"This sounds fun, interested?" That's what I sent to Carly a week or so ago after reading about a local Barre class on Groupon. Barre, as in what ballerinas stand on their tip toes next to while squatting slowly, listening to nice music and raising their arms above their heads with all the grace of a beautiful swan. So we signed up. $39.00 for 5 hour long classes. A steal.
Classes filled up fast, so in the mean time we joined a gym and have been feeling especially fit. Our first class was today at 7:30, so I had 20 minutes at home to briefly stuff my face with pita bread, hummus, cheese, tortilla chips, and a couple of chocolate covered blueberries. Let's just say my yoga clothes weren't looking so sharp by the time we ran out the door.
We arrived at the class and our teacher Denise told us to pick out 2lb, 3lb, or 4lb weights. As per usual, I scoffed at the 2-3 and went with 4, thinking it seemed low. Any illusion of an enjoyable new work out was shattered when we heard Denise say "boot camp." When Charlotte Church came on the iPod, she laughed and asked if we should work out to that. Yes, yes I think we should. I like The Prayer..I like that music during a stress relieving Pilates work out.
Apparently I didn't sign up for the right class, so our punishment was to not get a spot along the side walls, but rather along the back, in the center of the room. With the mirrors glaring back at us, we were on center stage. First up in Boot Camp was cardio. Since I don't do work-out videos, this was not a good start to the class. Since I don't dance without the help of a choreographer, that wasn't good either. Denise didn't seem to recall that Groupon offered this deal to all of Tampa (including those who haven't done this before), so there was no instruction whatsoever. This resulted in me waving my arms in the air with the occasional off-beat stomp and butt shaking. Thanks to the mirrors, I could see Carly too. At one point I was laughing so hard at myself that I could hardly keep up the charade. I hope Denise didn't see and think I wasn't taking it seriously. The first time I looked at the clock out of misery was less than 7 minutes into the class.
The 4 lb. weights didn't last long. Oh, I was too prideful to put them down, but after a good 10 minutes on each arm, things didn't feel nice. The actual "barre" part of the class was minimal. We did a lot of standing on one foot to the point that it was my knee that was in pain, not my muscles. Carly was sweating so bad next to me that she figured she must be way out of shape...I took it to mean I was just doing everything completely wrong.
I started cursing ballerinas about 40 minutes into the class. All the little skinny chicks around the class looked perfect standing up on their tippie toes. Actually, even the far from skinny chicks looked perfect standing on their tippie toes. So I'm pretty sure it was just us struggling. Carly says she saw some cheaters, but I'm not convinced. As my sincere irritation continued to grow, I didn't have warm thoughts for Denise either. I also had the growing suspicion that we weren't going to get to finish with stretching, sooo that ruined the light at the end of my tunnel.
Oh, I almost forgot, Denise lies. She starts the countdown at 8 after you've been going for a while. It goes something like this, "All right let's finish up-- 8.....7.......6.....keep it strong!....5......keep that stomach in.....4....relax those shoulders.....3.......almost there keep holding.....2.......1...let's hold it extra long.....OKAY, only 15 more seconds!" No joke. I don't operate that way. If I'm giving my all for 8 seconds, don't make me do it again. If you tell me I'm done and then make me do it again, I'm not going to believe you. Clearly she hasn't heard the story of the boy who cried wolf.
We ended the class with "burpies," which apparently is the ballerina name for an up-down. I was pouting at this point, so mine were crappy. I've never done such a lame push-up. Those wimpy knee push-ups? I don't even know how they actually work. When those were done, the stretching began. At this point, my left knee was hurting so bad that I was doing double the "work" on my right leg. Since the stretching hurt too, it didn't really matter anymore.
