obamania

sometimes i am a little embarrassed that i (still) live with uncle bob (again).

but then i get invited to things like the congressional families picnic and it doesn't seem so bad anymore.

the congressional families picnic happens every year on the south lawn of the white house. this year it was a luau theme.




one really great thing about the congressional families picnic is that there is delicious food.




another great thing about the south lawn of the white house is the spectacular view.




something else great about the congressional families picnic is that uncle bob can introduce you to joe biden. it's even better when uncle bob says, "this is my niece, frances. she's a real democrat." and joe biden says, "god bless you, sweetheart," and gives you a kiss on the cheek.




also at the congressional families picnic, you and your cousin heather can elbow your way through the crowd to say hello to michelle obama, who is 1,000 times more stunning in real life than in any photograph, and just as nice. (heather asked about her workout regimen and she said, "it's all about waking up early, you know?" but i don't really know, because i wake up early and my arms do not look like that.)



and then, in what might be the best moment of your life until now, you will get to shake hands with the president. this is how i felt when i first saw him.




but i managed to keep my cool when my big moment came, and neither drooled nor wet my pants. however, i might have dislocated my jaw with this smile.




because we are all friends on the internet, i will tell you that i teared up when i stood face-to-face with that obama. besides salt lake city mayor ralph becker (my first and true political love), i have never met someone i voted for, and it was a pretty emotional thing. i felt a real sense of solidarity. like we were in this together. (i am sure he felt it, too. right?)

some more great things about the congressional families picnic are uncle bob's hawaiin shirt and panama hat, and also the firedancers who provided a little post obama-mobbing entertainment. on any other night, firedancers probably would have been the highlight. (fire! light! joke!)

but on this particular night, they were totally outshone.

pleased to meet you, mr. president

not a bad thursday evening.

the webs the wide world weaves

my dad just joined facebook.

and, contrary to my firmly held belief, the universe did not implode. at least not that i have noticed yet.

it has taken me a while, but i think i have finally embraced the inter-connectedness that is the inter-net. sure, it seems a little weird to be cyber-friends with my landlord, who is also my uncle, in addition to being my elected representative (the mind boggles). but, this is the new millenium!

right?

and sure, i find it a little strange to have my old roommates and my parents and my co-workers and my cousins and my parents' cousins all in the same virtual pot, sort of like i am messing with the natural social order and will have to pay for it some day. but all the kids are doing it!

right?

i do believe the internet has forever changed the way we relate to one another, and i have to wonder if it will eventually do more harm than good, (would you rather be with your computer than a real person sometimes? me too. not good.), but for now the universe seems in tact, and i am starting to really dig the complex web that is the world wide web.

plus, my dad already has 16 internet friends.

what a stud.

national(s) passtime

it is only logical that the baseball team in this, the nation's capital, would be called the nationals.

it is not logical at all that nationals park does not have churros.

nor is it logical that the nation's capital team should be one of the worst in the league. (maybe they need some stimulus money?)

though they did beat the toronto blue jays in extra innings. (someone even stole home! the thrill!)

it is totally logical that the metro is basically the worst place to be (the.worst.place) before or after a baseball game.

but it is also logical that after an evening out with these favorites...

i was happy as a clam.

(clay was not happy as a clam when we took this photo, however, because we made him look away from the action. sorry, buddy.)

sandman

it appears that i have lost my ability to sleep in on the weekends.

this is very distressing because i have always been a champion at sleeping in. i have a special talen for it, you see. it is one of my most favorite things.

but, this business of being a real adult and getting up early and going to work at the same time every day has really thrown a wrench in the system. i can't even force myself to sleep longer. it's pathetic.

though i suppose if i were really a real adult, i would use my new morning hours for things more productive than blog-stalking, shopping online and reading vanity fair. all while still in bed.

but i don't want to grow up too quickly now, do i?

the babe with the power

dear neighborhood of rosslyn,

many thanks for hosting an "i love the 80s" outdoor film festival so amanda and i could enjoy this slice of movie wonder.

sincerely,

the girl who screamed when david bowie came on the screen

p.s. next time can you bring enough free chips for everyone? thanks so much!

dear david bowie,

you are awesome.

the end.

sincerely,

the girl who screamed when you came on the screen

p.s. also, thanks for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UoG-xQ9Lqc

keeping up with the joneses

{with the mary, emily and abby, plus one fat baby}

i have loved the jones family from the day i met abby and emily at girls' camp when i was a young and spry 13.



i love them so much, i spent a summer with them in nauvoo.



i love them so much, i got abby together with my good friend jonathan, and now they are the happily married dunfords.


i love them so much i don't mind that emily never returns my phone calls. (though i sure would like to see her more since we live five minutes away from each other now. emily, are you reading this?)



i love them so much, i briefly considered attending my 10 year high school reunion, just to hang out with them. (i got over that one, though. sorry abby!)



but i was perfectly happy, you might even say thrilled, to go to emily's house just a few blocks away when i heard abby and mary were in town with baby isaac. it's probably clear from this picture why he is more often called the fatness. this kid is only nine months old.






i sort of hogged him all night. but i don't feel bad about it since he wouldn't exist if it weren't for me.

(you're welcome!)