Friday, December 12, 2008

12 of 12: December

Merry and happy 12 of 12, everybody! This project is the brainchild of Chad Darnell; I just participate, along with lots of other people. Let's ring out the old year with 12 final photos, shall we?


6:50 - Conscious, even though it is dark outside, which seems like an obvious clue that being awake is unnatural. Who's with me?




7:43 - N4 bus to Farragut Square. Friday is a good day to try out new public transit routes (the "where does this bus go?" game): less traffic and less chance of being catastrophically late. I try to take advantage of this.




10:25 - Hopping back on the Metro to run a work-related errand.




10:45 - Foggy Bottom is a funny name, and always makes me think of woot canals. Aaron Sorkin ruined me for this city before I even got here.




10:51 - This is the thing about suddenly living in our nation's capitol: you're walking along, minding your own business, and suddenly, Washington Monument! Right there! And this is the thing about being new: you still notice.




11:32 - I am a now badge-carrying employee of the U.S. government. You can only know how exciting this is if you've ever been escorted everywhere for three weeks of your life.




11:48 - Celebratory pumpkin bread on a celebratory trip to Starbuck's, because I can.




2:44 - This is "Liz takes pictures of her thumbs" month, apparently. I don't care if you're doing work in the middle of a long, dreary Friday. Just put on "Christmas Time is Here" and TRY not to feel a little festive. You can throw your head back and sing with your half-circle mouth, if it helps. (Oh, Vince Guaraldi and Charles Schulz. I heart you guys.)



5:35 - Math problem: I know one person, other than my coworkers, in DC. What are the odds that we end up in the same Metro car at rush hour on a Friday evening? And yet: here is Sarah on the freakishly tall Dupont Circle escalator, wishing she knew how to follow her own directions. She is less blurry in real life.


7:22 - You know, I think that if I had the head-size-to-body-size ratio that Giada DeLaurentiis does, I would go for smaller hair. I'm afraid she's going to tip over, you know?




7:53 - I was going to have pasta with tomato sauce and all of its lycopene-induced benefits. But they were CALLING to me, I swear: "Cheese and garlic! Cheese and garlic!" So, yay, white food?




9:59 - My evening in a nutshell: top-secret (oops!) Christmas knitting, my favorite monkey slippers, and Bridget Jones's Diary, which will never leave me or forsake me. (Hey, I'm exhausted and in a new city, and anyway, nobody gets handknits if I'm out being normal and sociable with all of my nonexistent acquaintances. Friends in 2009, I say!)



Happy 2008, everybody. Thanks for letting me share it with you, and I'll see you in the brand new year.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, I wish i was watching BJD with you! (And learning how to knit socks.)

Anonymous said...

1.) Woot canal! Never gets old. And yet, I totally never think of CJ when I pass Foggy Bottom.

2.) Re: Washington Monument - you never stop noticing. It's a freaking beautiful city.

Anonymous said...

Yep, been here for 2 1/2 years and I still love seeing the Washington Monument.
(I live in Foggy Bottom!)

Martini Dan said...

Great photos! Thanks for sharing your day. Happy Holidays!

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to wish you the greatest of Holiday Seasons in your new city. May the New Year bring adventure and satisfaction in your life.
Remember...their is always a place for you at our dinner table.
Al's Dad

Xerxes said...

Is Foggy Bottom near the CIA?

How come the Washington Monument does not look a thing like Washington? I thing we as a nation got jiped on that one!

In case you don't blog before Dec 25, have a Merry Christmas remembering the birth or our Lord and Savior.

Heather said...

Is it sad that it makes me so excited that (1) I have seen many of these places in your pictures with my own eyes and (2) know of some of these places of which you speak? Like the freakishly tall DuPont Circle escalator. It is freakishly tall. You are right.

Anonymous said...

You know, it's funny. One of the things I miss about living in DC (and it's been 10 years) was the scenery. I don't miss the cold, though!

