food was good, but I can not tell you where or what I ate.

A display about resonating asteroids, it was super cool!

Once our bellies were filled, we left China town and headed in the direction of the mall. Curtis was getting a sunburn so we decided on something indoors. I directed us to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. This was a perfect opportunity to enjoy the museum. I passed every exhibit that I did not see on the previous trip I had taken with Natalie. 

Curtis with "the man"
in one of the exhibits.

The museum was laid out showing technology as it progressed. There was an entire display on Orville and Wilbur Wright. Their lives were mapped out leading up to the first airplane. The actual plane that they made and flew is there! (See picture on the right.) The museum had placed new      fabric on the frame to restore it, but the frame has remained unchanged. It is displayed with a manikin placed where Orville or Wilbur would have piloted the air craft. It looks a bit unsafe, but I can only imagine what an adventure it must have been!

I also gawked at some fantastic space shuttles and remnants of space crafts. It was all so cool!

When the clock reached dinner time, Curtis and I made our way out of the museum in search of food. We found a pizza and wings place called Fuel and ordered a couple of calzones. 


After some time, I had begun to notice everyone that had ordered after us was served. I started to grow impatient once they finished eating and left. A couple that had been waiting for some time as well finally received their food, and remarked that we must have ordered the world's largest pizza since we had been waiting so long. A waiter came to our table and asked what we had ordered commenting on how long we had waited. We told him and he immediately brought our food out and got us complimentary barbecue wings and drinks. He even came around with moist towelettes for us to wipe our hands with when we were finished.

I am glad our wait paid off in the end. Extra food and top notch service sounds great.

We walked back to the Capitol to watch the fireworks. It was crowded. Some fireworks started, but I could only see half of them due to our location. It looked like they were closer to the Smithsonian museums than we were.

Although, just across the pool in front of the Capitol, real cannons were set off. That gave the 4th of July a whole new meaning for me. I knew what it was about before, but hearing the cannons  is a reminder why we set off fireworks in the first place. It was so real.

Worrying that we could miss our train, we started walking in the direction of Union Station. We actually ended up with a better view of the grand finale than the entire fireworks show. I tried taking a picture of the fireworks, but I was pretty unsuccessful. My camera was being sensitive to movements and my hand was not steady enough. Oh well.

Inside Union Station

We took the Amtrak back to Penn Station in Baltimore. It was the last train at Union Station. I am glad we did not miss it! 


As the train pulled away, I could see more fireworks out the window. My guess is that we left just before a firework show, or that we were in the wrong place to see them clearly. :(

My train ticket --- I rode on a train!

Back in Baltimore, I still needed to make it home. Given a play of certain events, I ended up taking a cab back. I had exactly $15 on me (a $10 bill and a $5 bill). I was a little dismayed when we got to the light that I wanted at exactly $10.00, and the driver waited through it to pull up in a driveway putting me at $10.40. Since I did not have change, I gave him a large tip. That was not exactly what I was planning for. 


Altogether, it was a great experience. What better way to celebrate the 4th of July but in Washington DC! I could not help but remind myself of the founding principles of our nation. When I look at a US coin, I love to see our motto engraved boldly to the world: in God we trust.

patchwork experiences

There seem to be a few overarching themes of conversations that I do not think I have disclosed on this blog so far. I just have remembered some random little things that have happened that I have not really blogged about yet. So here it goes . . . a patchwork quilt of the pieces not yet shared.

First and foremost, I must introduce how I felt at the lab my first week or so. I basically met Kristin and then I have been following her around everywhere. She lets my use an extra lab coat that she has with her name on it and some goggles (or else I would be wearing the ridiculous 70s glasses). I felt like a "Kristin clone," only I look nothing like her, and I am at least half a foot taller. 

