Derecho Beer

Around two weeks ago it rained sideways in the D.C. area.  The rain was totally horizontal, due to 80 mile an hour winds.  The storm shook our window doors around two sides of our apartment so much that at one point I thought the building was shaking and wondered if we were having another earthquake. 

It was not an earthquake, it was a derecho (day-RAY-cho), a trendy new weather term for the area, just like "snowpacalpyse" two years ago.  A derecho is a warm weather straight-line squall that typically exceeds hurricane force.

Tom and I flew the next day to cool, clear Colorado (the not-on-fire part.  Sorry for your fires, Colorado!) escaping the massive loss of power over 1 million places in the area experienced for 2-7 days, including Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria.  Because of the power outage, the brewery feared it would lose 13,000 gallons of beer (104,000 pints).

Five of the six tanks ended up fine, but the sixth fermented at a higher temperature than intended.  Port City turned it into a "steam beer" and produced a limited edition "Derecho Common" beer. 

Beer from a storm, an innovative idea!

Favorite Sign of the Day

I stood outside the Supreme Court this morning as the health care decision was revealed.  

The photo above is my favorite sign of the day.

"High School Debaters for Reasoned Civic Discourse"

They were at debate camp in D.C. and part of the camp included standing outside the Court.

Boat Names

 One of the fun things about the marina is looking at all of the other boat names.  Tom's boat is the Argo, named after Jason and the Argonauts from Greek Mythology. 

When we pull in to the marina, we are usually greeted by the Washington D.C. Hooker

 And then there's our other friends along the pier: Livin' N' Lovin', Foxy Lady, Madd Hatter, Fletch, Dawn Treader and Shadow Dancer.  

What would you name your boat?

Fishing the Chesapeake

Perfect day for sailing the Chesapeake on Saturday.  

We caught a fish and grilled it up!

A headless bluefish (bluefish? Sounds very Dr. Seuss)

Photo: random Nordic boat in the marina

KFC Firehydrant

I think this is a real thing.  NYT is reporting some broke cities are generating revenue by selling ads on public property.  Above: KFC firehydrants in Brazil, Indiana. Photo by KFC.

Photo: Brian Bohannon/KFC Corporation

Some cities have started putting ads on school buses. Photo: Matthew Staver for The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/us/cities-consider-selling-ads-as-economic-lifelines.html?_r=1&hp

Women of Washington

This week I attended the Western Governors Association meeting, held in Washington state and hosted by Governor Christine Gregoire, above.  At the meeting, I reflected on the amazing female leaders in Washington, including Governor Gregoire.

 Another was Sally Jewell, President of REI, who took us on a tour of Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the conservation work along the I-90 corridor in Washington.

Washington has the trifecta of female leaders.  Along with a female Governor, the Senators are women, too.  Senator Maria Cantwell (left) and Senator Patty Murray.  Senator Cantwell went to Miami of Ohio.  Doesn't she look like she went to Miami of Ohio?!

In a blog post about Washington women, I cannot neglect to mention the amazing ladies Teresa and Jenny.  They are friends who have started an amazing blog, The Things We Would Blog, about style, photography, life, art and fun in Washington.  I read it all the time for refreshing enjoyment when I am sitting in the not-as-evergreen Washington D.C. Be sure to read their blog, too!

Snoqualmie Falls

 Words on stairs on way to Snoqualmie Falls, Washington

View of falls when I was there.

 

View of falls on a sunny day!  - Photo by Wendi Adams

Gender Cakes

Have you heard of gender cakes?  It is such a funny concept, I feel like people will remember where they were when they first heard about it.  For me, I was at a dinner table at a conference in Washington state when someone asked, "So, have you heard of gender cakes?" What?

Gender Cake Steps

1. Ask the doctor to write the gender on a piece of paper and put it in a sealed envelope. 
2. Take the envelope to a baker and they bake a cake with pink or blue inside
3. Throw a party with family and friends where you cut into the cake

4.  Look like this

For more information, see google image "gender cake" or this article.

New River, the Second Oldest River in the World

Memorial Day weekend, Tom and I headed to New River Gorge National River in West Virginia.  I kayaked the New once in college, but I had not been back since moving to D.C.  We finally made it, and had fun rafting, hiking along and exploring the New River, the second oldest river in the world. 

On our way, we camped along the Shenandoah River in Virginia, excited to a riverside campsite during a crowded weekend.  We were not as cool as our neighbors, twin four-year-olds that had a princess tent for the girl, connected via tunnel to her brother's tent.  Wow.

