Focus Fox Log

Santa Hustle Half Marathon

2013-12-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

Before the Race

Stardate 67440.9

12:45 - I like making goals. That is nothing new about me, Focus Foxies. I have always liked setting a goal and achieving it. However, most of my goals are seemingly far-fetched. Enter in my Fall 2013 goal: run a half-marathon. For many people, running a half-marathon is a very achieveable goal. Before this training, I had only run 6.25 miles once and afterwards I was hurt. Doubling down seemed far fetched, but I felt like I was ready for it. I made it my plan to run the Santa Hustle Half-Marathon in Galveston, Texas. This run would coincide nicely with Christmas break.

I also did not want to do this journey alone. I figured 20 weeks of running and working towards a goal could get pretty lonely, so I peer-pressured my sister Kim into running with me. We both were at a similar level of fitness before this journey started and both felt up for the challenge. We kept each other accountable for running and keeping in shape. We mostly had to internet shame because she was/is in College Station and I was/am in DC.

Spoiler alert: I finished!

The previous race's injuries made my training plan from 0-13.1 miles very slow. I mean what usually takes "normal" runners to train for a full marathon, I trained for a half. In layperson's terms, that is 20 weeks of training with a vacation in the middle. I followed this plan. I am a big fan of having cross-training involved, and that plan allows a bunch of it. I get bored easily if I have to just run. Considering my end goal, I realize that previous statement sounds silly.

Twenty weeks flew by pretty quickly and before I knew it, race day was upon us. We spent the night in Galveston before the race in a pretty sad and smelly beach house. That was a whole situation. Kim and I woke up early and topped off our carbohydrate supplies and put our game faces on. My training plan topped off at 12 miles, but that was weeks ago. I was a bit nervous about completing all 13 miles. As soon as the race started, I ran quickly. I mean a minute under my usual race quickly. I was not prepared for that. I would have to say the hardest mile would have been the 13th mile. I did not have a bunch left in me. I still finished and didn't walk any of the race. I consider that a victory. I did have really beaten up feet among other ailments.

I will say that if I run another half-marathon (and I will), I will make sure I train for the actual 13 mile run. This way I have no doubts in my mind that I can do it. Also, a word of advice, Focus Foxies, do not attempt to go full marathon too soon. There is a point in every half-marathon training that you think you can go the full distance. This usually happens before you reach 10 miles. Training is really tough on your body and your social life. I can't tell you how many times I was at home on Friday night or couldn't move Sunday because of soreness and fatigue. I mean I was constantly tired.

I believe it was worth it. To know that you beaten what was once impossible in your mind is a very powerful feeling. A feeling, I don't want to give up any time soon.

Central Park in the Fall

2013-11-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

Flying out of NYC

Stardate 67307.7

15:25 - Our grand trip to Ireland had us flying in and out of JFK. We had the pleasure of staying in New York City on our way back from Dublin. It was only one night, but we made the most of it. We met up with Rob's family members for some Thai food and fun at his cousin's apartment on Saturday night. I must confess, Focus Foxies, that I was pooped after the long flight and train ride to get into the city. I slept for most of this fun. The next morning, we went out for some brunch on the Upper West Side at Jacob's Pickles. This restaurant specializes in the 'craft' experience, especially in the Southern craft experience. So we had chicken and waffles galore. It was a pretty snazzy place. They sat us family style with tables and benches where they could fit in a bunch of people into a small place.

After brunch, I wanted to do something touristy. We only had one day in New York City, and I did not want to sleep any longer. We decided to walk around Central Park. Focus Foxies, the rumors are true about New York City in the fall. Every where we looked in the park we saw trees in varying shades of green, yellow, and orange. We were lucky because our weekend coincided with the NYC marathon. We got to cheer on runners at mile marker 24. These were some of the over achievers. They were keeping a 10 minute mile pass and some of them didn't look like they were breaking a sweat. One day I want to go back and run this race, but for now, the electric feeling of good will from the sidelines was enough for me!

We only had a layover in New York City. We would soon be on our way home to Washington DC where we could sleep in our own beds.

The Land I Love So Well

2013-11-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

Stardate 67302.1

20:45 - On our last day in Ireland, we drove from Killarney to Dublin. We drove along the southern coast line of Ireland because we wanted to go to Waterford. The Southern shores of Ireland seemed to be way more populated than the Northern parts we visited earlier in the trip. So while we were technically outside of a city, we were far from being in the country.

