A crazy hot Saturday

Seriously, this picture does NOT reflect just how hot it was!

Why we decided to have a big adventure on the hottest Saturday in DC this summer, I still don't know. But we and the Christensen's decided to go back to Eastern Market one last time and stuff ourselves with their super-fab breakfast items, like huge breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, french toast, eggs, sausage, and potatoes. Although this breakfast is definitely not recommended on hot days, it IS highly recommended. No pictures this time, but go here and here for our Eastern Market experiences.

Afterwards, we trekked to the Navy Yard to check out the US Navy Museum. The trek was hot, but I got some sweet shots of Amanda and the cool blue school building that we went by.

The Navy Yard was fun, and Dave especially enjoyed himself. I'm glad we went and did something we normally wouldn't have planned ourselves and then never really have seen. I learned more about WW2 and Navy Baseball, and ships, and the Arctic! Also, it was super cute when Dave saw the Trieste, the main reason he wanted to go. It's a sweet submarine that the US bought in the 50's.

While walking out the museum, I saw that there was a display ship that we could walk through and decided that would be our one last activity at the Navy Yard. Turns out it was the COOLEST SHIP EVER. Well. Maybe not, but Display Ship Barry was definitely memorable. And hot. And old. He will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Afterwards we were still stuffed from breakfast, so I opted to go home. I was exhausted. But on the way home I felt bad that I had gone to the National Gallery of Art (with my parents when they visited) so I asked Ry if he wanted to go and he said "yes". So we hopped off at Smithsonian, got two bottles of water and some Gatorade, and headed to the Gallery.

Turns out I really was feeling more sick and dehydrated than I thought, so I sat on the steps inside while Ryan walked around for 20 minutes or so. This was not the day to be a tourist. So we headed home and I proceeded to sleep for the next 3 hours and stay inside our nice cool room for the rest of the night. Poor Ry, he did some homework while I slept and then watched a movie with the Christensen's without me since I was feeling uber anti-social (thanks Dave and Amanda for entertaining him!).

It was a great day, but it turns out, I can't stand the heat as much as I thought I could!!

Also, a terrific Friday

I love Fridays. Especially Fridays that come after awesome Thursdays. Last Friday, after waking up at 9:45 and vaccuuming (see, I'm getting better at cleaning already!) ((also, "How do you spell vacuum?" "H-O-O-V-E-R"… name that movie!)) I walked with Ryan to his work again and met the Italian scholar he's been working with, on her last day there. She was so nice and super cute. But then she asked me how much Italian I know and I always get nervous! I forgot how to say "I'm hungry" and "I'm starving to death" (I know, those are really the only Italian phrases you need to know), but I said, "andiamo" and that I could count to ten. I really need to learn more…

After that we trekked up to the Bulgolgi food kart on 14th and L NW. It was REALLY GOOD. It was Korean food and although I've never had Korean before, it had rave reviews and they didn't dissapoint! The kimchi was a little spicy, but the spicy chicken bulgolgi was good, and I just had the combo, with both chicken and beef and that was way good too. Yay for street food! Also on a side note, I had heard about kimchi all last semester since my visiting teaching companion, Candice, had been raving about it, so it was fun to see what all the hoopla was about. I'm all for trying it again, just not as spicy the next time, please? I drank about 3 cups of milk because of it!

we love food trucks!

Spam calls

I get Spam calls on my phone now. Thanks to signing up for an Ikea something of other and in the process giving a company my cell number when I should have pressed the No Thanks button, I get Spam callers.

Yesterday, the conversation went something like this:

"Is this Emily Dalby?" (Sketchy anyway, since that's not my name anymore...)

" Yes?"

"Are you 18 or older?"

"Take me off your list please"

"Well, I need to know if you are 18 or older"

"Take me off your list now please"

"I need to know if you are 18 or older to tell me what the offer is."

"What are you selling?"

"You're eligible for.."

[cutting her off] "Take me off you list please"

"But you're eligible for blah blah credit/money for college/magazines."