Also, very importantly, I discovered what an "E-gel" was a few weeks ago. Fantastic! I have done several electrophoresis gels, but this was different for two reasons: the gel was pre-made and we did NOT submerge it in solution. Oh, and a third reason: it was not an ethidium bromide gel either. It also ran REALLY fast! I opened the gel out of a package, loaded the samples (I did not use loading dye), and pressed "Go" and it ran for 12 minutes. I think that we by far the fastest gel I have ever ran! As a bonus, it was pretty much adorable since it was a fourth of the size (or less) of the usual gels that I would run at Utah State. (Smaller things are always cuter, right?) I don't think most of you would really care, but I thought it was wonderful (in case you couldn't tell so far). 

Kristin introduced me to penguin watching. (See link if interested.) I guess they used to have cameras that showed penguins live, but now it is recorded footage.


I am reading a schizophrenia book (I think I've mentioned it before) right now and I find myself over analyzing the traits of the disease. I almost feel as though I am ready to diagnose myself with a case of schizophrenia from some of the small symptoms. Some of these include, "poorer coordination," "changes in sleep or eating patterns" (what college student doesn't eat or sleep enough?), and I quote the book, "it is hardly surprising to find excessive religious preoccupation listed in the early stages of schizophrenia." I had to laugh at myself for developing a mild case of hypochondriasis, as I learned in anatomy last summer. Hypochondriasis is basically what doctors diagnose someone with that believes they have a serious illness based on few to none symptoms. I don't think I need to be worried at this point --- no auditory hallucinations, I think I'm good. 

I have a Rita's gelati (Italian ice and frozen custard) in my freezer. I have been eating off it for a week, but it is so sweet that I can not down it in one sitting. Maybe I will finish it today. We'll see about that. 

I have been noticing accents since I have been here. I walked into the conference room at the lab on overheard a conversation with someone saying "toe-mate-ah." Let's just say that I was thoroughly amused. At the bus stop one day, I heard a girl telling her little brother to "count frum one to tea-en." I love listening to people. I asked Natalie if I had a noticeable accent. She pointed out that I say "fillings" instead of "feelings," I had never thought about that before; I guess that's the point of an accent. 

I have my own small box in the freezer of the lab. I put my cute little (again, small things are adorable) samples of extracted protein from milk in this box. Kristin told me to label it however I desired: I call it the "smile box." It is written on yellow tape and completed with a smiley face. :) Since then I have acquired another box, one to put in the cold cabinet (fridge rather than a freezer), but I have not labeled that one yet . . . I just can not think of anything creative enough that I want to label it, I guess. 

When it rains the people in my lab act almost grumpy. They do not like the cloudy, gray skies and complain about the rain. I tell them that I think rain is pretty. I have gotten some funny reactions. 

There was a fly. It landed in the glove box. I captured the fly in the glove box. Then I had to let it outside. Kristin and I took the elevator down eleven stories and outside to let a fly out of the glove box. What else can you do with a fly in a glove box?

In Baltimore there are a few interesting flavors of chips. I got a little curious, and now I have "crab chips." Basically the chips are seasoned with Old Bay (what crab is seasoned with) and stuffed in a bag. It is different than what I am used to, but I think they might be growing on me. Old Bay is really popular here. People put it on just about everything, like french fries or peanuts. 

Call me crazy, but I am planning for the fall, already. I drew out my schedule for my classes on note paper and looked up the textbooks that I need. I know, I am weird. I just can't help myself.

Kristin says that she is not sure when I am serious or sarcastic. Considering that I am not really sarcastic that much of the time, I find that hard to believe. Maybe she just finds it hard to believe that I actually mean what I am saying because it is not the cool thing, or smart. . . . I don't know.

If I had a nickname associated with the laboratory, it would have to be either "P 20" or "aliquot." Kristin does not like the 20 uL pipet and so I have somewhat adopted it to be my favorite. Between that and two years ago when I first learned the word "aliquot" in the InnovaBio Lab; I have a couple of words that could easily become nicknames for me. I really like the word aliquot; I do not know why, I just think it sounds cool. 


For some reason, when I think about how much I like the work aliquot, I remember that I also like the word ampersand. Why do I like these words? Not a clue.


