Saturday, July 4, 2009
Walking the mall
4th of july- 1st stop Chinatown
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I see a red door, and I want to paint it black. No colors anymore, I want them to turn black. - The Rolling Stones, Paint It Black
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I opened my mailbox today and saw the black envelope. No way. Had I really been invited? I was slightly excited and opened the envelope. Sure enough. I am one of the 1% of people that Visa preapproves for the Visa Black Card. This card is made of carbon and has the hook up for all sorts of travel and VIP options. It costs $495 annual fee. I prob won't actually sign up for it, but I get multiple credit card applications every day and this one is like no other....I was ecstatic just to get it. I might think about it some. I've paid off all my credit cards though and don't really want to get any more, but I know in order to keep my credit as good as I have it, I should be putting some stuff on and paying it off the next month. We'll see.I just felt like the cool kids invited me to a party. tee hee.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tragedy, when you lose control and you got no soul. Tragedy, when the morning cries and you don't know why. - The Bee Gees, Tragedy
Personally, things have been going really well. I'll get to that later. For DC, things have been pretty bad the past few weeks.
First, the shooting at the Holocaust museum. Whoa. Hard to find words for that. I can't believe someone could fathom that, but not much surprises me anymore.
Then, I don't know if you heard about it, but one of the metro trains crashed into another one. It was actually on my red line metro, the one I take to work. I'm on the other side of the line now, though. The crash happened right near where I used to live. It ended 9 people's lives. Roughly 70 people were injured. People who just thought they were on their way home to work and were ready to get dinner with their families. The day to day trek home and none of them could have anticipated it would be their last. Terribly sad and this hit close to home as well.
It's also been a sad week for our entertainment world. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson all passing in one week. It reminds us that they are all human and individual people, just like us. They live and one day, eventually die. They are lives that we all see from the outside and are intrigued and entertained and curious about....but in the end, we don't know them. We're still left wondering about the mystery behind the cameras.
Things around me seem to be dark and heavy, but thanks to God, things are pretty steady with me. I was on the early shift this week, so some days I worked out, one day had some of the girls over for daquiri's and pool time and yesterday went and saw a movie with Jess.
I had a great visit with Shelley and I wish she could live closer or at least visit more.
One of my friends found out that the navy is sending her to Jacksonville for OR school, where I and another one of our friend's will be!
I hope things start looking up for our nation. It's been a rough couple of weeks. We all just gotta keep our heads on straight and remember this is all temporary. I am so blessed to have a stable job, a great apartment, wonderful friends and an amazing family that always supports me! I hope to have these things for a long time and hold them close to me.
First, the shooting at the Holocaust museum. Whoa. Hard to find words for that. I can't believe someone could fathom that, but not much surprises me anymore.
Then, I don't know if you heard about it, but one of the metro trains crashed into another one. It was actually on my red line metro, the one I take to work. I'm on the other side of the line now, though. The crash happened right near where I used to live. It ended 9 people's lives. Roughly 70 people were injured. People who just thought they were on their way home to work and were ready to get dinner with their families. The day to day trek home and none of them could have anticipated it would be their last. Terribly sad and this hit close to home as well.
It's also been a sad week for our entertainment world. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson all passing in one week. It reminds us that they are all human and individual people, just like us. They live and one day, eventually die. They are lives that we all see from the outside and are intrigued and entertained and curious about....but in the end, we don't know them. We're still left wondering about the mystery behind the cameras.
Things around me seem to be dark and heavy, but thanks to God, things are pretty steady with me. I was on the early shift this week, so some days I worked out, one day had some of the girls over for daquiri's and pool time and yesterday went and saw a movie with Jess.
I had a great visit with Shelley and I wish she could live closer or at least visit more.
One of my friends found out that the navy is sending her to Jacksonville for OR school, where I and another one of our friend's will be!
I hope things start looking up for our nation. It's been a rough couple of weeks. We all just gotta keep our heads on straight and remember this is all temporary. I am so blessed to have a stable job, a great apartment, wonderful friends and an amazing family that always supports me! I hope to have these things for a long time and hold them close to me.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Make a joke and I will sigh, you will laugh and I will cry. - Black Sabbath, Paranoid
A joke to start off Thursday:
George W. Bush is sitting in the White House kitchen putting together a puzzle and having a very difficult time of it. The first lady comes into the kitchen, and asks what he's doing.Very frustrated, George says, "I'm trying to do this tiger puzzle, but I can't seem to make the pieces fit right."Laura Bush sighs and says, "Put the Frosted Flakes back in the box, dear, and come to bed."