We wanted to go to Waterford to check out the legendary crystal factory. Originating in 1783, the Waterford Crystal Factory came about because of Waterford was a large port town that could procure fine flint glass. This glass is needed to make the hand-etched crystal pieces.
The factory has changed many hands since then, but they still make crystal in Waterford as well as Slovenia, Czech Republic and Germany. Each craftsman spends years apprenticing with Waterford before they are allowed to work the line. There are not many openings for the positions in the crystal factor because turnover is so low. Rob and I got to play with one their creations, a replica of the BCS National Championship trophy. We did not drop the crystal ball, but we came close.

We did our touring and our shopping before heading up to Dublin. We still had one crazy night left in Ireland and we made use of it. We start out at this small pub called The Brew Dock which specialized in Irish craft beers, found our way to an underground hardcore/punk show, and ended up in a hotel with a train running through it. All the way making friends.

Connolly Station

Red is the Rose

2013-10-31T15:21:00.000-04:00

Muckross Friary

Stardate 67299.4

20:35 - We spent our full day in Killarney at the Killarney National Park. Spanning over 100 acres, Killarney National Park is the first national park in the Republic of Ireland and consists of three lakes: Lough Leane, Muckross, and Upper Lake. The park became apart of the national portfolio when the Muckross estate donated it to the Republic of Ireland in 1932.

Max, our transportation and companion

Before that time, most of Killarney National Park belonged to two families. The Herbert family originally bought the land and built the magnificent mansion that resides by Muckross Lake. Built in the Tudor style, the mansion, eventually known as Muckross House, went through extensive and costly renovation in preparation for Queen Victoria's visit. Apparently, hosting royalty is an expensive chore. It is not just the fact that you have a fancy house party lasting for days. This family bought huge pieces of solid wood furniture with ornate carvings from the Continent. They had to reorganize their household because Queen Victoria would only sleep on the first floor (side note: she had a huge fear of fires and needed an escape from them). Eventually, the Herberts sold the estate to American mining magnates. Their stay was short because of a death in the family, they gave the property to the Republic.

Today, they keep the mansion and gardens up by giving tours. We got to see where the families dined, their rooms, their billiards table, and even where Queen Victoria stayed. The tour even went through the kitchens where we were able to see the old cooking equipment. It was a regular Downton Abbey experience. Along with giving tours, the estate sponsors many local artisans, including weaving. They have looms onsite where tourists can purchase wool garments of all shapes and sizes. They even have their own label: Mucros Weaving. The guide informed us that the spelling for Mucros was no mistake, it takes after the Gaelic spelling of Muckross.

On our way back to the car, we stopped by the Muckross Friary. Today the Friary stands in ruins, but in the 1600s, the Friary was alive and kicking. The Friary belonged to the Observantine Franciscans. The order that lived and worshiped here were dedicated to the Holy Trinity. They were known to also have a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. King Henry VIII decided to disband the group of brothers, but they came back. They had a pretty good run until 1662 when Cromwellian forces sacked the place. After that, the friary sat in ruin. Today the ruins still stand and are helped by a few arm rails. We got to climb all over and go up 400 year old stairs.

After the Friary, we continued our walk back to the car through the national park. It was a lovely fall day. As it should be because it was Halloween.

Wild Mountain Thyme

2013-10-30T22:22:00.000-04:00

Tralee Bay behind us

Stardate 67296.6

22:22 - After a night out of great live music, we got a great tip on where to go for the next day from some locals. From Limmerick, we set off for the winding roads of Dingle Peninsula. This peninsula stretches 30 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Ireland. Through the middle of the peninsula runs a pretty steep mountain range. Since we started on the North of the Peninsula, we drove through the mountain range, which led to some pretty breathtaking views of the bays and ocean below. We stopped to take a few pictures of Tralee Bay from up high. Lucky for us, there is always a turnout available.

The Dingle Peninsula has many fantastic features, but one of the prettier ones is Inch Beach! Inch Beach basically sticks out of the south part of Dingle Peninsula. In the Summer, it is a pretty happening spot to swim and sometimes surf. We arrived in the winter with a bunch of wind and sea foam. The views from Inch Beach were outstanding. Everything there appeared to be softer shades of green, blue and grey. We did not stay here long because of the cold and the hunger we felt.

We could have stopped anywhere to eat. In fact there were a great number of pubs or inns or general food places, but I had my eye set one place. Armed with a travel book, I told Rob to trust me as we traveled a bit further to eat lunch. You see, Focus Foxies, we have a love of penguins and there was a famous Irishmen from the Dingle Peninsula who went to the Antarctica, named Tom Crean. Tom Crean was a member of the crew who lost the race to the South Pole. He had even worst luck when on another boat that sank, he remained stranded near Antarctica. He managed to survive the 800 mile open ocean journey to safety. Eventually, he came to Annascaul, Ireland where he opened the South Pole Inn. The Inn is decorated in his honor with memorabilia from his travels to Antarctica. Also, it has a cute penguin sign. Totally worth driving and extra half an hour on an empty stomach for.

