8/28 Restoring Honor

Day 226: I heard Glenn Beck speak several months ago and he mentioned the Restoring Honor Rally he would be hosting between the Lincoln and Washington Monuments on 8/28. He chose to host it there because America needs to remember those Founders and what they stood for. The ensuing months of hype were quite surprising; I had no idea that the event I penciled on to a scrap of paper in May would grow so large and create such controversy. That same day, Beck said it coincidentally would be falling on the anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech, and what better day and bigger honor could it be to pursue those same ideas of freedom so many years later? Not surprisingly, by speaking on this day, the media warped that honor into something ugly and racist, despite the fact that Dr. King's own family members would participate in this rally.

We took far too long to head down to the Mall. The metro station was the most packed I have ever seen (including Nats crowds) and the streets were filled with Americans wanting to bring us back to our foundations. Beck had asked that people didn't carry signs, so instead there were t-shirts and American flags. Oh, so many flags! We missed Governor Palin and several others, but the shoulder to shoulder crowds that made it take an hour to move a mere 200 yards, was polite and surprisingly quiet in efforts to hear what was being said, cheering and clinging on to the words proclaimed by different heroes of our country from athletes, to pastors, to soldiers. We made it within view of the stage in time to here Beck say it's not about politics, but God, and that before we want to fix this country, this country needs to fix its relationship with God; quite a bold statement to a crowd of 500,000 from a man with a lot to lose. But he was met with emotional cheers of agreement. There were portions that were a little over the top, but largely, the day was an encouragement to all and a reminder that there are still many who support the Constitution and what it still stands for after all these years. I figured the day would close with God Bless America, but was pleasantly surprised when the bagpipes came out playing Amazing Grace and all these people sang those powerful words together, it was definitely a day to remember. Day 225: I have been avoiding D.C.'s Friday night "Jazz in the Garden" all summer because I don't like jazz and I thought it would be lame. I was SO wrong. The roommates all met downtown with instructions to bring a bottle and snack to share. Good wine, good food, good company, who needs good music?

Day 224: Party bus with lounge chairs on top of it?...sweet.

Day 223: Oh, what a beautiful baby!

(I just realized I've already posted this picture. There will be plenty more to come, but this is still my favorite, so I'm leaving it! :)

Minnsota State Fair

Day 222: In honor of the beginning of the “Great Minnesota Get-Together”, I present Sweet Martha’s Cookies. These are the most homemade cookies one can get outside of home and you can only get them for two weeks every summer, at 2 locations, both within the Minnesota State Fair grounds, and neither is close enough to the all you can drink for 50 cents Got Milk stand…ahh.

I did not truly experience the joys of the State Fair until I became friends with Michelle Clemens and probably first attended with her in 5th or 6th grade. Having grown up a mere few blocks from one of the biggest state fairs in the country, Michelle was truly a pro. While I made us navigate through the myriads of booths and freebies in the Education building, she showed me the treasures. The best of Midway (though it took us several years to realize only one ride was worth 6 tickets a ride and therefore we just went on that one the whole time), Kare11, talent shows, KTIS tent, Garage Logic and she made us brave the smells and allergies associated with the barns where her cousins always had cows. We spent hours trying to get on the news, using codes and clocks, shirts and hat colors, to discreetly point out the handsome Minnesotan boys we saw, and trying to gather enough courage to brave the Haunted House. The year we finally did, was our last. I stuck with my mom, leaving fingerprints of terror on her poor arms, and I’ll never forget the look on Michelle’s face when she walked out of there, 10 minutes after us, because she was lost behind and I was too selfish to go back in and rescue her.

As we grew older, the sites grew no less entertaining, and the food list was refined to a few essentials. Princess Kay of the Milky Way (farm girl carved in butter) and the milkshakes didn’t, in reality, compare with those our fathers made, but the corn on the cob, pickle on a stick, cheese curds, occasional footlong hotdog, and of course those Sweet Martha’s with the milk were booths permanently engraved on our mental maps. I ate to my heart’s content, thanks to a few days of no sweets and vigorous exercise beforehand.

Gone may be the days of the Giant slide, BSB concerts (I was forced), make-up trailers, and posed pictures on the tractors, but I have no doubt there are more adventures to be had. With Mich by my side, the tactics to get the high school boys to pile on the most possible cookies in that bucket for $14 is an art. The possibility of our current country singer obsession having a concert is a constant pull and I have no doubt that the Minnesota Twins must attend with their families/friends, and if ever I wanted to find them, she'd be the one who could do it. (Picture is courtesy to Bekah, who I'm certain wanted me there and didn't intend to simply make my mouth water)

Jenny and Allie!