George W. Bush is sitting in the White House kitchen putting together a puzzle and having a very difficult time of it. The first lady comes into the kitchen, and asks what he's doing.Very frustrated, George says, "I'm trying to do this tiger puzzle, but I can't seem to make the pieces fit right."Laura Bush sighs and says, "Put the Frosted Flakes back in the box, dear, and come to bed."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Will there be any bartenders up there in Heaven, will the pubs never close? - Richard Thompson, God Loves A Drunk
I just finished the book, The Shack, and it gave me such a different impression on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Heaven. I realized Heaven may not be the pearly gates and white clouds everywhere where God had us bowing down 24/7. Even though I'm a Christian and should look forward to heaven, I always wondered if that would be as fun as they make it seem.
After finishing the book, this is what my idea of Heaven will be for me.
I wake up in a sleeping bag that feels like my sister's califonia king, with Patton by my side...but he's not shedding. I'm camping on the side of the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country. There are no mosquitoes.
Jesus walks up to me, wearing Hurley swim trunks and teva flip flops. "Candice, the water is the perfect temperature and I've got some cold Shiner all packed up in the cooler! Let's go tubing!" I contemplate what I have to do....no work. no school. Jesus? Sunshine? Tubing? Shiner? (Non alcoholic of course..)Hells yes! We grab our tubes and they don't burn our thighs. Drop them down in the water and he's right! It's the perfect temperature! No freezing Guadalupe water.
We pull out the ipod and player (no worries for it getting messed up in the water) and start jamming. After a little ways, we see some of my friends on the shore up ahead! They all shout out to me and start shooting me with some water guns. (This may all sound familiar because we did do this....it was a piece of heaven) They grab their tubes and jump in with us. We're snacking, drinking some shiner and even though it's non alcoholic, I have the best high in the world. I have no cares. No stresses. I'm hanging out with Jesus and my best friends.
We ask Him questions we've always wanted to know....like why did you let my heart get broken? Why did Grandpa die before I even got to meet him? How come angles were cast into hell by choosing Lucifer over Christ if they did not have free will? (I've ALWAYS wanted to know that one) We fellowship and He talks with us and soothes our soul.
At one point, Jesus drops in the water and flips my tube over. This starts a huge water fight with all of us until we're all in the water and tired. We decide to stop along the side and build a campfire.
That night, we have the most amazing smores I've ever tasted and our fire is warm and big, without all the smoke and repeating "I hate white rabits". Jesus pull out his guitar and sounds like all my favorites rolled into one...Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Adam Duritz, George Strait and Robert Earl Keen.
He can make me laugh more than Dane Cook's song for the car alarm. We tell stories and laugh about our lives. We plan a roadtrip for the next day to drive all over Texas, staring in Brownsville, working our way up Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, DFW, Lubbock and Amarillo.
We all fall asleep under the stars. No rain, bugs, people parting all night keeping us up.
The next day, all my family shows up. My parents, brothers and sister and nieces and nephews. We pack up our cars and trucks and start on our road trip of Texas. (It is God's country, you know? He knows all the back roads and beautiful sites) No need for maps, garmins, gas.
Just the open road, Jesus, my family, my friends and love.
Man. Makes me almost not want to wait for Heaven. I used to be kinda unsure about how I felt about it. I know now. I am excited to see God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I can tell them how much it meant when they were there for me. The dark nights when I cried alone and they comforted me.
Speaking of, I was having a hard time last night. There is something that stays in my subconscious and won't leave me alone. It's about someone I knew a few years ago and we aren't talking. I know I was not the same person then and I did awful, hurtful things to this person and I'd give more than anything to apologize, but I've tried to talk to them and I just don't think it's the right time. I want more than anything to fix these clouds hanging over me, but I know until it's God's right time and the other person is open to it, I can't do anything. I hate being on bad terms with someone I used to care about. I also hate knowing that the image they have of me and that I left is a bad one. Any of you reading that pray, please pray for my heart to let go of this. It's been almost 3 years and I'm ready to let it go. It just keeps coming back.
After finishing the book, this is what my idea of Heaven will be for me.
I wake up in a sleeping bag that feels like my sister's califonia king, with Patton by my side...but he's not shedding. I'm camping on the side of the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country. There are no mosquitoes.
Jesus walks up to me, wearing Hurley swim trunks and teva flip flops. "Candice, the water is the perfect temperature and I've got some cold Shiner all packed up in the cooler! Let's go tubing!" I contemplate what I have to do....no work. no school. Jesus? Sunshine? Tubing? Shiner? (Non alcoholic of course..)Hells yes! We grab our tubes and they don't burn our thighs. Drop them down in the water and he's right! It's the perfect temperature! No freezing Guadalupe water.
