Groundhog's Day...

As promised, a quickie...

Today is Groundhog's Day.

I hate that $%&# groundhog*. I hate him because he never tells me what I want to hear.

I want him to tell me spring is a'comin'...like tomorrow. But no. All I ever get is "6 more weeks of winter." I hate that hog.

I spent 20 minutes of my meeting today not focused on how Democratization in Korea affects the Economy...but wondering to myself which side of my apartment complex's pool deck gets the best sun, and thinking I should scope that out soon so I can be sure to maximize my time this summer... When I snapped back to I looked around the room and saw that at least 10 others were glazed over from the tryptophan in their turkey sandwiches...so I checked back out and had a lovely day dream involving me, the sun, and the latest installment of Bon Apetit Magazine...

Sigh...

What is it about the word "February" that just gets a girl depressed?

*Note: Blame Grandpa.

Blogiversary: 1 Year of Bliss...

So, maybe this is an indication of how I will be when I get married (Inshallah it happens one of these days) but my Blogiversary was over a week ago (January 17th, to be exact) and I haven't said a single word about it. So I'm celebrating...late, but still celebrating.

I blame this, first and foremost, on the fact that I was in Mexico City that weekend and wasn't about to spend precious vacay time behind a computer. Not that I don't love my bloggie...but, well, yeah, I shouldn't have to defend myself in this particular case. More on the idyllic 5 days in sunny Mexico to come...photos, overdone literary descriptions of countless vistas, and third-circle worthy accounts of the copious amounts of REAL Mexican food that we consumed...the whole deal.

Anyway...back to the blog. So, I have to say I have been really glad that I started the blog. It's been a great way for me to keep in touch with my friends and family, as well as catalogue some of the truly amazing experiences I've had in the last year, as well as tell some of my favorite stories.

So, in light of the one year blogiversary, I thought I would put down a few New Year's Blogolutions (that one doesn't work quite as well as Blogiversary, does it?) as well as open up the forum to comments, questions, requests and suggestions.

So, I thought of a few things I wanted to try to do this year to maximize my blogging (and in turn the reading of my faithful followers). Here are a few ideas:

• Start a series of some sort (I am open to suggestions)
• Fewer monster posts and more smaller snippets and random commentary on things I've seen/heard/thought about...lucky you
• Complete at least one full photo essay
• Recount more of my childhood experiences
• Insert more links...everyone deserves a little YouTube
  
• Write more interactive posts (ie posts that solicit responses from readers)
• Tweak my HTML to use the space more efficiently (don't count on this happening any time in the too near future...me + technology = big problems)
• Write more about the things I've learned (life, faith, love, friends, politics, language, culture, you name it...sometimes it's good to talk about the lessons we learn)

So there are a few changes I've been wanting to implement to make the bloggie better. I turn, I am soliciting input from my faithful readers. Let me know what you think:

• Suggestions
• Requests for posts/stories
• Constructive Criticism
• Superfluous Praise
• General Comments

I've opened up my comments section to allow for anonymous comments so you don't even have to sign up for a google account to leave your thoughts! I do it all for the fans! Okay, just kidding...I'm over myself. Seriously though, you're comments are what keep me going.

To start the year out right, here's a little activity for your Tuesday 2:00pm post-lunch food coma (come on, I know that's when you're reading this...I promise I won't tell your boss)...Peruse the bloggie and shoot me a note...let me know what your favorite post of last year was, and, if you feel so inclined, the one you liked the least. This will give me a good idea of what people might like to see...And like I said, it's all for you!

So, here's to all those who talked me into starting this thing in the first place, and to those of you who encourage (read harrass) me to keep up regular (okay, okay, semi-regular) posts. You know who you are!

Here's lookin' at you, Bloggie! And to the year full of blissful blogging yet to come!

Waking Up in Assateague...

For those of you who don't know, I don't like to be cold. I know, I grew up in Montana, went to school in Utah, and I should be used to it by now. Wrong. I love to ski, love the snow, but if I can't be slaloming down the slopes than I don't want to deal with it.

