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.