catching up, or, our friends jeff and linnea

Hello world. I've missed you.

I was doing so well there for a while, wasn't I? Humming along, almost keeping up with my resolution to blog once a week. But then it happened. Summer.

I'm really, really hoping to make time to post individually about all of these adventures, but just in case here are some of the things we've been up to since oh, you know. May:

• A week (for me) and a weekend (for Ross) in NYC
• I said goodbye to the kids at Prospect Learning Center (I've worked and/or volunteered there for three years!!). Their school is closing and they're all getting sent to other schools. It's a whole big, stupid thing
• We hiked the Billy Goat Trail over Memorial Day weekend
• We went camping in a new and extremely surprising campground
• We celebrated Swedish Midsummer (my new favorite holiday)
• We visited Ross' grandparents and parents, my sister, and one of my dearest friends in Chicago
• We celebrated the 4th of July with BBQ, Hungarian dancing, and fireworks viewed from the 12th floor of an apartment building

And this is just the fun stuff, folks. This summer, I'm also wading through a list of 50 books in preparation for my qualifying exam, which I'll take at the end of August/beginning of September. For work, I've been doing some dog walking. I have three regular clients, and I frequently do weekend pet-sitting, as well. Ross just started a six month long construction rotation for his job, which means he's no longer in the state highway administration office but out on a site. Mostly it's been great, although he's no longer allowed to do four ten-hour days, which means he's working Fridays again. 

(Side note: I knew we were busy, but it really sounds like a lot when I list it all out like that!)

Like I said, I'll try to post more on all of these things soon. Before I do that, though, I want to go even farther back in to April (although like any good story, that means going farther back still. I was born on a hot day in July of 1986... Just kidding. But I will go back to February)

Back in February, our  friends, Jeff and Linnea, moved into our church congregation ("ward" for the uninitiated). I could write a long "getting to know them" story, but suffice it to say that they live just a few blocks from us and we quickly realized that we *love* them. How could we not? 

Photo by Rachel May Clarke

Many of the above-mentioned activities were experienced in Jeff and Linnea's fine company. Friendship bonus: Linnea is a really talented photographer (and her post about the questions/comments she hears all the time is required reading for all). Friends with a sense of adventure and a keen photographic eye: it's a good combination. 

I imagine Linnea's work will feature here frequently in the future, but I quickly wanted to post two of our April adventures. Linnea has already written great posts about these, so I'm mostly just going to share the photos.

Cherry Blossom Parade

Three years in, and this was my first cherry blossom parade! Here are just a few photos (again, all of these were taken by Linnea); see the rest on her blog. I will point out that I left early and got us the awesome seats! Just sayin'.

Shakespeare's Birthday

Guys. I live down the street from the Folger Shakespeare Library, and it's amazing. 364 days out of the year you have to have a reader's card to get into the library proper (guess who has one!), but one magical day, anyone can come explore the library and celebrate Elizabethan culture (in ways both scholarly and gleefully anachronistic). That day is Folger's birthday, and it was the BEST (I'm told I overuse the word "favorite," but this really was my favorite day. So fun). Again, see Linnea's (much more thorough) write-up here. I'm just borrowing pictures :)

We learned about Renaissance-era combat techniques and fighting schools from the Most. Passionate. Person. In. The. Universe (the gentleman on the right holding the stick*).

*"Stick" is surely not the right word for this.

We explored the reading room! I work here, guys! 

In the newer reading room we got to make "lace" ruffs.

Outside the theater, the Renaissance Man had us (and the assembled kids, but honestly mostly the grown-ups) dying. I want to make up an event so I can hire him.

Thanks so much for documenting these adventures so beautifully, Linnea. Mostly, thanks to you and Jeff for being such adventurous friends. I'm thinking Harper's Ferry next. Eh? 

charmed

I took this picture (which I realize now seems like product placement but isn't meant to be) a week ago. Ross was leaving the next morning for Portland and the weather was beautiful, so we decided to take a walk down to the United States Botanic Garden. It took us about fifteen minutes to get there, and then we sat surrounded by flowers and blossoms and watched the Capitol glow*.

We lead charmed lives, and I'm very grateful.