Finally. It was over. I wanted to book it out, but somehow we were the last two in the classroom so I was forced to chit chat with Denise. As I stood there with my hands on my hip and my legs shaking in places I didn't know could shake, she asked me how I liked the class. I wasn't about to lie and say I liked it, but I couldn't tell the truth either. With what I imagine was a less than convincing smile-chuckle, I said it hadn't been exactly what I expected. Since I thought perhaps she had noticed my one-leg work out at the end, I mentioned that my knee had started hurting pretty bad. Her response? "Yea...you know how I kept telling you to move your foot closer to the bar? That's why."
Thus ended my one and only experience with Barre Boot Camp.
Lesson Learned: Don't think that a deal on Group-On will teach you how to be a beautiful ballerina. You can always be beautiful, but most of us will never be ballerinas.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Who knew?
This blog post is dedicated to some of life's greatest discoveries. Laugh and enjoy, but no judging, please :)
1. As a child growing up in Minneapolis, we'd drive down Lake Street and pass Walter Drug. Newer to spelling and reading, I was under the impression that Walter Drug was somebody's name and "drug" was actually "Doug," the same name as my dad. One day in Sunday School, we wrote our parents a letter for our teachers to send them in the mail. Such a fantastic idea! What a surprise it would be for my unsuspecting parents to receive a letter from their own daughter! I wrote the letter and my teacher addressed it under my close supervision. To my dismay, she addressed it to Doug and Patti. Naturally I had to fix the spelling error, so when she wasn't looking I slid the envelope across the table and changed it. Sometime during the anxious waiting that week, we drove past the store and just to be sure I asked my mom what the store was called. My heart nearly stopped when she told me. I was mortified. How could I have put such a terrible word on this surprise letter to my parents!? Sadly, my excitement turned to dread and I was forced to spend the rest of the days waiting for the mailman on our porch swing in hopes of intercepting the mail before my mom would see this bad word in place of my dad's name.
2. I once carried around a chocolate Easter bunny covered in tinfoil for several days before realizing there was chocolate inside. I thought it was just a pretty bunny.
3. I pride myself in having played many different sports growing up. Tennis, soccer, softball, basketball, swimming, volleyball, etc.. But before all of this, it was ballet and tap dancing that had my attention. Every night our instructor warned us not to jump off the stage, but to take the stairs. Every night, we longed to ignore that counsel. One evening, no doubt in anticipation of our upcoming show or under the false illusions of being a great ballerina, I leapt off that stage in true Juilliard fashion and promptly ran into a table. I cried all the way to the ER (though somewhere I got an ice cream bar in there) and still remember walking into that room that was starched white with nothing but a silver table in the middle. My tears slowed as I asked my dad where the sewing machine was. Relief washed over me, my anxieties cast away, as he informed me that being "stiched up" didn't mean that my head would be placed under a Singer. Phew.
4. I didn't know until 2011 that there was a difference between VW and BMW.
5. I was reading one day in college and saw the word "breakfast." For the first time in my life, I wondered why I had always said "breakfrast." ....there isn't an "r" in there! I was soon comforted by the fact that Jessica Miller and my sister both still added the r, so I guess that one wasn't just me :)
6. You know how the bottom of a billboard will have a name written on it? (See picture: "Jones" on the left) I always thought this meant that every family gets a turn at picking what to place on a billboard. I got fed-up one day driving past the old Sears building on Chicago Avenue and asked my parents when it would be our turn. Such a let-down.
7. I always thought the Delta blankets were free for the taking on airplanes. Last year I was informed this is not the case.
8. In 5th grade Rachel J and I got caught passing notes and had to put the notes on the teachers desk. To my utter embarrassment, Rachel had written that "breaststroke" was her best stroke in swimming. I quickly scribbled back that it was "breathstroke," distressed that she thought that it included "breast" in the name.
9. I spent one summer biking around Lake Nokomis spreading my bubble gum on my tongue and sticking it out for the world to see. I was so proud to have perfected blowing bubbles that I didn't check in the mirror to see that I had done no such thing and really was just sticking my tongue out at everyone we passed.