Day 221: Jenny and Allie wanted to see the monuments at night, and I can't blame them--WWII is my absolute favorite at night. It's magical!

Day 220: The CSI portion was just as interesting today! You have the opportunity to be a detective and try go through a crime scene step by step, while seeing the different techniques they use on all those shoes we love!

Day 219: I walked past the Museum of Crime and Punishment the other day and of course was drawn in by the CSI and NCIS paraphernalia that covered the windows. After doing a little research, Jenny, Allie, Amanda, and I decided it sounded like it was worth the $18, and we were not wrong! We spent a good 3 hours learning about the history of crime, from the public humiliations of beheadings and stocks, to the car chases of Bonnie and Clyde, to the sick ideas of Ted Bundy, to the assassinations of Presidents, and it was both educational and enlightening. There were hands on exhibits making it fun for everyone (I spent a good 20 minutes in car chases) and we saw a side of history that understandably isn’t highlighted. After realizing we hadn’t even made it to the CSI level, we decided we’d need to return Sunday, but not before discovering the America’s Most Wanted studio downstairs! One of the hosts came out to explain the show, and he told us stories of the criminals and calls that come in every Saturday night from every day citizens who are willing to make a difference. Once a call comes in, the people on the show ask questions of the person, trying to identify if the criminal is indeed living near them (dogs names, hobbies, interests, tattoos, things that they don’t mention on the show, but could be easily identified by a neighbor, etc.) and if there are enough matches, they’ll call down to the local police and send them in. It was pretty neat to see how the show works and how it works so well. P.S. Did you know there is a murder every 1.2 minutes?

Day 218: This picture is going to have to be pending cuz’ I didn’t get a good one with Allie and Jenny while they were visiting me in D.C., and they definitely wanted to make the blog! I was thrilled to have them come visit, especially since they were first timers! They saw every single on the long list Jenny made before coming (props to her!), plus Murphy’s and more! Thanks for coming girls, it was a blast and I hope you come back sometime!!

Day 217: Ben makes better breakfast sandwiches than Au Bon Pain.

Day 216: I’m not really a Favre or Viking fan, but I do enjoy seeing Minnesota make the front page in D.C.!

"From the halls of Montezuma..."

Day 215: Sunset Parade, Silent Drill Platoon—This, was a Top 10 experience this summer in D.C.! I’ve heard about it from several of my Marine buddies, and knew I’d love it, but didn’t make it until this final one of the summer. Naturally, I was running late and arriving on my own, so I missed the shuttle and had to book it walking from the cemetery to the statue (you think it’s close, but that cemetery is bigger than you may realize!), I passed hundreds (okay, maybe not that many, but plenty) of Marines, all gathered around the backside of the monument and had to walk a couple hundred yards alone past them to join the crowds on the right side, beaming the whole time at what I knew was going to be an awesome event, but probably looking ridiculous. Boy, was I right, it was great! It was fairly crowded for an event I had only heard of a handful of times and not from anyone local, and I’d say the vast majority was military, both active and retired, with their families or on their own. The announcer asked us to rise for the presentation of the colors, and we learned tidbits of history throughout. Then the Marines come marching around my all-time favorite statue of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima and proceeded to do an excellent silent routine where all sounds came from their marching, hands hitting to their sides, or their rifles, it was pretty awesome. Afterwards, the crowd was not asked to stand for the Marine Corps Hymn, but within 3 notes, men all around me jumped up to give respect to the flag and notes that represent the branch they still so highly respect and honor. The rest of the crowd quickly followed suit, but it was clear who the Marines were among us, and it was pretty special. I highly recommend attending this if you are ever in D.C. on a Tuesday night in the summer. There is a website, but aside from that, you won’t hear any advertising but for word of mouth, but it is absolutely worth the effort.

Day 214: Slowey pitched a 7-inning no hitter yesterday, but they took him out! I still wanted to give him a tribute though. At 106 pitches they didn’t want to kill him and took him out, but I’m proud!