That said, the last thing I could possibly think of being classified as a "good time" is going to the ocean in northern Virginia in JANUARY and sleeping OUTSIDE in a TENT. You can see how I'm feeling about this.

So when my friend Ben emailed me and suggested New Year's Camping I told him he was crazy. Then he told me the plan was to go to Assateague Island, a state wildlife sanctuary on the coast and one of the only places in the United States where you can see herds or wild horses.

*NOTE: Sucker for animals...particularly horses

Soooo I told Ben to talk me into it...and then he hit me with this "When have I ever taken you on an adventure that wasn't fun?" Dang. He had a good point. Ben has taken me on some good adventures and they are always fun. Shoot. Okay, fine...why not. How bad can one night of mild to moderate hypothermia be, right?

All I have to say was, I am incredibly glad I went. It turned out to be one of the coolest experiences that I have had out here.

Assateague is beautiful. The sand of the island is white and sparkly and looks like sugar scattered in the grass and covering the beaches. The sugar sand paired with the thin layer of frost covering the scrubby ground and reedy trees made everything sparkle in the moonlight while we drove around the island looking for a campsite and set up our tent.

It was a clear night and the moon illuminated the bay lapping the edge of our campsite and the lights of the nearest town sparkled far off on the opposite shore. The clump of trees behind our campsite was silhouetted against the moon creating a perfect semblance of a giant and somewhat friendly looking Tyrannosaurus Rex.

So, the night was cold and long. Okay, fine to be honest and fair the night was not that cold. I guess that is what happens when you put three not tiny people in a tiny two man tent. (*Note: Two man tent does not mean two men and whoever else you can shove in there. In case you were ever tempted. Whatever, we were warm.) The biggest problem for me was I have a bit of a problem with claustrophobia and after 6 hours of feeling like I was sleeping in a coffin I woke up on the verge of a panic attack.

This actually worked out well for me. I got up just before 6. (*Another Note: This doesn't happen voluntarily...EVER) Neither of the guys were ready to get up yet, but I guessed they problem didn't want to see me go postal, so I quickly vacated the tent and started the fire going.

The sun hadn't come up yet, and I watched the leeward side of the island be washed in deep blues and violets, then pinks, golds, and oranges. It was like everything sparkled. The complete absence of pollution and heat left the air totally void of anything that might impair viewing the scene with perfect clarity. I honestly have never seen anything quite like it.

We got up, made breakfast and enjoyed the crystal cold of the morning. As we were packing camp, a stallion and his small group of mares wandered into our campsite. The horses of Assateague are short and scrubby like the trees that grows near the shore. Although these tough little ponies are not necessarily much to look, it was beautiful to see them and know that this was one of the last places we could see a sight like this.

We packed camp, spent a few minutes at the Visitor's Center learning some more about the other wildlife of Assateague and went for a short walk along the windward shore. We drove to Annapolis, taking turns passing out/driving along the way. Let it be known that I DO NOT SNORE! Just wanted to put that out there. We gorged ourselves on crabcake and gelato and then returned to Arlington to end our adventure. It was definitely one for the books, despite my initial trepidation over the sub-freezing temperatures.

Point Team Ben.

Below are some of the photos I took on the trip. There's no possible way that these can capture the beauty of the whole trip, but it's a start. Enjoy.

Before the sun really started coming up

More Pink

On the Bay

Ice and Bushes

A Little Bit of Man Over Nature

Bare Branches

Our VERY Little Tent

The Car...Yes, Ben did bring the surfboard...Just In Case... You can kind of see the T-Rex in the trees behind the car...

Then the Ponies Showed Up...

Ponies on the Beach

Misty on Assateague

I'm Artsy, No?

Ben and Brian on the Beach

Happy 2009!

Yes, Virginia, There IS A Problem With America Today...

Okay, I admit it, this is a rant, which I don't usually do, and I KNOW it's close to the holidays, a fact that should dissuade me from ranting, but I felt morally obligated to pull up the soap box for this one...