[trying to cut her off but she's still talking..] "Take me off you list. Take me off you List. Take me off your list."

Meh.

Dipped Cone

Today is Melissa's birthday. She was my office-mate for a while, but now she's got a sweet office and since I'm leaving in a week, I'm all alone. So it was nice to go out today and get some DQ for my lunch dessert.

MMM.

And ever since Lauren suggested going to DQ today I've had the "That's what I like about Texas" DQ jingle in my head. Apperantly other people from other states didn't grow up with that jingle.

Also, I got this:

It was a medium. It was suuuper good.

Kayacking with the Barlow "Marrieds"

As you all know by now, we live in the Barlow Center. And in the Barlow, there are two distinct groups: the "singles", and the "marrieds". The "singles" are crazy and social and loud. The "marrieds" are fairly calm. The "singles" hang out all the time with eachother (and even eat other people's taquitoes without asking (the avenger has not been found, btw)) and gawk when the "marrieds" hang out with eachother too. Who woulda thought?? Ha. It's just this funny dynamic that I might slightly miss when we're gone.

Well, we went kayacking on the Potomac on Friday night thanks to a rad groupon deal found by the Clyde's. it was a lot of fun, even if the Potomac is gross. Even if Dave Clyde is crazy competitive in a kayack. Even if we had to stop continuously to wait for the group to catch up, and then someone thought it would be smart to have one person paddle while they held their paddle up over everyone's head, giving us all even more infectious deseases than we were already succombing our bodies to...

But really, it was super fun and it was great to hang out with the Clyde's and Christensens. Afterwards, we walked down M street, a little damp and sweaty, walked by all these couples and friends in their "going out" attire while we looked like hooligans, and grabbed milkshakes at Ben and Jerrys. MMMM.

A terrific Thursday

On Thursday I was able to take a "Personal Day" from work. Hurray for days off and still getting paid! I actually got a lot of things done, so I'm pretty proud of myself

I:

- deep-cleaned our bathroom and actually cleaned our tub for the first time since we've been here (I know, I know, cleaning just doesn't come as naturally to me as other people, but I'm learning, ok?)

- made AMAZING banana bars (you can find the recipe here) that Ryan, Amanda, and Oliver and Julie can testify to [[I POSTED THE LINK-now you have no excuse to make these super awesome bars]]

- washed two loads of laundry

- made lunch for two…

And then met Ryan at the Wilson Institute (where he interns) for lunch! He said that I should have more "Personal Days" in which I reminded him that if I can't find a job, soon, in Provo I'll have "Personal Days" everyday!..without pay…) Really, I'm optimistic about my job and I'm applying for a couple jobs each day. If anyone hears of anything, from a preschool teaching job to any sort of education (esp health education) or even receptionist job, preferrably at an office somehow related to health, please let me know. I really want to work and not have days off (be unemployed) too long!

After lunch I went to Ann Taylor and Macys in search of black pants. Where are you, oh black pants?! Gap didn't have any since they're in transition and the pants at Macys and Ann Taylor were not working for my hips. Don't get me wrong, I love my hips, but I do not want to look like I am wearing skin-tight pants and I would like my hips to look flattering, instead of make me look like I am somehow obese (I know, they were seriously great moral-boosters--FALSE).

**Because, on a side-note, I went to the gym three times last week and a couple times the week before and have really been concentrating on eating right and I feel dang good about it all!**

Anyway, at Ann Taylor I met up with my rad friend Amy and we decided to go to Columbia Heights and go to the Target there. She claimed to have seen "cute pants" there just that morning…but the only black pants they had made me look like a Chik-fil-A worker. Thanks Ams.

So we left and went south to Crystal City, where she lives, and sat at a nearby park and talked for a bit, then left when the couple a few feet away both pulled out cigarettes, and went back to her apartment.