While I am the subject of pipets, sometimes when you are doing an entire 96 well plate, your arm gets tired. It sounds a little funny to complain about your forearm hurting, so sometimes we have to mention how we are developing pipetter's muscle, as we like to call it. My pipetter's muscle is getting buff! :)

I can hardly believe that I am halfway through with it all. It is going by so fast! In another month I will be leaving Baltimore to Salt Lake City. A month after that, I will be back in school. Time does fly by!


Also, I finally finished my post about my birthday. It is complete if you cared to know. 

Birthday in Washington DC

Alright, so it has been over a week since I have written. I know I have been slacking off a bit, but if I had not been so on top of it previously, I would have set the expectation low first off. Okay, just kidding. Here is what has been happening as of late in the life of Elizabeth.

I am going to start off by saying that I bought myself some shoes. I do not commonly buy things for me, but when I see exactly what I love, then I buy it. What happened is this: I found what I love. I ordered a pair of jazz shoes. Suede. Beige. 1920s. Beautiful. 


I ordered them online and waited patiently for them to be mailed to my apartment. I decided they would be my early birthday present. A package arrived last Monday. I opened the box and instantly fell in love. The best part is that I fall in love all over again each time I lace them up or take them off. Wearing them makes me want to do the Charleston. Oh, and they were conveniently on sale for $6.99. Does that mean I am getting old if I bought myself a birthday present? If so, I am what I am, I suppose. 


With my shoes out of the way, let's talk about the weather. It is hot. On Friday I distinctly remember chatting with Emily (from the singles ward) about the temperature. She went to "hot yoga" that day and all they did was open the windows. (Hot yoga is basically where people do yoga in a sauna.) It was so hot that you did not need to pay for someone to heat up a room; you could have rolled your mat out on the street and done yoga there, although it would probably not be recommended to do so given the people of Baltimore.

Sometime this week (I think it was Tuesday?), Taylor (from the lab) found out that I was 18 years old and did not believe me. I was thoroughly amused when he began to tell me how old I really was (I think he decided my official age was 22). He quizzed me on what year I was born and when I graduated from high school to find an inconsistency in my story. Triumphant, he exclaimed that I could not be 18 and done with two years in college, well make that four (sort of). So typical.

Friday night I went to the Dundalk Fair to listen to the Styx pianist, Dennis Deyoung, with Emily, Lauren, and Curtis. It was fun, and I tried funnel cake for the first time in my life. Funnel cake is good; it is extremely unhealthy and addicting, but delicious.

Later that night, just before going to bed my brother, Jacob, called me. It was great talking to him and he wished me a happy birthday. Not only that, but he talked to me for 12 whole minutes! I think that might be a record for a phone call between us. I really appreciated him remembering me like that. I am proud of the choices he has made recently. I absolutely love the girl he married; she is perfect for our family!

It was really stormy Friday night. Wind, lightning, thunder, rain, (maybe even hail?), in any case, it was fierce. The storm brought down some trees and took out a lot of people's power around Baltimore AND all the way down to Washington DC. We slid by without a flicker in our little row house. I am glad we got off the hook so easily.

Saturday morning I read an email from my brother Isaac. It was a wonderful response to an email that I had sent him, but his was about two or three times the length of the one I sent him. My brothers make me cry. In a good way. I love them and I could not imagine my life without them. They make me so happy and I love to be with them.

My birthday card from my family

I hung around the house until a package came for me in the mail. I do not normally hope for packages, but I was told to expect this one. My family had sent me a birthday package! I had rice crispies imported from Utah, a large cat card (see picture), a 3 x 5 card signature flip book, and to top it all off, *drum roll please* a new WiFi digital camera!

So thank you Mom for the camera! Otherwise these pictures would not have been possible. I hope that the other camera can still be fixed. I think it has a bit of sand that got in it. I do feel bad about that.

We drove until just outside of DC and rode
the metro in to the city!

When Natalie got home on Saturday (her sister just had a baby) and my birthday package had arrived, we made a trip down to Washington DC. The plan was to go to a party hosted by Natalie's in-law's in-laws. (Alright, family connection of some sort through marriage, but I am not going to pretend to know how . . . .) 