The bottom line is

I have a problem with this...



The text quoted by the stars featured in the commercial is the response to a letter written to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897. In the letter 8 year old Virginia O'Hanlon asks if there is really a Santa Claus. Here is the original letter written by Virginia, and the full response of Sun newsman Francis Pharcellus. *Full text courtesy of Newseum.org **emphasis added

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in the Sun, it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"

Virginia O'Hanlon.
115 West Ninety-Fifth Street

"VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

So, is it just me, or does anyone else have a problem with one of the nation's largest and most successful department stores using (read exploiting) this heartfelt composition that defends love, faith and the beauty of things unseen for their own corporate gain? Yes, I understand that Macy's will donate to the "Make A Wish" foundation, and that is what they are supposed to be promoting here, but I find it ironic that the people chosen to promote this campaign and quote this truly beautiful text from which we might all learn a lesson about selflessness, faith, and a belief in the beauty of the unseen are the symbols of a moral bankruptcy that appears to be sweeping our nation.

A few examples...

Jessica Simpson...you've seen the music videos, the tiny costumes...you may have even (unfortunately) seen some of her attempts at acting. I cannot get behind a girl who renewed a furor for hot pants. Not impressed.

Donald Trump...in my mind one of the sleaziest men alive and an irrefutable example of corporate America's tendency to vaunt itself above the principles of kindness, selflessness and decency

Tommy Hilfiger...One of the brands that has become a symbol of American consumerism...at least all of us know a "Hilfiger Guy/Girl" no comment on the guy as an individual, but still...

Martha Stewart...REALLY?!? MARTHA STEWART? The woman went to PRISON for stock manipulation and LYING to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to save her own (already very VERY rich, may I add) butt...and THIS is the woman Macy's has chosen as a spokesperson for spreading the spirit of Christmas? Aish...

Yes, I know all of these people design for Macy's and have extensive clothing, perfume, furnishing lines in their store, but REALLY? They had to take the heartfelt response of a true believer and put it in the mouths of some of the people who are responsible (in my humble opinion) for propagating some of the greatest ills in our country (okay, they're not selling drugs or porn, exactly, but still...Donald Trump?!? Come On...) They might as well have put the Enron guy in there, just for good measure.

So, I'm interested to know what other people's reaction was when they saw this commercial...Am I being too sensitive? Overreacting? Overdramatic? Surely not, since I never do any of those things...Right? What are other people's thoughts on this? Anybody have any other "great travesties against the American public" they would be willing to share?

Serve it up...

In Gratitude...

Yes, I know Thanksgiving was almost a month ago...

Better Late than Never.

SO I am counting this as a general post of gratitude precipitated by the Thanksgiving holiday but carrying over into the very blessed Christmas season.

Don't judge me, I've been busy...

Also,

I hope this does not come across as trite...it is not meant to be...

I didn't get to go home for Thanksgiving this year, about which I was truly bummed. To be honest, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I think it is because when I truly take the time to make an honest reflection on the blessings that I have received in my life, I cannot help but be overcome with the most incredible feeling of peace and love. When I look at my life, there is no question in my mind that I have a loving Father in Heaven who knows me personally and is aware of my needs, joys, and sorrows and who sends me blessings and trials alike to deepen my faith and strengthen my character.

I was sad that I didn't get to go home this year to be with my family, unquestionably the greatest blessing in my life. However, I was lucky enough to be able to spend the day with a large group of old and new friends alike who, in the absence of nearby family, have truly come together to form a group that is as close to family as one can come without the bloodline to account for it.

It was a day spent full of joy found in preparing each others' meal, laughter at the concurrent bliss and discomfort that comes with eating oneself into oblivion, and a general feeling of peace and comfort in enjoying each others company. It was a day that made me so grateful to have not only a family who loves and cares about me deeply, but friends who feel like family.