*Sometimes, like today, I'm pretty annoyed by all that goes on in the Capitol, but I still love the building and how it stands for us at our best and worst. 

the saga of the cherry blossoms

Day One, Saturday, last week.

Close, but no cigar. See all the unopened trees behind us? Still, the day was lovely and due to be warm, and we vowed to come back the next evening. Would there be any progress?

Day Two, Sunday

Nope.

Day Three, Tuesday.

Determined and solo, I got up early and biked to the tidal basin. Success!

Oh, Cherry Blossoms. You're so much trouble, and so, so worth it. See you next year.

life lately

inauguration 2013

Just some photos from the Inauguration. You remember... the one that happened in January? Ross stayed home (cold. crowds), but I braved the Mall and, in spite of bad weather and the masses of people and the incredible difficulty of getting home, I'm glad I did. It felt good to physically participate in a political event. It felt like what living in DC is for.

(Besides, we did vote for the guy :)

Expect more catching up-type posts in the near future. In the meantime, have a wonderful week!

home

Before I get to the good stuff, here's the obligatory Hurricane Sandy update:

There isn't one. At least not yet. It seems likely that the bulk of the storm will miss us entirely, which is fine by me, but also makes the city's epic preparations (everything was closed, from schools to buses to museums) seem a little silly. Ah, well. Better safe...

In other news, here are the long-awaited apartment pictures! As I've mentioned before, our location couldn't be better. We're a block and a half from the Capitol (the real one! of our country!), about a block from Union Station, and about three from the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Library of Congress. Perfect. Of course, our apartment is 380 square feet, but it's worth it. In fact, I think we like it.

It took us a really long time to figure out how to arrange our main living space, and I love what we came up with. Turns out there's something really cozy about having a couch at the foot of the bed. It's like comfort piled on top of comfort.

You can basically get the feel for our whole apartment with this picture. The living space (bed, couch, etc.) is behind me here. The kitchen is in that first opening to the left, and the bathroom is in through the second door. Our built-in closet is across from the bathroom.

Our cabinets are really tall, so I use the step stool all the time. We put the microwave on top of the fridge, which feels very clever and is only a little inconvenient.

There you (mostly) have it. I'm realizing now that I'm missing the bathroom, which is a shame, since it's one of my favorite rooms in the house. Next time. Long story short: we're in love.

oh, hey

Super quick update while I'm waiting for the library to process the book I came across town for. Yes, I know it's been a long time, but trust me, we've been busy. The summer ended, as summers do, with a huge influx of busy-ness, and much as I've wanted to, I haven't found time to blog. Anyway, without further ado, a bullet-pointed list:

• Almost all of you know this already, but we moved!!!! We found an amazing apartment in Capitol Hill (two blocks from the Capitol itself!) that we could actually afford. We officially moved in a week ago today, and so far we couldn't be happier. Pictures soon, I PROMISE. 
• I started my PhD program! I'm still at GW, of course, so some things haven't changed, but lots of other things have. I'm fully funded now, and I'm a Graduate Teaching Assistant, so I'm helping out with a class. So far I've just been answering emails and sitting in, but I teach my first section in about a week. Super exciting. 
• Next weekend I'll be in Boston delivering a paper at the 2nd Biennial Meeting of the BABEL Working Group. I'm looking forward to it and will keep you posted. 
• Ross likes his commute so far. It's longer, but he doesn't have to drive and instead takes the MARC train (which is what I've been doing for the past two years). The MARC is really comfortable, and the 45 minutes to an hour that he's on it give him time to read or sleep. MARC for the win. 
• I was accepted into a seminar at the Folger Shakespeare Library, a gorgeous research library about three blocks from our apartment! The Folger is an extremely important element in Shakespeare scholarship around the world, and I'm really thrilled to have access to the archive. The seminar I'm taking is on Paleography, or the reading of old handwriting. In theory, the skills I learn there will allow me to do some work with actual seventeenth-century manuscripts. Yay for research!