We ended up being in her apartment from 6:30 to 10:30 talking about everything from what we want to be when we grow up to future baby names and everything in between. Around 10:30 I decided that Ryan was probably done finishing his paper and working on LSAT stuff (truth is, he works better when I'm not there to distract him, it's a bummer, I know). Oh, and I randomly bumped in to a kid that I knew when I was 14 from Texas who works out here for AARP while I was on my way out of his building. SMALL WORLD!

When I finally got to the Foggy Bottom metro stop (in which I had Ryan meet me, since it was already 11) we walked home and there were roses waiting for me!!! Ryan is such a stud. He knows that I love fresh flowers and buys them for me not only on special occasions, but randomly! He knows me oh so well and I love it and him SO SO SO much. Hurray for amazing husbands, great friends, and a pretty great day off!

A New Apartment!

We made a BIG purchase...

That's right, on Wednesday night we decided to grab a two bedroom on the first floor of our old quad in Wymount. Yes, we're going back to BYU housing and our old ward (although they've had quite a bit of turnover in the last three months) and I'm SO excited (unless they put us back in the primary/nursery again..). We're also right across the hall from our favorite Quad 5 kids: the Mellors! Now I get to have my eyebrows waxed all the time!!

Some perks about where we're living now are: more space, a quest room and study area for Ryan, a craft room for me, more room for pictures and to decorate, being on the first floor instead of the third, closer to the laundry building, and our bikes can live on our back porch instead of far away on the bike rack (which is also closer).

**I stole this from Whit's blog. I needed a picture! Also, there home is adorable. They make Wymount cute, which can be a challenge...**

We really wanted to live with our friends, the Harts, but it looks like the apartment won't be available until the 10th of September, and we really needed a place to live earlier than that. We also really wanted to live with our friends, the Christensens, but in the end the closeness and proximity to school won. Also, now we get to move in right when we get home! Ryan wants to rent a UHaul for the day and get all our stuff out of Springville and into our place in one swift movement (thanks Matheson's for being so awesome and letting us store stuff at your old place!). A thank you in advance to the neighbors/mission buddies who will be helping us.

YAY!!

Firecracker aka BOMB pop

This whole summer I have been craving a Bomb pop. Whenever we're on the mall and pass a little food stand, they're always there, staring me in the face, but I've had to walk on by for one reason or another. Also, I would always see little kids eating them and they were MONSTROUS, which made me want one even more (I'm a food connoisseur, what can I say…)

Finally, las weekend, while Ryan's dad was in town, as we were walking to the Newseum and sweating to death, we passed by a food stand that had Bomb pops. Well, they were called "Firecrackers", but whatever, they were Bomb pops in disguise.

THEY WERE AMAZING.

Thanks Ken, for being such a fab father-in-law and buying Ry and I one. We were not disappointed in the least. And even though my bangs still looked crazy, my stomach felt goooood. :)

Green Gettysburg

Seriously, I loved being in Gettysburg a whole stinkin lot. It reminded me of where my parents live (Floyds Knobs, IN), which is GORGEOUS and green and hilly and full of trees. I really love this shot of the feilds and the church in the back. The National Parks Service actually lends the land out so farmers can use it just like it was used in the civil war. There are still peach trees and we saw tons of soybeans too. The corn was harvested early this year so we didn't see corn. Ryan and I are on our way to Indiana in a matter of weeks and I'm excited to see all the green again!!

Oh, also, I really want to make some collages of all the pictures I've taken while here, but it's so darn hard to pic my favorites! Speaking of places that are bigger to hold all our pictures...(great segue ((did you know that's how you spell it? I didn't)), I know...)

Gettysburg

We went to Gettysburg two weeks ago and it was a really fun trip. It's not too far from DC and the school hired a tour guide who was on our charter bus the whole time we went around the area. He was chalk full of knowledge and his family had been in the area since the 1700s! Crazy. I'm pretty sure my family was still in England or Germany or somewhere like that.