One of our activities for the day was gathering all present into the living room and going around the circle with each person saying one thing they were thankful for. Consistently, each person had a difficult time choosing just one thing. It was truly a testament to the blessings in our lives. The exercise made me, once again, acutely aware of the numberless reasons I have to be thankful. So, in honor of the holiday season in which we find ourselves, I have compiled a list of things I am thankful for. Not a general list like family, a warm place to sleep, a job that provides for my needs, (although I am deeply grateful for all these things) but a more specific list of moments and memories tied to the people who are dearest to me. Many of you may recognize yourelves in this list, and there is a reason for that...it is because you have been part of my life and have changed and blessed me in some way, for which I am truly grateful.

I am Thankful That:

• You are my biggest fan, even when it's hard.
  
• You let me wear your irrigating boots, even though they were 10 sizes too big, and everything else that went along with it.
  
• You have a neverending positive attitude, even when it's all falling apart.
  
• You have a level head, even in the pursuit of perfection.
• You have a kind and unjudging heart that I seek to emulate.
• You have unconditional love for someone I care about deeply.
• You taught me the value of etiquette and a good picnic table.
• You came home with M&M's in your pockets...always.
• You taught me the value of a good meal, the scriptures, and a good crochet hook (despite my terminal failure at the craft).
  
• You are always willing to dance a jig, particularly when your joints are cooperating.
• You were the best penpal a girl could have.
• You are strong and kind and never speak ill of those around you.
• You will always call me 'Dude'.
  
• You are smart and witty and one of the hippest moms I know.
• You are both the first to gather around the piano.
• Your home is always open.
• I know you love me, even when I give you a hard time about being cranky.
• You are truly my sister, my friend, and will always be the better half of the 'SSS' should a good windstorm ever present itself.
• You made her happier than I've ever seen her, and have become a true and trusted friend.
• You are always there for your friends and family is always first.
• You are fun and accomplished, and his perfect match.
• You are always up for a road trip and you love to move it move it.
• You were not afraid of one of my more unsightly breakdowns and we've shared some of the worst moments in cinematic history together.
  
• Getting ready for a dance together is sure to make the evening a winner, and are half of the classiest duo I know.
  
• We are always up for a coffee break, even though we don't drink coffee, and everything that goes with it.
  
• You are always up for a trip to the beach and a good girls only cuddle session.
• You will never turn down a chance to get your Boot Scoot on.
  
• You have convinced me to love you despite your crazy facial hair.
• You are the most impeccable combination of eloquence, quirkiness, witt, joy, and sincerity that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in human form.
• You are a dancer. Period.
• You, my dear, have a way with words, and are the most accomplished bargain shopper I know.
• You are motivation personified, and know how to make data entry at 2AM a reasonably enjoyable experience.
• You make communism look good. Real good.
• We met one night over virgin daqueris, free chips and salsa and a slightly awkward bet, but now I wouldn't trade ya.
• You introduced me to the joy of eating pudding cups while listening to banjo music, and are truly, truly loyal.
• You made me feel worth it, even when I didn't think I was.
• You see the value in an evening of Thai food and shoe shopping and you feel your music with soul.
• You ran with me...the first 5 blocks anyway :)
• You are patient with me even when I forget how to tie the knot you've taught me at least 5 times.
• You were my first friend in a new place, even though I was sure I wasn't cool enough for you.
• You love foreign film, fine food, and a good round of tennis, even though you beat me every time.
• You get so overcome by the things you love that you can't express yourself.
• We met on the mission...because we both know we never would have made it out if we had met before.
• You healed me when I was broken.
• You will always be my best friend and no matter how long we go without talking, it always feels like no time has passed when we do.
• You never let me forget that I have great assets.
• You are the most refreshing combination of enthusiasm, realism and hope a girl could ever have the pleasure of meeting.
• You tell me how you feel.
• You are classy and never pass up a chance to convert your hair stylist :)
  
• You are a class act running buddy.
• You made the time, the tears, and all the failed attempts worth it.
• You are not afraid of awkward.
• You call 'em like you see 'em.
• Your voice makes me swoon and you cook like a champ.
  
• You like to talk politics.
• You are always up for a midnight swim and you do what you love.
• You still keep in touch.
• You are my friend.
• You are my family.
• I could never do it without you.
  