10. My first diary entry ever was written at the age of 8 and went something like the this, "Dear Secret Diary, I like someone and if you can keep a secret I will tell you how (who) I like." I proceeded to list a number of boys in my 2nd grade class. These lists lasted until at least the 8th grade. Why I thought this was the point of a diary and that lists of 5-10 boys were acceptable, I will never know.
11. My parents went on 3 different cruises while I was in grade school. My mom wrote us each a note for every day they were gone and Mrs. Gregg would give them to us each morning or evening. On the final cruise in 4th grade, I read a Titanic story one day at school. I knew it might be a bad idea, but told myself it was okay because I would know by evening that mom and dad were okay. That night, Mrs. Gregg gave me two letters since she wouldn't see me the next morning before we left for school. I asked her how she already had the letter and she had to explain to me that my mom was not sending them each day from the ship...I didn't sleep much the rest of the week.
12. I thought my dad played for the Minnesota Twins and knew Kirby Puckett before I was born because he had a picture at the Dome in a Twins jersey. I told someone that once camping and they told me they they recognized my dad's name, verifying my story.
13. Barney warned kids of putting sunscreen on around their eyes. I thought he warned to be careful when putting sunscreen IN your eyes, so I called Bekah in one day to put sunscreen in both of our eyes before we went to the beach.
I didn't believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, walking on clouds, or that the Tooth Fairy was anyone but my parents giving me a silver dollar under my pillow, but somewhere along the way I made all of these assumptions. I can only surmise that there are plenty of puzzling discoveries yet to be made!
1. As a child growing up in Minneapolis, we'd drive down Lake Street and pass Walter Drug. Newer to spelling and reading, I was under the impression that Walter Drug was somebody's name and "drug" was actually "Doug," the same name as my dad. One day in Sunday School, we wrote our parents a letter for our teachers to send them in the mail. Such a fantastic idea! What a surprise it would be for my unsuspecting parents to receive a letter from their own daughter! I wrote the letter and my teacher addressed it under my close supervision. To my dismay, she addressed it to Doug and Patti. Naturally I had to fix the spelling error, so when she wasn't looking I slid the envelope across the table and changed it. Sometime during the anxious waiting that week, we drove past the store and just to be sure I asked my mom what the store was called. My heart nearly stopped when she told me. I was mortified. How could I have put such a terrible word on this surprise letter to my parents!? Sadly, my excitement turned to dread and I was forced to spend the rest of the days waiting for the mailman on our porch swing in hopes of intercepting the mail before my mom would see this bad word in place of my dad's name.
2. I once carried around a chocolate Easter bunny covered in tinfoil for several days before realizing there was chocolate inside. I thought it was just a pretty bunny.
3. I pride myself in having played many different sports growing up. Tennis, soccer, softball, basketball, swimming, volleyball, etc.. But before all of this, it was ballet and tap dancing that had my attention. Every night our instructor warned us not to jump off the stage, but to take the stairs. Every night, we longed to ignore that counsel. One evening, no doubt in anticipation of our upcoming show or under the false illusions of being a great ballerina, I leapt off that stage in true Juilliard fashion and promptly ran into a table. I cried all the way to the ER (though somewhere I got an ice cream bar in there) and still remember walking into that room that was starched white with nothing but a silver table in the middle. My tears slowed as I asked my dad where the sewing machine was. Relief washed over me, my anxieties cast away, as he informed me that being "stiched up" didn't mean that my head would be placed under a Singer. Phew.
4. I didn't know until 2011 that there was a difference between VW and BMW.
5. I was reading one day in college and saw the word "breakfast." For the first time in my life, I wondered why I had always said "breakfrast." ....there isn't an "r" in there! I was soon comforted by the fact that Jessica Miller and my sister both still added the r, so I guess that one wasn't just me :)
7. I always thought the Delta blankets were free for the taking on airplanes. Last year I was informed this is not the case.
8. In 5th grade Rachel J and I got caught passing notes and had to put the notes on the teachers desk. To my utter embarrassment, Rachel had written that "breaststroke" was her best stroke in swimming. I quickly scribbled back that it was "breathstroke," distressed that she thought that it included "breast" in the name.