                                                                                               

 

On the way, Rainelle, WV, told us: "We are having a parade!  You can wait until it is over." Everyone in the parade threw candy into the street.

 We finally made it to the New River Gorge bridge, the third largest arch bridge in the world.  

Southern WV doesn't just have camping, they have Adventure Resorts.  We pulled up to our campsite to find it looked like Kanakuk Kamp, blob, zip-line and all. 

We headed out hiking the next day and white-water rafting on Monday. 

 

 We talked and swam with some National Park Service white-water-rangers for a while. This ranger was excited about his new liquidlogic boat. 

Rafting and swimming

We HEART New River Gorge!

Deskercise!

Is anyone else dealing with the fear-mongering about the dangers of sitting at your desk? I understand the principle that standing up is probably better than sitting all of the time.  However, I have been unprepared to handle the constant guilt I have felt the last year or so for sitting at my desk, an activity that seemed normal for most of my life.

An example: "If you're chairbound for more than 23 hours a week, you can be 64 percent more likely to develop heart disease. Sitting may raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels. And it places you at risk for various cancers." - A.J. Jacobs, Parade magazine

There is even a graphic called: "Sitting is Killing You"

Will I admit that I bought a contraption to raise my keyboard so I can stand and work?  OK, I did it.  It has now become an option. 

As a tribute to the growing trend of desk standing, I wanted to post some additional ways to stay healthy at your desk - the awesome title: "DESKERCISE!" 

Below are a few ideas, and more can be found at Greatist.  I like the Desk Chair Swivel.

Cardio 

The Twinkle Toe: Tap into your inner Fred Astaire by speedily tapping those toes on the floor under your desk. Or, graduate to a harder (and less conspicuous) move: Stand in front of a small trashcan and lift up those legs to tap the toes on its edge, alternating feet, in soccer-drill fashion. 

The Slog, Then Jog: Instead of slogging away for hours nonstop, take a mini break for a stationary jog. Pop up from your chair, (admire the butt imprint left behind!), and jog in place. Willing to huff and puff a little more? Pick up those knees! Continue for one minute, return to spreadsheets, and repeat.

Legs and Butt 

The Wall (Street) Sit: Wall sits are great for building strength and endurance. Standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide your back down the wall until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit and hold for 30-60 seconds (or up to 12 hours, the world record!), while browsing the Wall Street Journal (or Buzzfeed). For some extra burn, try crossing the right ankle over the left knee, hold for 15 seconds, then switch! 

The Seated Leg Raiser: When pay raises are nowhere to be seen, consider the leg raise. (Bonus: they’re hardly noticeable underneath the desk!) While seated, straighten one or both legs and hold in place for five or more seconds. Then lower the leg(s) back to the ground without letting the feet touch the floor. Repeat (alternating legs if raising them separately) for 15 reps. Underwhelmed? Loop a purse or briefcase strap over the ankle for added weight. Or, for more of an ab workout, add a crunch. 

The Lunch Break Hammy: Strengthen the hamstrings with this standing leg curl. Stand behind your chair and hold onto it for support. Gently kick one foot back, aiming the heel for the top of your thigh. Lower the foot back down and repeat exercise with the other leg. Do 10 reps, take a bite of your lunchtime sandwich, and then do 10 more

Core  

The Desk Chair Swivel: Lucky enough to have a fun swivel chair? Use its twirl to your advantage with this oblique ab fix. Sitting upright and with the feet hovering over the floor, hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb. Next, use the core to swivel the chair from side to side. Swish back and forth for 15 rounds. 

More ideas at: http://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-exercise-work/# 

 

Heart of the Trails

Part of my work includes helping protect sections of National Historic Trails.  Growing up, I knew the Santa Fe Trail was local to my house in Kansas City, but during my work I have discovered that many of the Historic Trails journey near KC.

On Saturday, my parents and I visited Independence, Missouri, to tour the National Frontier Trails Museum (and the Truman Presidential Library).  The museum has good features of the Santa Fe, Lewis and Clark, California, Oregon and Mormon Pioneer Trails that begin in the heart of America.

Above, my Dad and I selected items to take on our journey.  Since we selected the ingredients for sugar water, we probably would not make it very far. 

My parents seem more prepared with the gun and clothing.

To learn more about National Trails, visit http://www.pnts.org/ !

Embassy Open House Day

Once a year, the European Union Embassies hold an Open House.  This year my mother-in-law toured Europe via the streets of Massachusetts Ave, DC.

We started at the Greece Embassy.  Lots of Greek cheese, yogurt, coffee and other treats.