This list is long, but it does not begin to describe my feelings and the things I love and admire about so many of you. I am truly so blessed by each and every person in my life. My heart is so fully gratitude for the love that I feel from the people in my life and I hope that in some small way this serves as an expression of the gratitude that I feel to those who touch my life in so many ways both small and significant. To those of you who find yourselves in the things above, please know that there is so much more that I want to say thank you for, but sometimes cannot find the words. I am truly blessed, and it is because of you. Thank you.

Bragging Rights...

Pre-reading caveat...

I AM NOT AN ATHLETE...

See, here's the thing, though, I have always wanted to be...and in particular, I have always wanted to be a runner. I don't know what it is about the sport of running that I find so compelling. Maybe it's that you can run anywhere, anytime...it is the quintessential individualist sport (as one who doesn't play nice with others...and by that I mean I'm not any good at anything...I don't like being subjected other people's ridicule and competitive nature...might I also add I blame a lot of jr. high scarring on this particular fact...), maybe it's that my grandfather ran the Boston Marathon, oh, you know, a couple of times, no big deal...maybe it's the fact that I look really great in spandex (okay, fine, maybe not so much that one) maybe it's the fact that runners (distance runners in particular) have copious amounts of self-control and discipline...of which I have none...could be any number of things.

But, the honest truth is I am just not genetically disposed to athletics...running in particular. I'm 5'4" I have a stride of approximately 6 inches and I have to buy running shoes with soles made of tempered steel to correct the pronation in my gate because my arches are so high you could drive a train through them...See, if Botticelli was convening a team of some sort I would have been his first round draft pick, but I'm pretty sure Bill Bowerman wouldn't have let me carry his team's towels for fear I might infect his runners with curvaceous slowness, or at least bad knees or something...by all accounts me and running are just not meant to be...

For the visual learners in the group...

This
Not ThisEverybody still with me? A seriously sad plight indeed. I never thought I would be able to run any sort of distance...and of course sprinting was just out. Some people have fast twitch muscles, some people have slow twitch muscles...I'm just lucky if I can get mine to twitch. Now, don't get me wrong, I take good care of myself (with the one unfortunate exception of a particularly depressing year of college fueled by a lot of Law & Order and toast)...I go to the gym, I lift weights, I do aerobics, kickboxing, yoga, and did dance and cheerleading in high school...I'm not a total lot cause, I just always believed running was not my calling because let's face it, I'm shaped like classic glassware, and I just always figured my joints couldn't handle it, because...well...I guess 'cause my mom told me they couldn't, and why question momma?

Anyway...the bottom line is, this weekend I did something to prove myself wrong. This weekend, on Saturday, the 15th of November, I RAN A HALF MARATHON. That's right folks...13.1 miles...and I ran the whole way.

Remember...

This
Not ThisNow, I know for some of you this is not a big deal...10 miles is like a leisure run for you. Again, a little more context...after we ran the mile for gym class I had to excuse myself, and went and laid down on the cold cement floor in the locker room (I know, you're asking me "isn't the floor in the locker room disgusting? to which I will answer you..."ummm, yeah") because I nearly blacked out. Again...running, not my calling.

Still With Me...?

ThisNot This

Since moving out to DC I've just decided that it's time I do a few things I always told myself I could never do. One of those things included running a road race of some significant length. Now, to this point the closest I've come was my office 5K...not that 3.1 miles is something to scoff at...but it just wasn't enough. Why I felt the compulsion to jump to a half-marathon rather than a 10K or even a 10 miler I have no idea...but I did...and the craziest part is...

I liked it.
(okay, fine...I liked most of it..miles 9-12 I could have done without...but you get the idea)

No kidding. I had a blast. The race was so fun, and I actually found myself smiling as I chugged along mile marker after mile marker. Maybe I was smiling because I knew I was about to accomplish something I thought was impossible...maybe it was because the inhabitants of Richmond had come out in full force and were camped out on their lawns waving flags and blowing noisemakers cheering on perfect strangers towards the finish line...maybe it was the satisfaction of passing that really fit looking African guy (don't worry, I'm pretty sure he was injured as there is no way I would have passed him otherwise..and yes, I know I'm profiling here...forgive me)...regardless of what it was...I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Particularly the finishing part...