Anyway, I think that's it! Ross is happy, I'm happy, and Creature is happy (especially now that things are returning to some semblance of normalcy... she was stressed for a bit there). We really liked Laurel, but we love being back in the city and in the heart of things. Hope you're all well! I'm going to go see if my book is available...

previously on ross and haylie, part 1

Hi all. Now that I'm officially done with everything I need to do for school (master's degree, what WHAT!!), I thought I'd catch you up on some of the goings-on here over the last few months. First up, our visit to the cherry blossoms. I would say the Cherry Blossom Festival, but because of the warm weather the blossoms came so early that they were already mostly gone by the time the Festival rolled around in mid-April. Bummer, DC. Luckily for us, though, we managed to make it out on an absolutely gorgeous day in March.

Look! It's a picture of Ross! It's been pointed out to me that this blog lacks photos of my spouse, which is true. However, I'd like to point out that someone hates having his picture taken, and so it's not entirely my fault. This was, like, the fifth take.

I don't know who handed Eleanor this bundle of blossoms, but I approve.

Side note: I was asked to wear a sari once for an Indian Fashion Show. I've never felt more beautiful in my entire life, not even on my wedding day. If only I could have gracefully walked around the cherry blossoms like this lady.

update friday

Hello all. Remember that time in January when I promised that I’d blog more often? I believe 20 posts a week was my delightfully naïve goal. Ah! Something about the plans of mice and men (and graduate students). Please accept my sincerest apologies, and my (mostly sincere) promise to do better. In the meantime, here are some bullet-point updates for your consideration:

CREATURE:

• Loves her hexbug
• Misses her terrace garden
• Is otherwise pretty much the same she always was

ROSS:

• Continues to work extremely hard for the State Highway Administration, making sure that the bridges of Maryland don’t fall down. I think we can all agree this is an important service. Thanks, Ross!
• Had an interesting project lately in which he was checking the plans for a pedestrian bridge that really would have fallen down if he had cleared it. Which he didn’t
• Organized the bookshelf and “the office,” which means the house is pretty much all done. Thanks again, Ross
• Is reading the Harry Potter series in Polish
• Likes Creature a little. Sometimes
• Likes Haylie a lot. Usually

HAYLIE:

• Started working a lot more hours at her job with Kid Power DC.
• Is taking (and mostly really enjoying) classes on Shakespeare, medieval objects, and Virginia Woolf
•  Is presenting at her first ever conference (at GW, on a graduate panel) in a week!
• Is presenting at her second ever conference (in SLC! On a real grownup panel!) in April
• Is flying to Sacramento to visit her dad and family for Spring Break
• Got a summer job with the Institute of Reading Development
• Started a design and style blog which has been really fun (and fairly popular) with Kathayoon
•  Officially became a vegetarian a few weeks ago

ROSS AND HAYLIE TOGETHER:

• Are hoping to have some adventures this summer
• Are planning a co-op garden with some friends (who have a yard and a baby on the way!)
• Can't wait for it to get warmer
• Are really sad about a certain family moving to Seattle :o(
• Miss all of you West Coasters an awful lot

Love, 

Haylie et al    

the weather outside is frightful... the end

Photo from Cerloz via Cup of Jo

So... it's cold here. Really, really cold. Everyone said that it was colder in DC than Portland, but apparently I don't listen very well. I was utterly unprepared for how truly, face-numbingly, bone-chillingly cold it really is. It happened unexpectedly. We went from weeks of relatively balmy, sunny, fifty-degree weather to high-of-forty, forty MPH winds virtually overnight. And it's been that way for days!

I realize I've already covered this, but it really is cold. That is all.

Somewhere, far, far away, a Kathayoon is laughing.

it's a new day

Well, it will be by the time I post this, anyway. It's nearly midnight. I just finished and posted my four-page essay prospectus to Blackboard, and it feels pretty good. I still have 60 pages of essay to write in about two and-a-half weeks and the bulk of Christmas to construct, and I'm still working a job that gets progressively more stressful, but I'm significantly less panicky. Granted, that might be because Ross is sleeping next to me, and nothing says "it's all going to be okay" better than a person (or pet... I'm not particular) that you love sleeping next to you. Also, some super friendly notes from Colleen and Kathayoon helped, too. Anyway, here's a thoughtful rabbit (I beg your pardon... thoughtful hare) from the National Gallery Sculpture Garden for your week. Hope it's a good one.

train of thoughts

The Laurel Train Station, which makes Laurel seem more quaint than it really is.

P.S. Laurel is where I live.

