Big 10 Country

Work travel takes me to "Big 10 country" this week, a region I affectionately consider home. Even though I'm still a state away from my home state, I am back with my peeps. Fun fact of the week: Michigan and Ohio had a war over Toledo, which Michigan initially wanted for the University of Michigan. Needless to say Ohio won. Imagine what the Ohio State vs. Michigan border war could have looked like.

Nomad

Some days I suspect I was a nomad in a previous life. I have the wanderlust gene which is both a blessing and a curse. The new and different appeals to me and I have a curious nature. I long to just travel for days on end with no particular destination in mind. Or at the very least move apartments for a change of pace. When I first moved to DC, I went through four apartments in the course of the year. Moving got to be somewhat of a habit. I am *trying* to resist that urge to move, as I'm experiencing it now. My digs are nice, cozy, and spacious. I've been in the same apartment for sixteen months; that's the longest I've lived in one place since I left home for college. But I gotta say, this wanderlust gene is starting to kick in...

After the Date

My date went surprisingly well. The gentleman caller had a nice button down shirt and jeans on, so cleary compared to my yoga pants outfit he was better dressed. I at least wore my Bruce Springsteen t-shirt so he would think I have good taste in music. Plus I put make-up on and brushed my hair. What can I say? Sunday is my casual, veg out day and I don't need to change that for a boy. I can't decide if this is a new low, with me not trying with regard to dating, or a new high, me being comfortable in my own skin. We're gonna go for a new high.

Anyway, we met at a cafe on Capitol Hill for coffee & lunch. This guy moved to DC six months ago so he still has a down-to-earth vibe to him. We had a good conversation that flowed naturally, which doesn't always happen. So we'll see. Hopefully he wasn't too put off by my yoga pants.

Before the Date

These days the only person I'm dating is the Peace Corps. And I realize the Peace Corps is not a person so really, I'm not dating anyone. But if the Peace Corps was a person, I would be dating him. Let me tell you, he is a hard beau to please. After I sent the Peace Corps a nice picture of my teeth, along with all my other medical records, they returned the pictures to me, insistent they needed more pictures of my teeth. But, alas, after I sent round 2 of teeth pictures this week I cleared the dental check.

So given that I seem to get few opportunities to date, I try to at least give everyone one chance when a date comes up. Two weeks ago, me and my alter ego friend had a great night out where we both met guys who have jobs AND live in DC. We both exchanged numbers. Sad to say, but this was the first time me and my friend have met people who fulfilled the above criteria and wanted our numbers. Fast forward to today; me and the guy are meeting up shortly for a coffee date. And I guess I'm, well, not that excited. It's more a fact of where I am in life, anticipating I'll be leaving DC soon-ish, than anything else. In fact what I asked my friend this morning was "Are yoga pants OK to wear on a first date?" The response was "Depends on what kind of message you are trying to send."

I think the message I am sending is that I'm dating the Peace Corps and anticipating I am going to leave the country for two years within the next nine months. So, yeah, maybe yoga pants are exactly what to wear on this date. Will let you know how it goes...

Earth Sandwich

This week I found out about the Earth Sandwich, a phenomena from a few years back, when a guy did a vido blog a day. In one of his video blogs, he claimed the reason the planet Earth is not peaceful is because no one had ever made a sandwich out of the Earth to bring everyone together. So he challenged people to make an Earth sandwich, standing at opposite coordinates with bread. This is harder than it may seem because the opposite coordinate for many places is ocean. A couple people succeeded, though. Check it out here.

Make Way for Ducklings

Being a Washingtonian means putting up with unexpected delays. Motorcades, visiting dignitaries, unexpected road closures, we have them all. But last Monday there was a particularly charming disruption to traffic on Independence Avenue. A mother duck and her thirteen baby ducklings escaped from the pond at the National Museum of the American Indian and headed out for a journey. Check it out here.

I have to laugh at the picture. Where did Mama Duck want to go? Perhaps the ducklings were begging to see the space shuttles and airplanes at the National Air and Space Museum. Or their ancestors the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. Perhaps Mama Duck had a meeting with Hillary over at the State Department. Or better yet, a play date with Bo at the White House.

Break Ups

My dad is a pro at saying something that makes for a good story after a break up. Unfortunately, my little sister’s first boyfriend just broke up with her for that classic guy reason of “I can’t commit; I’m not ready to be in a relationship.” Apparently it is part of their DNA. My girlfriends all had a good laugh over that line as it was familiar to most of them. Upon breaking up with my college boyfriend, my dad’s words of wisdom were “It will be okay. You’ll find someone else and if not, dogs make for good, loyal companions.”

Fast forward a few years to my first real adult breakup, right after Inauguration. My dad had been in town for the festivities. I’m not sure if that prompted his response but when I told him about my breakup, his first response was “Well, maybe you can date someone who works for Obama.” So naturally I was curious to see what he would say to my sister. His words of wisdom this third time around were “Well, that’s life. And you can spend quality time with your dog.”