Day 213: I was pretty content after church today to not move for the rest of the day. I changed into the comfiest clothes possible, planned to bake, and started to nap before I was awoken to go to an Ethiopian restaurant for lunch. Huh. Let me tell you…this weekend has been one of several new and intriguing cultural experiences and this did not disappoint. Well, it didn’t disappoint in the sense that I did not have high expectations. Always up for something new, Carrie got me up to go, but I was a bit hesitant. The “bread” (injera) they had felt like skin, looked like a napkin, and didn’t have any taste, so that consistency was a bit hard to handle. The lamb and beef was actually fairly good, but I had a mouthful of “medium” cooked meat before I realized that by “medium” they meant that half the chunks were RAW! I ate for a little while, but eventually my mind got the better of me and I had to quit. Glad I tried it, but I won’t go back. Oh, but you eat with your fingers and that was fun!

Day 212: Today I had the privilege to go and watch 2 more friends graduate from Officer Candidate School at Quantico. Ralph and Sarah both had a tough summer, but they both did awesome! Sarah went from the president of her sorority to being commissioned yesterday as an officer of the United States Marine Corps. Pretty impressive! I’m so thankful that I’m close to go and watch these events, it may be a hassle to get up early, deal with traffic (yes, even at 7 on Saturday morning), and parking, but after what they have already been through, and what they are promising to do in the future, it’s the least I can do to go and support them. Proud of you guys!

Day 211: We kept the girls too busy this weekend!

Day 210: There are few night life experiences that Carrie was allowed to join in on in D.C., but we called ahead and found out she could definitely come line dancing! While not quite the experience I enjoyed occasionally in high school, the largely partner dances at Nick’s in Alexandria were still quite enjoyable if you had a partner who knew what he was doing. Unfortunately the best looked like Jesse Ventura, but boy could he spin us around! Amanda and Lauren pretty much refused to dance, but at least the music was to Amanda’s loving! Haha, the night definitely had some shining moments, and if you’re willing to give it a shot, and look dumb for a little while, you’ll eventually get the hang of it! Carrie, I'm glad you were willing to dance!

Day 209: This picture is a few days early cuz’ I have too many from this weekend with Carrie and Rae Rae in town. But we wanted to have a BBQ since we had so much company. We felt pretty grown up, and our kabobs were delicious, even if we aren’t quite the Grill Masters that would make our fathers proud. We also had an excellent game of volleyball, with me and Amanda vs. Rae Rae and Carrie, naturally the Graduates won.

Day 208: I saw this in the parking lot at Pentagon City and was pretty pumped! I never see other Twins paraphernalia on vehicles out here!!

Happy Birthday, Susanna!

Day 207: This morning Miss Susanna Elizabeth Engebretson was born to Rachel and Adam. 8lbs and 21 inches long, she is absolutely beautiful. Aside from the tears that continue to fall every time I think about it, I also have been enjoying some walks down memory lane as I think of my growing up years with Rachie. She was there the day I was born, so missing her day today was pretty tough, but I’ll always be there for her! Love you guys!

Day 206: Yay!! Finally flying the flag proudly outside our home!

Day 205: I woke up this morning to a gorgeous morning and nothing to do. It was too early to go to the pool, so I figured workin out was an admirable alternative. I woke up some roomies to come along and we headed down to the Jefferson. We tossed in “Rediscovering God in America” (Newt Gingrich book on monuments) and were off. It didn’t take long to realize we would have to stop at the monuments Amanda hadn’t seen (all of them) and for the next 3 hours we ran/rollerbladed from monument to monument, stopping at each one to read some words of wisdom. Haha, it was a pretty great morning!!

Day 204: First roommate picture! Heading off to Murphy’s for a fun night of singin’ oldies!

Day 203: I thought that by working at home and going to the DMV at 11, I MIGHT miss the crowds and crabby employees that normally taint the possibility of making your experience quick and friendly. I was wrong. After spending 15 minutes driving through the parking lot, I went inside. There, I waited 25 minutes to take the ticket to then join the 150 people already sitting in the waiting area. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it this far. Despite the fact that I may have been 1 of 15 Americans in the room, my social security card did not prove this and I was sent home. The bright side is that I am officially Minnesotan for a little longer.

Day 202: Well, we’ll pretend the Camero is mine…haha, but 50% of the cars in our household were here this morning. One of the ways Virginia likes to jip it’s residents is bymaking us have our cars inspected once a year for the emission and once every 2 years for safety…In order to get license plates, etc., this must be done, paid for, and your car fit for the environment.

Day 201: Lauren was feeling rather green today…vacuuming the sidewalk ;)

Day 200: I don’t enjoy seeing this on my screen. Thankfully, it was a false alarm and somehow it pulled through after a couple of rocky days.

Day 199: House for my first 5 months in D.C.!