The Richmond Half Marathon winds its way through downtown Richmond, VA as well as through some of the surrounding neighborhoods. The bulk of the course is quite flat with some barely intelligible changes in incline as you go along. My personal opinion on hills is that while they are a beast to get up, the pay off of getting to run with gravity on the other side is totally worth it...and by about mile 11 I was really ready to see some downhill. As I came around the final bend in the course and I could actually see the finish line and realized I was standing atop a fairly decent sized hill (possibly the only one in Richmond) but wasn't quite sure how I got there because you don't remember running up anything that significant...at that point, however, I didn't much care because I'd just run 12.6 miles and could see the goal at the bottom of that hill. It felt like I was flying.


I was only conscious enough of my feet to try and keep myself from completely eating it on the downhill (does it still count as a "strong finish" if you roll across the finish line?) but I ran as fast as I could (yes, I think I even managed what would qualify as a sprint). When I crossed the finish line I was completely out of breath, but so overjoyed to have finished strong that I was nearly in tears. As I gasped for breath one of the men handing out medals asked "Are you okay?" and all I could get out between gasps was "No, I'm great!"

Cheezy? Totally. But it's true. I don't know what felt better...knowing that I didn't have to run anymore or knowing that I had just proved myself wrong. In the end all the training, all the blisters, and all the sweat, tears, and pain that went into preparation were worth it. I didn't set any records, that's for sure (as in, the guy who won the marathon ran it 22 minutes faster than I ran the half) but I did something I had always told myself I could never do. I ran 13.1 miles. On top of that, I enjoyed running 13.1 miles. I'm really not too worried about what all the pounding is doing to my knees...my brain on the other hand is a completely different story...

Many kudos to all those who pushed me through, encouraged me, and expressed their admiration at my apparent insanity. I couldn't have done it without you. Big time props to Josh M for signing up for the dang thing with me and training despite some serious aches, pains, and scheduling issues...you were a champ and our weekend in Richmond will forever live in infamy...So, the bottom line is, never write yourself off. You may find you actually enjoy doing something you never thought you were capable of, and that it teaches you a lot about yourself while you're doing it. You may even cultivate a little self control and discipline along the way (not saying I did...I definitely had a milkshake to celebrate...I'm just saying some people might...)

So, as it turns out I'm kind of hooked and am looking forward to the next one. Should be ready to go as soon as all the scabs heal over...

Oh, and by the way...

ThisNot ThisThere's crazy, and then there's suicidal...I'll stick with just plain crazy, thanks very much.

Fire In The Hole...

This one you have to see to believe...

So, I love living in DC because there is the craziest variety of stuff to do around here. One night you can go watch b-boys battle in a breakdancing competition held in a church in a neighborhood in northeast and the next night you can go to La Boheme at the Kennedy Center and enjoy the rest of the evening strolling along the Potomac waterfront. There is no end to the things you can do in this area.

Not only is DC full of totally varied activities, but you have the entire East Coast within just a few hours...from the Hamptons to the Hills of West Virginny...you can do and see it all and don't have to go that far out of your way.

This past weekend, however, may have topped my list of craziest and most fun things I have done while living out here. Last Saturday's activity definitely takes the cake...or pie, rather...punkin' pie.

Last Saturday, several of my friends and I got up at the crack of dawn...okay, pre-dawn, let's be honest, there is no semblance of sunlight at 5:30 in the morning...which seems particularly cruel on a Saturday...anyway...tanget...sorry...

