So last week there was an earthquake in DC which was basically the first earthquake in recorded DC history. It was all of 3.6, and I totally slept through it. I definitely picked the best year ever to move to DC.

Later that day I went to work, as one does. I came back to my office from a meeting to discover a couple of emails from our office manager: the first, saying there was a suspicious package investigation going on outside the building and a corner was blocked off. The second email informed us that the investigation had now been upgraded to a bomb threat, and several blocks were now blocked off, and the bomb squad had been called in. Cue nervous conversation around the office. Shortly thereafter, a Very Serious voice came over the intercom and announced that we all needed to move away from the windows and not stand on a particular side of the building. Of course, my office is on that side of the building AND has windows. So I headed over to the other side of the office to see what my colleagues were up to--lots of quite nervous conversation, and looking out the interior windows into the lobby to try to figure out what was going on. We watched some officials come into the lobby and shoo people away from the doors. A security guard was stationed in front of the doors to prevent people from leaving. At one point he went out to the street to see what was going on and then came running back in--not something to inspire confidence. Another announcement over the intercom to inform us the basement parking garage was now on lockdown. My coworker called a friend over at Homeland Security to try to find out what was going on. This went on for, literally, an hour. Meanwhile we're hearing that all the neighboring buildings were being evacuated.

And, the anticlimax: another announcement over the intercom to inform us that all was well and it was not a bomb. We found out later that it was a briefcase full of "electronic testing equipment", whatever that is. In any case--certainly a more dramatic Thursday afternoon than I'm used to!

Nats vs. White Sox, originally uploaded by zannect.

I won tickets at a raffle at work to see the Nationals play. The game was last week and it was pretty much a perfect game except for the fact the Nats lost in the 11th inning. But it was a gorgeous evening, the game was well played, and Strasburg is a phenomenon even a non-baseball fan like myself can appreciate. Hell, I might even switch over my primary allegiance--yes, as a born and raised Massachusetts native, the Red Sox are in my DNA, but the Nats can use all the fans they can get.

And, the coolest part: OBAMA was at the game!

If you click on the photo and then "all sizes" and then "original size" you might sort of be able to see a guy in a white shirt and a Sox hat. That's him. Blurry cell phone pics are not so great; I could definitely see more detail in person!

I'm settling in well to life in DC! My job is great; I'm exploring new restaurants and places to go out (at least one new place a week); checking out the museums; attending other DC cultural events (World Cup games shown on giant screens in Dupont Circle? yes! Open embassy days? yes! Pride parade? yes!); and hanging out with friends, both visiting and local. It's true, everyone comes through DC for work and it's awesome. Also, surviving mishaps such as cat-induced computer malfunctions, food poisoning, cats with eye infections, the wonky Metro, and other similar adventures. Oh yeah, and bemoaning the weather. I do not know how this New Englander is going to survive the summer here. Seriously, I'm already ready to die and it's only mid-June. We've already had a week straight of 90+ temps and the humidity is killer. What do you know, it's not the heat, it's the humidity! One thing I do love here is how late the days go--it's not even the Solstice yet and it's still light out till after 9pm. Love it!

Here's a selection of photos from the last couple of months:
Grad school friends mini-reunion
My cousin's wedding in Ohio
Lightning quick secret trip to NYC to see a couple of friends get married at City Hall, with bonus amazing sushi
Hanging out with the cats
Apartment preview

It's been a few years, but since I recently moved to a new city and I just had a birthday last weekend I thought it would be fun to make a new list: 32 things to do before I turn 33.