9. I spent one summer biking around Lake Nokomis spreading my bubble gum on my tongue and sticking it out for the world to see. I was so proud to have perfected blowing bubbles that I didn't check in the mirror to see that I had done no such thing and really was just sticking my tongue out at everyone we passed.
10. My first diary entry ever was written at the age of 8 and went something like the this, "Dear Secret Diary, I like someone and if you can keep a secret I will tell you how (who) I like." I proceeded to list a number of boys in my 2nd grade class. These lists lasted until at least the 8th grade. Why I thought this was the point of a diary and that lists of 5-10 boys were acceptable, I will never know.
11. My parents went on 3 different cruises while I was in grade school. My mom wrote us each a note for every day they were gone and Mrs. Gregg would give them to us each morning or evening. On the final cruise in 4th grade, I read a Titanic story one day at school. I knew it might be a bad idea, but told myself it was okay because I would know by evening that mom and dad were okay. That night, Mrs. Gregg gave me two letters since she wouldn't see me the next morning before we left for school. I asked her how she already had the letter and she had to explain to me that my mom was not sending them each day from the ship...I didn't sleep much the rest of the week.12. I thought my dad played for the Minnesota Twins and knew Kirby Puckett before I was born because he had a picture at the Dome in a Twins jersey. I told someone that once camping and they told me they they recognized my dad's name, verifying my story.
13. Barney warned kids of putting sunscreen on around their eyes. I thought he warned to be careful when putting sunscreen IN your eyes, so I called Bekah in one day to put sunscreen in both of our eyes before we went to the beach.
I didn't believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, walking on clouds, or that the Tooth Fairy was anyone but my parents giving me a silver dollar under my pillow, but somewhere along the way I made all of these assumptions. I can only surmise that there are plenty of puzzling discoveries yet to be made!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
D-Day. Don't ever forget.
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force--
You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in the free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strengths in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together in victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of the Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
--General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tropicana Field
After visiting a record of 5 new parks the
2010 season, I only went to one new park last summer and it doesn’t exactly
count because it was Hammond Stadium, the Twins spring training facility in
Fort Myers, FL. Now I’m living in a new state though, and hoping to get a
couple new stadiums this summer and will follow my 2010 tradition of sharing a
synopsis with you on each visit.
The first time I drove past Tropicana Field,
I couldn’t believe that it was a baseball stadium. In the comfortably warm days
of March, it seemed impossible that one would ever want to go indoors. Now I
understand that it gets hot, but so does Texas and Arizona! The name of the field is rather
small, but I think they tried to make it a bit more baseball-y by adding bats,
balls, and the MLB logo onto the oddly shaped structure.
I attended 4 Rays games in a row and I
figure that must be more than most of the fans here. The first game was with my
family. My dad recently tore his Achilles Heel, so he’s pretty handicapped in
his boot after a painful surgery. After easily parking, but struggling to the
door, I was impressed at the prompt service a stadium employee offered my dad
as they walked out to him and offered to get him a wheelchair to wheel him
inside to the gate where the rest of us would be entering.
The Twins won game one, but the enthusiasm
of the Rays fans was pretty strong all weekend. They were up and standing for the
easiest of plays and cheering the roof off on the big ones. Each game of the
series had a give-away and the food was tasty. First time I opted for something
other than a hot dog at a baseball game. Corn dogs!
 |
| I've never seen Mauer play first live! He made a great diving catch too. |
Thursday, March 29, 2012
95, Headed South
After about a month of sitting in a lonely back corner cubicle of the RNC, I was cruising down the highway headed for Tampa. My last hours in Old Town were frantic, despite having had weeks of little else to do but plan for this move. I packed the final things, scrubbed down the bathroom, cleaned my room, ran to the bank and the library, attempted to fix the Post Office's serious error in my change of address, and a couple of other random Old Town errands that lacked the charm that the place typically boasts. I started feeling like I was bringing too much stuff, so held back on packing a couple of the items I had originally intended to bring. I left with no pomp or circumstance and settled in for the first 7 hours of my trip, stopping only once for gas outside Richmond.