I took a bajillion pictures, but here are a few of my favorites:

Our tour guide mentioned that 80% of the houses in Gburg that were around during the civil war are STILL standing. I was super impressed. And they all have these sweet plaques near there front porches so that I know which ones are the coolest.

Like this one. That dot near the window is a shell from artillery fired during the three day battle. HOW COOL IS THAT?! (Also, not so cool, but super convenient, we were on the bus most of the time, so sometimes I got glare shots. What can ya do...)

Our sweet tour guide. Yup, the guy who's been here forever. Well, not him exactly. He was super knowledgeable, like I said, and he was also funny and made sure to point out all the statues from our home states that battled. It was very cool and much better than going around with just a CD explaining everything to you. Although we did pass by a few things I wish we could have gotten pictures of, but oh well.

[[The rest of the pictures aren't as educational as they are pretty, funny, or pretty funny... I crack myself up...]]

COWS! Yup, there are cows near the battle fields. Rad, I know. Living in the city, you don't see much livestock. Also, after seeing Food, Inc., I'm glad to see cows out in the open instead of crammed inside feed lots.

I got a little obsessed with all the green fields and cute wooden fences. It seriously made me want to live in the country for the rest of my life. Well, the thought stayed around until we ate at the Gburg version of Golden Corral and I said, bring on the second-hand smoke! Just kidding. But it made me wish the town had a few more eating options.

Last, but not least, I give you my favorite picture from the day:

We went on this tower to overlook Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, and some other places of famous battles that I should know but I don't.... and anyway, it was super windy. So we took this picture. And I love it. It's my favorite.

There are more pictures, but I've got to lure you back SOMEhow, right?!

Smithsonian Folklife Festival/Jefferson/FDR

Even though it was way hot, way back in the beginning of July (or the end of June?) we trekked over to the National Mall to go see the event of cultures that the Smithsonian museums put on each year. People from all over Mexico and southeast Asia came and had little booths about culture and cooking and music, it was cool! But did I mention it was hot??

BUT, they had rad smoothies. Mango smoothies, to be exact. MMMM.

After walking around for a bit (and meeting up with Julie and Oliver, since Julie's an intern at the Smithsonian this summer) we decided to first venture through some "art" museums before venturing down to the Jefferson and FDR memorials. I say "art" loosely, since some of it was from the 60s and consisted of naked girls putting paint on themselves and others dragging them or crawling on the canvas...

But here's a view of the Capitol from one of the windows, so it all worked out in the end.

Hey Jefferson. Why'd your statue have to be so far away from all the other stuff on the Mall, huh? At least the Forest Ranger made funny jokes about you so it was worth it... But seriously, my feet were hurting after this super long day of walking.

Hey, cool modeling pose, heyyyyyyyyy.

FDR. Don't believe we were really there because you can't really see anything behind us?

Proof. AND, he had an addorable dog. That's my kind of dog.

Seriously though, I'll miss DC. The water, the monuments, the historical-ness, and all our friends and family who have come and visited us. WE LOVE YOU, DC! Also, I love this picture.

MORE ZOO!

Here is the sweet video I've been hyping up. Ok, there's one more, which makes me laugh, but we just couldn't get enough of the flamingos while at the National Zoo a few weeks ago. We stood there watching them for a good 20 minutes, thoroughly entertained.


Flamingos from Emily Mangum on Vimeo.

The cutest kid in DC

Well, the little kids I teach in Primary are cool, but Dr. Goodlife's son (Dr. G is Ryan's professor here at the Barlow Center) is SUPER adorable. I posted a picture here ((I thought I did... maybe not...)) I took while in Pennsylvania on a trip earlier, and when we all went to Gettysburg on another school trip, I took a couple more. 

Exhibit one:

Exhibit two:

Exhibit three (my FAVORITE pose of his...he does this one often and it's just so dang cute!):

Anywho, we had fun in Gburg and Harper's Ferry. More pictures to come, I promise (yes, I say that a lot and forget that I say that...ha)

The National Zoo's Think Tank

I seriously loved the National Zoo. There is at least one more post dedicated to it. With video.