1. Fix my shoulder. This one is not so fun, unfortunately, but it's necessary. I've torn at least a tendon and possibly the cartilage in my right shoulder. Once I know exactly what's going on my doctor will be able to figure out how to treat it. I'd like to avoid surgery if I can--maybe I should make that next?
2. Avoid shoulder surgery if at all possible.
3. Regain my strength/range of motion. I'm not sure I'll be able to get back to where I was before the injury in the next year, but that's definitely my goal. I was aiming for 10 pull ups without stopping, and I'd gotten to 8; I'd love to get to 10 or even back up to 8.
4. Assuming my shoulder heals, learn how to rock climb.
5. Fix my chronic hip and back pain, so I can:
6. Run another half marathon. Or some other interesting race that's at least 10 miles.
7. Learn DC's Metro system.
8. Get comfortable in DC--I know a few places decently well, but there's so much I've barely even heard of or have no idea how to get to easily.
9. Visit every museum in the District.
10. Register to vote here.
11. Travel outside the country--Germany, Scotland, England, Japan, I'm looking at you! And Paris and Greece and Italy and Spain and Amsterdam and Egypt and Iceland and and and....
12. Hang up pictures in my apartment.
13. Frame the last few things I need to frame, like my MPH diploma, and hang those up as well.
14. Find a rug that matches my living room.
15. Keep my apartment in its current lovely uncluttered clean state.
16. Get the cats down to a healthy weight.
17. Keep my new plants alive.
18. Read through my giant stack of unfinished books--I'm partly into at least half a dozen, I need to commit and finish them!
19. Get a library card here in DC. Find my nearest library.
20. Volunteer with Casey Trees on a regular basis.
21. Buy most of my veggies at the local farmer's markets.
22. Eat something new I've never tried before.
23. Try something again that I've had before and hated (kim chee? Ethiopian food?)
24. Host a Pie Day party in 2011.
25. Go see some good live music here in DC--I live just a few blocks from some of the city's best music venues, I need to check them out!
26. Find good sushi, good brunch, and good bagels in DC.
27. Keep up my weekly evening out (at a new place every week) with Hilary and a rotating cast of characters.
28. Make some new friends.
29. Update the design and banners on this blog (now with vintage 2006 design).
30. Sew something I can (and do) actually wear.
31. Find the perfect leather jacket.
32. Actually send this year's New Year's cards, instead of finding them in a box at the end of March, written & stamped, but not addressed....whoops, sorry about that, if you didn't get a card from me this year!

Here's Mandi's list, and my list from a few years ago, if you're curious. 363 days to go!

family, originally uploaded by zannect.

My parents came to visit this weekend! Despite the pouring rain on Saturday, we had a great time. We spent hours in bookstores (Busboys & Poets and Kramerbooks), ate an amazing meal at Zaytinia, and managed to fit in four museums in one day. whew!

Saturday started at the National Museum of the American Indian, where we also had a really good lunch--it might have the best food court of any museum ever. Next we headed over to the Botanic Gardens, where we saw the orchid exhibit. It didn't really compare to the National Orchid Garden I visited in Singapore last summer, but the conservatory was a nice place to spend some time and take some photos. Next we headed up to the National Geographic Museum, which was a little disappointing--the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit was sold out, so we just checked out a few photos. We ended the day at the Renwick, where we caught an amazing exhibit of arts and crafts created in the WWII Japanese American internment camps.

I kept telling my parents they really needed souvenir FBI sweatshirts, but for some reason they didn't agree with me. oh, well, Christmas is coming!

tree planting with Casey Trees, originally uploaded by zannect.

Back when I was researching DC, I heard about an organization called Casey Trees. Their mission is to restore the tree canopy of Washington. Apparently DC used to be called the City of Trees, but during the 1960s and 70s, the city lost 65% of the tree cover due to neglect. In 1999, a philanthropist named Betty Brown Casey gave a generous donation to start the organization. Since 2001 they have planted over 7,000 trees. The organization leads tree walks, teaches classes, gives high school kids summer jobs, and helps DC residents plant trees. It's really cool. They will help homeowners pick the right trees for their land, and help them plant the trees; they'll help community groups green their neighborhood; and they assist the city with planting and care of city trees. Last week I took a two-evening class about trees, and then Saturday morning I went with a group to plant 30 trees in Oxon Run park in SE DC. The training means that I can assist and help organize new volunteers at tree plantings that are held every weekend in the spring and the fall.

I planted two trees with a small group of other people. It was quite a lot of fun! We planted white swamp oak (above), sweet gum trees, and a few others. It was a gorgeous spring day and spending the morning outside with a visible end result was really satisfying. The other volunteers and the staff were an eclectic group of really nice folks, a mix of long-time DC residents, other newcomers, and an intern from Finland. I'll be volunteering with Casey Trees throughout the spring planting season, and then I hope to again in the fall.