I stopped for the night in North Carolina and was on the road again by 9:15 the next morning. I was very glad to have stopped and took my time on the road on Wednesday. At some point I found out that Courtney was on Myrtle Beach for Spring Break so I turned around and headed to the beach where we had a lovely lunch on the beach with margaritas.
I got back on the road and headed deeper into the south, experiencing allergies for the first time ever and therefore not realizing that Benedryl puts you to sleep!
I was fairly miserable by the time I pulled into Savannah, Georgia. It is a charming town, but I don't think I was in any shape to enjoy it. I stayed in a cute inn down by the water in the historic district, but I had to go to 3 rooms before finding one that had been cleaned. They also double charged me and I'm still trying to take care of that...I crashed pretty fast and got up early the next morning again. Apparently the founder of the Girl Scouts is from there, so my continental breakfast was eaten among green vests of all ages. I walked briefly down by the river, but wanted to get on the road. Someday I'll have to go back when I'm not alone and have some time to explore.
I decided to stop at a Civil War Fort (National Park, so I got a stamp in my passport!) and despite the runny nose, it was worth the extra few miles. Georgia's Fort
Pulaski was originally part of James Madison's attempt to strengthen our defenses on the coast after the War of 1812. Work did not start on the fort for a number of years though, and it wasn't even finished in time for the Civil War. In fact, Robert E. Lee worked on the drinking system in the fort as a 2nd Lieutenant before getting sick and being sent to New York; crazy where he 
ended up. The brochure shared an ironic quote, "As it turned out, before the US troops could occupy the fort, they had to conquer it." The South quickly claimed the fort as an attempt to guard the Savannah River and the goods that were delivered into Savannah. They believed the fort inpenetrable. Unfortunately for them, the Union army attacked several days into the war, and with their new rifled cannon and 30 hours of fighting, forced the fort to surrender and fall into Union hands for the remainder of the war.
I got back on the road and was finally Florida bound with no stops in store. I was anxious to get to my place and quickly had trouble fighting the Benedryl-induced drowsiness.
Florida offered no less than 6 country stations upon entering it and also changing speed limits every several miles on the 2 lane freeway.
I pulled in to my building around 5 and was excited to see where I'd be living the next 5 months!
I stopped for the night in North Carolina and was on the road again by 9:15 the next morning. I was very glad to have stopped and took my time on the road on Wednesday. At some point I found out that Courtney was on Myrtle Beach for Spring Break so I turned around and headed to the beach where we had a lovely lunch on the beach with margaritas.
I got back on the road and headed deeper into the south, experiencing allergies for the first time ever and therefore not realizing that Benedryl puts you to sleep!
I was fairly miserable by the time I pulled into Savannah, Georgia. It is a charming town, but I don't think I was in any shape to enjoy it. I stayed in a cute inn down by the water in the historic district, but I had to go to 3 rooms before finding one that had been cleaned. They also double charged me and I'm still trying to take care of that...I crashed pretty fast and got up early the next morning again. Apparently the founder of the Girl Scouts is from there, so my continental breakfast was eaten among green vests of all ages. I walked briefly down by the river, but wanted to get on the road. Someday I'll have to go back when I'm not alone and have some time to explore.I decided to stop at a Civil War Fort (National Park, so I got a stamp in my passport!) and despite the runny nose, it was worth the extra few miles. Georgia's Fort
Pulaski was originally part of James Madison's attempt to strengthen our defenses on the coast after the War of 1812. Work did not start on the fort for a number of years though, and it wasn't even finished in time for the Civil War. In fact, Robert E. Lee worked on the drinking system in the fort as a 2nd Lieutenant before getting sick and being sent to New York; crazy where he 
ended up. The brochure shared an ironic quote, "As it turned out, before the US troops could occupy the fort, they had to conquer it." The South quickly claimed the fort as an attempt to guard the Savannah River and the goods that were delivered into Savannah. They believed the fort inpenetrable. Unfortunately for them, the Union army attacked several days into the war, and with their new rifled cannon and 30 hours of fighting, forced the fort to surrender and fall into Union hands for the remainder of the war. I got back on the road and was finally Florida bound with no stops in store. I was anxious to get to my place and quickly had trouble fighting the Benedryl-induced drowsiness.