I’m sitting on the Marc train as I write this (but not when I post it, since the Marc train doesn’t have wireless, which is just as well). The Marc (I think it’s supposed to be MARC but I feel it’s impolite to scream at my readers) is my favorite part of the commute. Sometimes I listen to This American Life and stare out the window, but mostly I just read. Today I’m writing a blog post.

Today was a mixed day, although I’m not sure how much to tell you about it… I would love to restrict my readership, like some of my fellow bloggers have done, but I’m not quite sure who reads this blog and I don’t want to accidentally shut anyone out. Instead I’ll just try to be tactful, which isn’t nearly as much fun.

Break for announcement: The conductor just got on the loudspeaker to say that if Alaina Efstein is on the train she should come speak to him. But get this: the same announcement was made this morning. Alaina Efstein, where are you? Announcement concluded.

The morning started well: I got a job! I already have a job, actually… I’m doing some exceptionally boring (not tactless, just true) freelance writing for Bull Run Media, a company that produces a series of industry magazines. Once a week or so I’ll receive an email containing a digital file of an interview (nope—I don’t do the interviews. I just write the story. Living the dream) from which I construct a 500-800 word article profiling the company featured. My first assignment came this week. It was awesome. The gentleman in question (whose company really does need to remain nameless) was an extremely taciturn, one-word answer kind of guy. The most animated he got in the whole article was when he was describing how “Obamacare” is going to ruin small and medium businesses. Not quite the angle we’re going for. I’m told that most interviews are much easier. Let’s hope.

Anyway, that’s not the point. Today I got another job, with a non-profit called Kid Power DC. I am thrilled. I’m going to be working with underserved middle school kids in the DC area, and it sounds really open-ended. I’ll help tutor, but I also get to supervise and plan events. I’m thinking we stage The Tempest. Kidding… kind of. Kid Power also has this fabulous program set up called “Veggie Time,” where the kids work in community gardens and sell their produce at local farmer’s markets. Um, where do I sign up?

So that was a pretty good part of the day. But every story must have a villain, and this one appears in the guise of the Graduate Fellowship Office, which is trying to rescind my Federal Work Study award. Fetchers. Apparently, I’ve had the award too long without using it, so they’ve given it to someone more deserving. Trouble is, I didn’t really find this out until I’d accepted the interview. So I explained everything to everybody and I might get a new award. Fingers crossed on that, okay? Because I really, really want this job. And by the way? I could not be more pissed about the whole situation, but I have to be nice, because I need these people to fight for me. Bummer.

Time Lapse

Anyway, that's as far as I got before we got to Laurel. The rest of the day (after the Graduate Fellowship Office, before the train) was okay... I had lunch with a new friend, and went to my really awful Literary Theory class (awful because of the structure, not because of theory itself). Then I came home and Ross and I went shopping for our camping trip tomorrow, which I'm really looking forward to. The end!

a hippo for hope

I finally got around to downloading my photos tonight, only to realize that I've taken very, very few photos since I've been here. This is just further proof of something I've been suspecting since I got here: I am a completely different person than I was before I got married. I used to be really awesome at doing things alone. Even when I was dating someone, I could still rock the old alone time. I traveled alone, I went to movies alone, and I took a lot of photos alone. And enjoyed it, too; in fact, I'm not even necessarily saying that doing all of those things with a spouse/partner is better than doing them solo. Just that I have apparently lost my capacity.

Anyway, I digress. For your viewing pleasure, here's some proof that I'm actually here:

1. I ran into this big white building one time.

2. It was being guarded (partially, not exclusively, although wouldn't THAT be hilarious) by these nice gentleman and horses, whom I caught in a pleasingly Norman Rockwell-esque moment.

3. And then one time I saw the Washington Monument, which is just as phallic in person as it looks on film.

4. So although GW's official mascot is The Colonials, its unofficial mascot is a hippopotamus because of this statue, which was given to the university as a gift by... someone very important, I'm sure. Legend is that hippos use to frolic in the Potomac, much to the delight of George and Martha Washington, whom you may have heard of.

5. This is the plaque that accompanies the hippo statue. It might also be my new motto. In fact, definitely.

Love and colonial urban legends,

Haylie

P.S. Politics for beauty??