Growing up as I did in a much more rural area, and in a house with a yard full of amazing trees, I've always felt like there was something missing in the cities I've lived in. One of my major complaints about NYC was how much I missed being around trees. It's really neat to be helping plant trees in my new city, and it makes me so much more aware of the trees that are already here.

ps--I took that photo with my phone! The quality is much better than I expected.

Awesomest chair of awesomeness, originally uploaded by zannect.

February, usually my longest and draggiest and least favorite month, has zoomed by. I can't believe it's over! As of yesterday, I've lived in DC for an entire month, and last Friday completed both my first calendar month on the job and the first time I've worked a full five-day work week since June.

I've spent February working, figuring out what I'm doing at work, buried in snow (and work), figuring out my new city (especially the buses), nesting, and spending lots of time with the Schipandegan family and with Hilary. Yay! Above is a sneak preview of my new apartment--this chair is my first nice furniture purchase ever (i.e., not Ikea) and I love it. When I get the pictures hung on my walls I'll post a photo tour; overwise I'm mostly settled in except for a few small odds and ends.

The other big news is that I've acquired some roommates. They are refusing to pay any rent, but they're so cute they get away with it.

Yes, it's true, I now have custody of the cats. They're quite good company and it's nice to have them around again.

Fallen branch, originally uploaded by zannect.

You might have heard it snowed here in DC. It doesn't snow very much around here, so 25 inches is a BIG DEAL, aka "crippling", "historic", "obliterating", and "paralyzing" (all direct quotes from various major news sources). It started around 10am on Friday and didn't stop till after 5pm on Saturday. I went to the grocery store on Friday afternoon and it was like the end of the world: bare shelves, especially in the produce and meat sections (no garlic!!!), people stockpiling milk and wine like there wouldn't be any more produced ever again, and lines to rival the Park Slope Food Coop the day before Thanksgiving. I was able to get plenty of food and even had some nice conversations with other people waiting in line. I got pretty stir-crazy by Saturday afternoon and went out for a walk (lots of pictures here) and saw some pretty crazy stuff: a snow plow that was stuck; a tow truck that was stuck with a driver attempting to pull himself out by hooking onto a fire hydrant; dozens of people sledding and having snow ball fights; people skiing down the middle of U Street; and some very, very happy dogs. I was fortunate not to lose power, so I spent my weekend cooking, putting together furniture, and relaxing. So much for my last batch of errands to finish off my apartment! Those will have to wait till next week, assuming we ever dig out. I got out of work early on Friday, and I'm hoping I'll make it to work tomorrow, but there's a decent chance we'll have a snow day, if the city can't dig out enough to make it possible to commute.

Here's a video of a tow truck attempting to rescue the plow:

I'm sure they got out eventually, but by then I was cold so I didn't stick around to see. Today it's gloriously sunny so I'm heading out for another walk to see how things look today.

Welcome to DC indeed!

Updated at 4pm: I just took another walk and came back with more photos! Lots of buried cars, and sadly, many broken and completely downed trees.

Huge fallen tree:

It's really pretty:

I can't tell what's happening here:

New apartment, originally uploaded by zannect.

The last three weeks have been pretty busy. I interviewed for, was offered, and accepted a new job, based in Washington, DC. I went back down to DC to find an apartment, via a family weekend in New Jersey and NYC. I came back to Massachusetts and packed up all my stuff, and shipped it off today via FedEx Ground and USPS Media Mail. Wednesday, very early, I get on a train and relocate to DC! I'll start my new job on February 1, which should give me just enough time to get my stuff, go to Ikea and buy a bunch of furniture, and unpack and set up my new place. It's all been a whirlwind, and I can't quite believe that in 48 hours, I'll be living in my new apartment in a brand new city. I'll miss Massachusetts, but I'm sure I'll be back here some day. In the meantime, it's very exciting!

Happy New Year! I spent New Year's in NYC and it was one of those fantastic trips full of good food, visiting some of my favorite places, amazing coffee, and wonderful times with old & new friends. I had one of those perfect New York moments that makes me miss living there; late one night I was taking a cab home from Brooklyn, it was snowing, and as we went over the Williamsburg Bridge and up First Ave through the East Village the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind" came on the cab's radio.