Florida offered no less than 6 country stations upon entering it and also changing speed limits every several miles on the 2 lane freeway.I pulled in to my building around 5 and was excited to see where I'd be living the next 5 months!
**Photography not my own due to a dead camera battery and bad allergies!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Rainy Day
Deep. I'm feeling contemplative today. I think it's the rain. I have nothing in particular on my mind, but my mind seems to be searching for something to dwell on and ponder. My head hurts. I'm sick of these headaches. Last night I took some Motrin PM and prayed that I'd sleep through the night. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't sleep well anymore. I wake up at least twice on most evenings and sometimes seriously struggle to fall back asleep. Maybe it's because I'm not working hard during the day and my body just isn't exhausted enough. Huh. I still get lethargic though and finally I go to bed because I have nothing else to do.
Rain. It's cold and rainy out. I wish it would snow. A big deep beautiful snow that shuts down the city for a couple of days and makes it look clean. We haven't had that this year and if spring isn't going to come then I'd rather enjoy some real winter at least.
Blessings. As I glanced over my blog briefly a moment ago, I realized I've done a lot of traveling since this time last year! If I go in order I think it'd be...North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota (3x), San Francisco, New York City, New Jersey, Houston, Ethiopia, Uganda, San Diego, Tampa..and of course everywhere around here-Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania. Man. I mean, that's a lot of memories created! I love it. I love experiencing new things. I love picking up and going. The airport used to be my thinking place. I'd drive there and sit and watch the planes take off. It may be cliche, but they allow you to dream. Who are those people? Where are they going? Where would I go if I could get on one right now? Sometimes I just longed to get on plane and leave.
Sheesh. This all sounds a little depressed. I'm not. Must be the rain :)
Rain. It's cold and rainy out. I wish it would snow. A big deep beautiful snow that shuts down the city for a couple of days and makes it look clean. We haven't had that this year and if spring isn't going to come then I'd rather enjoy some real winter at least.
Blessings. As I glanced over my blog briefly a moment ago, I realized I've done a lot of traveling since this time last year! If I go in order I think it'd be...North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota (3x), San Francisco, New York City, New Jersey, Houston, Ethiopia, Uganda, San Diego, Tampa..and of course everywhere around here-Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania. Man. I mean, that's a lot of memories created! I love it. I love experiencing new things. I love picking up and going. The airport used to be my thinking place. I'd drive there and sit and watch the planes take off. It may be cliche, but they allow you to dream. Who are those people? Where are they going? Where would I go if I could get on one right now? Sometimes I just longed to get on plane and leave.
Sheesh. This all sounds a little depressed. I'm not. Must be the rain :)
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Home
I had this weekend totally to myself and rather than sit home I decided to take one of the day trips that I used to do when I first moved out here (and what inspired this blog!)
My destination today was Monticello, home of our 3rd President and the man who wrote much of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. I've been meaning to go for a while and I realized Madison and Monroe both live nearby. It should have taken a little over 2 hours, but I stopped for cheap gas in my old neck of the woods and hit some strange 10 minute snowy storm as I neared the mountain so it took closer to 3. This kept me from seeing the other president's homes, but I also drove through Chancellorsville so I'm going to need to go back out there for that and the vineyards anyway.
I love the Virginia countryside. The hills are so beautiful and it feels like you're going back in time to a forgotten place. I absolutely could live out there someday.
Monticello was great and I recommend visiting. The museum portion was nice, but focused mainly on Monticello as a place rather than Thomas Jefferson as a man, so it wasn't my favorite part of the day. I wasn't dressed appropriately because I didn't realize we'd spend much time outside, so if you go in the winter, be prepared for being out on a mountain.