The metro stops looked like a mess to me, but Natalie
 was a pro and knew exactly what this map meant.

We had a couple of hours to wander around DC, or more commonly known to locals as "The District." It was great to see some sights, but it was really hot and humid. 

We got off the metro at the National Archives and walked down the street. I loved to look at all of the large buildings with pillars that were scattered all over the place.

National Archives and the location 
of the metro stop we got off at. 

                                    The museum of journalism called the "Newseum"
                                      with the first amendment largely displayed.

Other stately buildings with important
looking pillars in the architecture. 

The Capital of the United States of America

The Smithsonian Castle!

The Washington Monument

I used the Washington Monument as a landmark to figure out how far we had traveled when we were walking from place to place. It was very helpful.

The White House

            Vietnam War Memorial

After the Lincoln Memorial, we took a cab back to the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum. I think I want to live there, by the way. Sometimes I become fascinated with things and find a strong desire to hide and live there like a fugitive. I can feel this way about libraries sometimes, and now a museum. 

 One of the coolest things you could buy in the gift shop was these pizza cutters. The "pi" pizza cutter was cool, but what I thought was clever was the USS Enterprise model pizza cutter from Star Trek. If I had $40 to spend, I might have used it there. I am not even that big of a nerd, but this was creative!

As we exited the museum, we noticed the donations box was filled with international currency. On the right is a picture of a Korean bill.

As we made our way back to the metro station, we passed through a sculpture garden with some interesting ideas. I liked the silver tree; it reminded me of a drop of color dispersing into a glass of water, if you turn the tree upside down. 

Inside the metro tunnel --- I feel like
I have traveled to the future!

My metro ticket says:
Welcome to
Washington DC!

When we did make it over to the party (just outside of DC), the streets were a bit chaotic. Traffic lights were out and we happened across a recent accident. On the same stretch of road were other spots that looked like wreckage had been cleared away. It was a little disheartening. 

The party was great. I brought my rice crispies to share; a wonderful birthday treat (it was especially a hit with the kids). I instantly had a three-year-old friend named Isla. She was absolutely adorable with her little blonde curls. Everyone was pleasant and friendly. I was accepted into their home graciously and enjoyed my evening observing everyone. I loved it when all the guitars came out (and one saxophone --- did I ever mention how much I love the saxophone?) and everyone gathered around and sang songs. They call it their "hoot'n nanny" or maybe it is "hoot 'n' nanny," but it all felt so homey. 

I also discovered FIREFLIES! The moment I saw them, I realized that I had never seen a firefly in my entire life. Bugs that glow! Trust me, it is definitely a different experience to see them in real life than it is on a cartoon or a movie. It was like magic! I felt like a child again, ready to report my discovery! I do not think they took me too seriously when I burst out that there were lightning bugs outside. That was a highlight of my night. 

Saturday night Natalie and I slept over at her parents house, not to far from DC. It would have been a pain to try and find parking in Fells Point that late, so we decided to worry about that in the morning. 

Sunday morning I found out through three texts that church had been canceled because there was no power in the Alameda (our church building). I ended up going to church with Natalie to the Chesapeake Family Ward. I know exactly what Lori meant when she said that church was nothing like church in Utah, and exactly like church in Utah. I even helped her out with nursery. The kids were adorable and even sang happy birthday to me. 

At home I opened a letter from Nora that I missed on Saturday since I was in DC, and I got a few calls and some text messages from wonderful friends. I did take a much needed nap as well. It was pretty laid back, but very nice.  

Fantabulous amazing roll

Rainbow roll

Sticky balls

On Monday evening, Natalie and I went out to dinner at a sushi place called Sticky Rice. We ordered wonderful food and ate. I really lucked out on getting a splendid roommate that likes to do things with me. Also, the sticky balls are so good! They aren't sushi, but I would definitely eat them anywhere!

On our way home, we took a picture across the street from my favorite bar. Okay, I have never been in a bar (I promise Mom), but I like the title of this one: Make some BAD DECISIONS. Well, at least they honest about it --- let's call it what it is.