Latvia had wonderful traditional clothing.

Luxembourg had a modern paintings and pops of color on its ceiling.

The British Embassy was outstanding.  A giant campus with English gardens, soccer station, and more.  Right photo: Mother-in-law and I.

A lovely day around Europe in D.C.!

Al

It's always a good day at work when it involves taking my Minnesota parents-in-law to meet Senator Al Franken.

"Unnecessary" Quotes

 

Enjoying blog of Unnecessary Quotations.  Thanks to my Ohio family for showing me this one. 

 More "fun examples" at this link.

Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves

Have you heard about the "Pineapple and the Hare?"  It is a terrible story.

The worst part is that many middle school children read this story as part of a standardized test. See if you can answer the questions below the story.  I warn you that this story stumped Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings. 

In the olden times, animals could speak English, just like you and me. There was a lovely enchanted forest that flourished with a bunch of these magical animals. One day, a hare was relaxing by a tree. All of a sudden, he noticed a pineapple sitting near him.
The hare, being magical and all, told the pineapple, "Um, hi." The pineapple could speak English too.

"I challenge you to a race! Whoever makes it across the forest and back first wins a ninja! And a lifetime's supply of toothpaste!" The hare looked at the pineapple strangely, but agreed to the race.

The next day, the competition was coming into play. All the animals in the forest (but not the pineapples, for pineapples are immobile) arranged a finish/start line in between two trees. The coyote placed the pineapple in front of the starting line, and the hare was on his way.

Everyone on the sidelines was bustling about and chatting about the obvious prediction that the hare was going to claim the victory (and the ninja and the toothpaste). Suddenly, the crow had a revolutionary realization.

"AAAAIEEH! Friends! I have an idea to share! The pineapple has not challenged our good companion, the hare, to just a simple race! Surely the pineapple must know that he CANNOT MOVE! He obviously has a trick up his sleeve!" exclaimed the crow.
The moose spoke up.

"Pineapples don't have sleeves."

"You fool! You know what I mean! I think that the pineapple knows we're cheering for the hare, so he is planning to pull a trick on us, so we look foolish when he wins! Let's sink the pineapple's intentions, and let's cheer for the stupid fruit!" the crow passionately proclaimed. The other animals cheered, and started chanting, "FOIL THE PLAN! FOIL THE PLAN! FOIL THE PLAN!"

A few minutes later, the hare arrived. He got into place next to the pineapple, who sat there contently. The monkey blew the tree-bark whistle, and the race began! The hare took off, sprinting through the forest, and the pineapple ...

It sat there.

The animals glanced at each other blankly, and then started to realize how dumb they were. The pineapple did not have a trick up its sleeve. It wanted an honest race — but it knew it couldn't walk (let alone run)!

About a few hours later, the hare came into sight again. It flew right across the finish line, still as fast as it was when it first took off. The hare had won, but the pineapple still sat at his starting point, and had not even budged.

The animals ate the pineapple.

And the two questions:

1. Why did the animals eat the pineapple?
a. they were annoyed
b. they were amused
c. they were hungry
d. they wanted to

2. Who was the wisest?
a. the hare
b. moose
c. crow
d. owl

The story makes no sense.  Media outlets have highly publicized this fact, but I thought I would post about it, too, just in gladness that I am no longer in charge of helping middle school children with tests.  Here's Ken Jennings' response.

The best part is that there is now a "Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves" T-shirt and Facebook page. 

So Sorry, President Garfield

I will remember April 2012 as the month where I spent a part of most days totally sad that President Garfield died in 1881. 

Even though I learned in Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation about how crazy-person Charles Guiteau cut short Garfield's life via bullet, I did not develop a pain in my gut about the tragedy of his death until I read Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic.

I became interested when I heard my Mom and brother bragging about the awesome-ness of President Garfield, which I found a somewhat strange trend.   They recommended reading Destiny of the Republic, and once I did I joined them as an outspoken fan, having urgent office hallway and dinner table interjections such as:

• "James Garfield did not have SHOES until he was FOUR! He grew up without money, with a single Mom and then became President!"

• "And he did not even RUN for President!  His party nominated him without his permission.

• American Doctors did not believe in GERMS and this is why he died! 

Candice Millard writes a compelling and suspenseful story of the inspiring and intellectual James Garfield, a man of integrity who rose to power but tragically died 200 days into office.

My mom would want me to add that the author is from Kansas City. There's nothing like a good story, especially one that's true, even if it makes you sad all month.  I miss you, President Garfield!