Thomas Jefferson was a putzy guy and I think my brother would have really enjoyed him. The house took 40 years for Jefferson to build because he kept changing his mind about how things were done. For example, he went to France for 5 years and came back with many new ideas.
When you first walk in you enter a large foyer with high ceilings, Indian gifts and maps on the wall, and a large clock above the front door. This was unusual for the time (having a clock), but to take it a step further, Jefferson had the days of the week up and down the wall and a weight system was attached to the clock and the weights moved each day to indicate what day of the
week it was. The man was so meticulous in his planning that his detailed layouts of the house have made it easy to preserve, so 95% of the building is original. Now, when they need to put in safety measures (such as a fire sprinkler system), they can consult his notes and avoid putting them anywhere that would cause damage. In addition to this, his granddaughter drew detailed pictures of the interior, so the furniture and portraits can be right where Jefferson had them.
I got chills as I stood in his study. Though he donated his personal library to the Library of Congress after the fires of 1812, he continued collecting and some of his books remain in his study today. This country that I love so much is built on words that he penned, risking treason and death when he and 56 others pledged "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" in effort to create a government where all men are created equal and have the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. To stand in the place where he no doubt studied Locke and the other philosophers that influenced his learning and beliefs....pretty cool.
His bedroom boasted several of his little inventions of which I spoke earlier and Ben would love. He had a lazy Susan type spinning stand for his books so that he could be reading 5 at a time. When he wrote letters (and he wrote many with all of his different interests and positions over the years), he used a machine that would make a copy of everything he wrote (a second pen would mimic his movement), so that he was able to file and save everything he wrote. He had busts and paintings of his colleagues George Washington and John Adams, making me wonder if he understood even then what a great impact these men would have on the course of human events. Basked in the bright afternoon sun that his high ceilings and windows offered, Jefferson also had paintings of Francis Bacon, John Locke, and Isaac Newton, the men he said were the 3 greatest who ever lived. He read and wrote in 7 languages because he believed things should be read in the language they were written. On that note, he took 4 of these languages and put together his own version of the Bible in those languages and though he called himself a Christian, he left out the miracles in his version of the Bible because he considered himself to be a man of science...hmmm.
Also worth mentioning is his dining room with a dumbwaiter that only held wine. Once a bottle was empty, they'd send it down to be replaced. Genius.
The final portion of my chilled day was walking down to the family cemetery where Jefferson was buried. He said he wanted to be remembered for 3 things and those things are listed on his grave--
1. The Declaration of Independence
2. Religious freedom in the state of Virginia
3. Founding the University of Virginia.
My drive home was lovely and I had to pull over several times to take pictures of the spectacular sunset.
Finally, the title of this blog is a shout-out to my newest (and apparently late) discovery that I absolutely love and is perfect for my walk into the past this weekend!
West, on a plane bound west
I see her stretchin' out below
Land, blessed Mother Land
The place where I was born
Scars, yeah she's got her scars
Sometimes it starts to worry me,
'Cause lose, I don't wanna lose
Sight of who we are
From the mountains high
To the wave-crashed coast
There's a way to find
Better days, I know
It's been a long hard ride,
Got a ways to go
But this is still the place
That we all call home
Free, nothin' feels like free,
Though it sometimes means
We don't get along'
Cause same, no we're not the same
But that's what makes us strong
From the mountains high
To the wave-crashed coast
There's a way to find
Better days, I know.
It's been a long hard ride,
Got a ways to go
But this is still the place
That we all call home.
Brave, gotta call it brave
To chase that dream across the sea.
Name, then they signed their names
For something they believed
Red, how the blood ran red
We laid our dead in sacred ground
Just think, wonder what they'd think
If they could see us now
It's been a long hard ride,
Got a ways to go
But this is still the place
That we all call home.
It's been a long hard ride,
And I won't lose hope
This is still the place
That we all call home
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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