Anyhow, I took this picture at the Think Tank, this place at the zoo where they watch and teach and do cool things with super smart orangutans.

I'm not a professional photographer by any means, but I absolutely love this picture and feel like a pro, at least for a moment. I didn't edit it at all-- it's just how the sun and glass combined to make it absolutely perfect. This little guy was picking up fruit that the zoo workers were throwing through the gate on the left side.

I've been inside the Supreme Court!

Ryan's program went to the Supreme Court to listen to one of Justice Thomas' clerks and I came along. Normally, I use my Fridays to go to the gym, do laundry, go grocery shopping and sleep in, but I figured I should probably go to the cool places they go to.

It's a beautiful building and listening to the clerk was really cool. The whole presentation was a Q&A and I was even brave enough to ask a question! I know, it was sweet.

We also went to the Dirksen Senate building to have class (where I promptly read The Screwtape letters and was a little upset when Amanda's iTouch didn't get wireless...) and listen to one of Senator Hatch's employees on the judicial committee, and that was cool too. The room was big and it was a little hard to hear the speaker, but it was a very official-looking room with a really pretty ceiling. Also, the cafeteria in there was pretty good. Ry and I had already eaten our lunches, but the interns gave us their leftover fries and they were tasty (and hurray for being a poor, married couple, yay pity! haha)

Gettin Skinny!

(Boys, stop reading now...)

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally not overweight or anything, but since Taylor's getting married over Labor Day I figure this is a great time for Ryan and I to really shape up and try to minimize all these calories we've been eating from all the fabulous food available to us here in DC.

Anyway, I just ordered this dress off of ShabbyApple.com (and totally want the entire Manhattan line) and ordered the 6/8 version. I've been an 8 for a bit, but I'm nervous about the "6" part.

Enter: running.

I ran the whole summer Ryan and I started dating thanks to all my fabulous roomies, including Camie. We ran practically every weeknight at about 10pm. Yes, we were pretty daring, but we all ran together (usually 3 of us) so we were semi-safe, right? Anyway, I've started running again and then we have these friends, the Clyde's, who've run marathons and done crazy stuff. I've done two 5ks... I probably never will run a marathon, since I don't want to DIE, but I've been thinking about a 1/2 marathon lately and that my healthy eating/working out change right now should include some kind of training too. Any suggestions? I can run 1-3 miles, but 4 miles is the farthest I've ever ran in a row, so I'm pretty much a beginner.

Oh, and since we've been eating out a lot with Ryan's mom and soon dad in town, we're eating in tonight. And I found a fabulous Chicken Parm recipe. Healthy, right? Ha.

Thanks for reading my random thoughts and being entertained with a lack of pictures. There's hyperlinks though, so that makes up for it, right??

National Zoo/National Cathedral/2 Amys/Wisconsin Ave

Original title, right? We did all of this (with the Christensen's)  the day after our terrible, awful Friday and were a little scared to be so adventurous after all the disappointment on Friday, but we had been planning to do this all week and I was determined to check all of these northern NW stops off my list!

1. The National Zoo was RAD. And the flamingos were our favorite. Also, I've got some fabulous videos of the cranes and flamingoes (they were our favorites).

2. The National Cathedral was BEAUTIFUL. It was a bit of a hike from the National Zoo, but we walked through some really pretty neighborhoods, and we always walked on the shaded part of the sidewalk, which was nice.

3. 2 Amys was OK. Not our favorite spot for pizza in DC, but Amanda and I heard they have homemade doughnuts on the weekends...we'll look into that and get back to you...

So, even after a terrible, awful Friday, our weekend was looking up already! Afterwards we walked all the way down Wisconsin back to Georgetown and then home. We even stopped into Anthropologie and Paper Store--now two of my favoritest stores! :)

 Next to come, the 4th of July madness/sweaty-ness and then more sweaty-ness at Mt. Vernon. All in 4 days!