I haven't seen Giada since she got big hair. The thing that annoys me about her (well, one of the many -- don't get me started on her over enunciation) is that someone who claims to love chocolate as much as she does shouldn't be a size 0. I'm just sayin', y'know??

Nice 12!

Liz said...

Capt. O/Miss Osborne,

Awww, I wish you'd been watching BJD with me, too. But hey, if you turn on your TV right now (no matter what time it is), you've got at least a 50/50 shot at finding it. It's like Legally Blonde--always on TV in some dimension or another. BRAVO had it on last night, for example.

As for the socks, THAT I can teach you. When school's done, young lady!

Liz said...

Sarah,

1.) Maybe you will now. Also, I always thought CJ had gone to the dentist in Foggy Bottom, but I'd misremembered it--FB is really only relevant in that Sam has gone there, which is less exciting. I was maybe gonna look for a dentist in Foggy Bottom, just to crack myself up (but hopefully not to invite woot canals for myself).

2. This is good to know. It *is* pretty. (OMG, have you ever walked the towpath along the canal in Georgetown? I did it today, and it was lovely. We'll have to give it a shot when it's not 30 degrees outside.)

Liz said...

Jess,

Hi! (You found me through Ravelry, right? Because it would be weird if you'd tracked this blog down in another way. Because...we're Ravelry/book club buds, right? Just getting things straight.)

You must see the monument all the time if you live down there! It's just so TALL, you know? I like how many places you can see it from around here. (Also, fyi, I went to the Georgetown Stitch DC today and was underwhelmed. Hmmm.)

Liz said...

Thanks, Martini Dan! (I just like calling somebody "Martini Dan." Heh.)

Happy holidays to you, too!

Liz said...

Aww, thanks, Al's Dad! I miss you guys. But it's so wonderful to know I can come visit anytime. Keep me posted on any fun things you're up to (I say this because you've always got *something* going on)!

Hugs for you!

Liz said...

X,

I think the CIA's across the river in Virginia. I think. (Right, everyone?)

And I hope to post before Christmas, but if I don't get to talk to you, a very merry Christmas to you and yours. It's so good hearing from you all the time. :)

Liz said...

X,

I forgot to say: the Monument may not look like Washington, but trust me--he's EVERYWHERE ELSE. No shortage of the fine triangle-headed guy around here.

Liz said...

H,

It makes me happy that you're so happy to have seen these places! Isn't it great to be all, "I've been there! I KNOW THAT CRAZY-TALL ESCALATOR!" Also, I sometimes get on the escalator on the right (standing) side and decide halfway up to start walking. But can I tell you how scary it is to let go of the right handrail and move left to walk? Someday I am either going to kill myself doing it, or have a panic attack.

Liz said...

Chris,

You mean Giada's pas-ta parmig-i-annnnnn-a bothers you? I can't imagine why! (I actually don't mind her, but I do think she's a little crazy for all the reasons you mentioned. She must fake-eat, because she is a tiny, tiny woman with a big head.)

Anonymous said...

"She is less blurry in real life."

Hahahaha!!!! Love it!

And your thumb looks great. D.C. obviously agrees with it.

Nice to "meet" you!
~Aimee
(Brand new 12of12'er)

Anonymous said...

You now have a more advanced USG ID than I do! What's up with that? I've still got the old blue one. So passe...

In Jordan, you can see the gigantic flagpole with the gigantic Jordanian flag everywhere you go. It's not nearly as cool as the Washington Monument, trust me.

Zippy said...

Great 12, Liz! Best of luck in your new city and home. Sounds like you're off to a great start! Merry Christmas!

Michele

Dogeared said...

Enjoying the new life in DC then? ;-)

And thank you so much for the West Wing pick-me-up. I had a crappy moment at lunchtime due to monumentally stupid photo developpers, and I really needed a laugh. Woot canaw and Foggy Bottom (which I'd forgotten about FB) made me smile. God bless that clip.

Helen (Dogeared)
Sorry for being late again this month - had a nightmare trip home after the weekend away ad this week has been messed up sleeping and busy. Thanks for all your comments, and see you in 2009! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!