We pull out the ipod and player (no worries for it getting messed up in the water) and start jamming. After a little ways, we see some of my friends on the shore up ahead! They all shout out to me and start shooting me with some water guns. (This may all sound familiar because we did do this....it was a piece of heaven) They grab their tubes and jump in with us. We're snacking, drinking some shiner and even though it's non alcoholic, I have the best high in the world. I have no cares. No stresses. I'm hanging out with Jesus and my best friends.
We ask Him questions we've always wanted to know....like why did you let my heart get broken? Why did Grandpa die before I even got to meet him? How come angles were cast into hell by choosing Lucifer over Christ if they did not have free will? (I've ALWAYS wanted to know that one) We fellowship and He talks with us and soothes our soul.
At one point, Jesus drops in the water and flips my tube over. This starts a huge water fight with all of us until we're all in the water and tired. We decide to stop along the side and build a campfire.
That night, we have the most amazing smores I've ever tasted and our fire is warm and big, without all the smoke and repeating "I hate white rabits". Jesus pull out his guitar and sounds like all my favorites rolled into one...Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Adam Duritz, George Strait and Robert Earl Keen.
He can make me laugh more than Dane Cook's song for the car alarm. We tell stories and laugh about our lives. We plan a roadtrip for the next day to drive all over Texas, staring in Brownsville, working our way up Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, DFW, Lubbock and Amarillo.
We all fall asleep under the stars. No rain, bugs, people parting all night keeping us up.
The next day, all my family shows up. My parents, brothers and sister and nieces and nephews. We pack up our cars and trucks and start on our road trip of Texas. (It is God's country, you know? He knows all the back roads and beautiful sites) No need for maps, garmins, gas.
Just the open road, Jesus, my family, my friends and love.
Man. Makes me almost not want to wait for Heaven. I used to be kinda unsure about how I felt about it. I know now. I am excited to see God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I can tell them how much it meant when they were there for me. The dark nights when I cried alone and they comforted me.
Speaking of, I was having a hard time last night. There is something that stays in my subconscious and won't leave me alone. It's about someone I knew a few years ago and we aren't talking. I know I was not the same person then and I did awful, hurtful things to this person and I'd give more than anything to apologize, but I've tried to talk to them and I just don't think it's the right time. I want more than anything to fix these clouds hanging over me, but I know until it's God's right time and the other person is open to it, I can't do anything. I hate being on bad terms with someone I used to care about. I also hate knowing that the image they have of me and that I left is a bad one. Any of you reading that pray, please pray for my heart to let go of this. It's been almost 3 years and I'm ready to let it go. It just keeps coming back.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hold me when I’m here, love me when I’m wrong, hold me when I’m scared, and love me when I’m gone. - 3 Doors Down, When I’m Gone
Isn't Patton the cutest? I just had to put my baby on here first. Seriously. Sickening. Too cute.May 20th, Jim and kristi came up to visit! They had never been to DC and thankfully, after living here almost 3 years, I've got the tour down! Here are quick pics of most of what we saw. I have 4 albums on facebook that cover it all...
Started at Union station.
Passed by the Senate Houses
Stopped at the Supreme Court
Spent a lot of time at one of my fav's: The Library of Congress
Walked around the Capitol
Observed the Smithsonian American Indian Museum
Another Smithsonian. The modern and classic Art Museums
Smithsonian Natural History and Science Museum
Old Post Office Pavilion
Navy Memorial
Another favorite! National Archives
I couldn't find a good pic for the next one...the American History Museum
Walked around the National Mall
Ahhhh....the tidal basin. I love it.
Jefferson Memorial. So beautiful.
Sketching...
The Roosevelt Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
WWII memorial. We even waded our feet in on the hot day. It was very nice. Pretty social gathering.
Ford's theater, where Lincoln was shot.
Portrait gallery in Chinatown
Oh, yes. Matchbox. I shared my beloved restaurant with Jim and Kristi and they were in Heaven.
The Building Museum
I had an amazing time with them. Also, smoking some hookah and relaxing on my balcony.Then, off to Colorado to commission Shawn and watch him graduate from the Air Force Academy!
Look at this: This is the Garden of the Gods. Beautiful area where Shawn would go rock climbing, etc.
No sad face....this is the academy's chapel
Commissioning Shawn!
Shawn and the folks!
Graduation
Shawn walking up to the stage after his name was called. He got to salute and shake hands with Joe Biden (who did the speech).
Thunderbirds did a crazy, sweet show after graduation.
Pfewww. It's been fun. Then, after I got home, went to spend some time in Baltimore with Tanya and Phil for my bday. We went to Medieval Times and then Howl at the Moon (a rockin piano bar). It's been fun. I'm so glad it's summer. I've laid out by my pool, which is very nice. Getting a nice tan already. Life is so much more fun when the sun is out.
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