We got up early and headed to Bridgeville, Delaware. What's that? You've never heard of it? Well there's a reason...There's NOTHING there...Except of course for the annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin! The Punkin Chunkin (heretofor referred to as "the Chunkin" or "PC") takes place annually in Bridgeville, and is, by all accounts, the biggest deal of the year. The point of said Chunkin is basically to build a contraption for the sole purpose of flinging, rocketing, or basically propelling a pumpkin as far as you possibly can. The competition is broken into three categories...Catapaults, Trebuchets, and Pneumatic Guns. Let me tell you, if you've never seen a pumpkin come rocketing out of a steel pipe at 200 mph and subsequently fly over 3,000 feet, you are missing out.
Now, don't get me wrong, I grew up in a small town...The rodeo every year was a big deal and there was an inordinate amount of drunken beligerence and debauchery that went along with that whole scene (my parents, being the responsible folks they were felt it wasn't the place for a little girl, and thus I was never allowed to compete in any of the rodeo events like my other little tyke farmhand friends...I still feel this is why I never claimed my title in mutton busting...but I'm not bitter). Anyway, the point is, I've been around rough crowds and seen my fair share of tailgating and associated activites, but this brought things to a whole new level...

On entrance to the Chunkin, we were greeted by what appeared to be the entire student body of Bridgeville Jr. High School, along with a few booster club moms sprinkled in for good measure and supervision (?) directing traffic. By all appearances they had been there since about 6 am.

Not only had the traffic directors been there since about 6am, it seems that so had the tailgaters. There were people in RV's, pickup trucks, vans, you name it, they brought it. It looked like some of these people had been camped out for days just waiting for the PC events to begin. Not only had these folks been camped out since whenever, but that's about the time they started drinking (beer of choice, Natural Ice or "Natty Ice" to anyone who's ever been to college party where the point was not to enjoy the finer bouquets of an alcoholic beverage, but to get wasted as quickly and as cheaply as possible...so I've been told anyway).

In addition to the beer of choice, there were definitely some popular clothing options...camouflage, overalls, hunters orange, cut off denim, and hard hats.

So, the first few seem obvious...tailgating, public intoxication, mass gatherings in fallow soy bean fields in Delaware...but "why the hard hats?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you why...Because on the off occasion these pumpkin-flinging contraptions will have a misfire. What this usually results in is the gourd in question being flung backwards into or over the crowd of onlookers..."isn't that dangerous?" you ask...to which I say, "ummm, yeah, it is. " I was pretty much afraid for my life during the entire Trebuchet competition after watching one of the machines completely self destruct in a flurry of snapping cables and cracking timbers (no one was hurt, thank goodness) and then seeing yet another of these modified war machines fling its payload backwards over the crowd of onlookers and into the fairgrounds area where normal carnival type activities were taking place...good thing there were no innocent and unsuspecting children in that area...oh wait...

Luckily we all made it out unscathed, and managed to escape falling victim to even one stray seed.

Some highlights from the day included BBQ for lunch (they just do it better in places where people have fewer teeth, I really don't understand it, but I'm working on a theory), watchingwhat appeard to be the entire population of Bridgeville High School act as the pumpkin chasers (basically a fleet of them out on 4-wheelers sitting in the field waiting for the pumpkins to drop out of the sky so they can measure the distance of the chunk...again you may ask "isn't that dangerous?" and again I will answer you..."ummm, yeah."), playing "spot the minority" (not a lot of them out in Bridgeville, and yes I was among Asian friends so it was okay...geez, so sensitive), and, of course, seeing what was basically a huge airsoft gun shoot a pumpkin 4,482 feet...yeah, that's right almost A MILE...a pumpkin...like I said...you haven't lived until you've seen that.

By the end of the day we were completely exhausted and had watched about all the Chunkin we could handle...despite the enticing invitation to stay and watch that night's fireworks display (billed as second to none in the world...imagine that...move over Paris...back off New York, Tokyo, DC...Bridgeville is about to show you what's up) we decided it would probably be a good idea to get on the road before all the drunken tailgaters, so we headed back to what appeared a much tamer DC.

All in all, it was a very fun and unique day, and I think I have definitely gained a greater appreciation for all the types of personalities that make this world a much more interesting place.