After lunch, we turned our attention to our nightly destination, Killarney. We had a grand first day in County Kerry, but it was about to get better. We settled into our bed and breakfast and then popped out to Danny Mann Inn for some Irish folk music. A man by the name of Dan O'Sullivan entertained us with his voice and his guitar. We drank our Smithwicks and sang along with him to songs we were just learning. By the time we left Ireland we knew them quite well. In fact, most of the Irish blog posts are named after songs that we sang that night.

Four Green Fields

2013-10-29T22:20:00.000-04:00

Stardate 67294.1

22:45 - Our day in Limerick helped us to explore the history of Ireland. We traveled around quite a bit at this point, but we welcomed a chance to actually stay in the city we were staying in. Out of all of the places we stayed, Limerick offered the best guide to the history of Ireland. Along the banks of the River Shannon lies an important piece of Irish history: King John's Castle. While the castle's namesake is English (see the lion in Disney's version of Robin Hood), the castle represents years of Irish oppression and rebellion.

Before King John ordered his castle built, Limerick started out as a Viking base. They did their best to raid the local church buildings until the King of Munster put their shenanigans to rest in 943. Limerick remained a quite town with both Viking and Irish influences until the Anglo-Normans came knocking in 1172. In what would later become an ironic twist of fate, King Henry II (King John's papa) was authorized by Pope Adrian IV to invade Ireland and bring the Irish Catholic Church closer to the Roman one. So King Henry II helped the Anglo-Normans invade Ireland and named his son, John, Lord of Ireland. When John became King of England, he retained the title Lord of Ireland. King John's Castle began being built in the early part of the 13th century, mainly to protect the city of Limerick and its strategic location from the Gaelic tribes in the West.

Limerick's location as a strategic location did not diminish with time. Time and time again, the Irish did their best to take back King John's Castle and rule themselves. One such time was the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the subsequent 1642 Siege of Limerick. As mentioned before, the original English goal for Ireland was to "bring them closer to the Pope" or at least that was the claimed moral reason. Well, this bit them in the ass when King Henry VIII upgraded his title from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland and then went and made his own religious sect. Most of the Irish stayed with the Catholic Church. The Tudors, both King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, did not take to kindly to this. Harsher and harsher conditions were laid on the Irish until some decided to rebel. Well, the rebels were able to take King John's Castle by surrounding the castle and then digging under it. The Irish Confederate Army had no siege artillery, but they could knock a wall down by making the foundation uneasy. Although King John's Castle was surrendered to them, the Irish Confederate Army eventually lost their campaign.

By the Treaty Stone

The spirit of rebellion did not stop there. Later in the 17th century, King James II was expelled from Great Britain due to Catholic tendencies. King William and Queen Mary of Orange came in to take his place. However, some folks in Limerick did not like their new boss. Once again, King John's Castle became the site of a rebellion skirmish. The Irish fought to a draw where the Williamites signed a treaty granting the Irish freedom of religion and it allowed their army to go freely. The treaty was commemorated in stone to remember what was promised. The army left for France to fight for France in what was called "The Flight of the Wild Geese." With the military gone, the British quickly reneged on the treaty.

Now, King John's Castle is not an active military site, but it is an archaeological site. The public can walk around in the basements and all the way up the towers to see sweeping views of the city.

After we toured the castle, we went to got grub in the most amazing place. I mean seriously, Focus Foxies, the best food in Ireland. We went to the gastropub, Locke's. We loved it. I had bangers and mash in red wine gravy. The food was so good we went back for dinner. At dinner we had local musicians play for us. Before we left we joined in an encore of 'Wagon Wheel'. It felt right at home.

Wild Rover

2013-10-28T23:09:00.000-04:00

His hair was not bothered by the wind

Stardate 67291.5

23:45 - From Galway, we traveled down the Atlantic coast of Ireland to Limerick. We had our sights set on The Cliffs of Moher. Focus Foxies, much of the western coast of Ireland has sharp and imposing cliffs, and The Cliffs of Moher are particularly impressive.

My hair was bothered

The day we set off to The Cliffs of Moher, we experienced some of the most intense weather in Ireland. As we drove along the coast, we could feel the car shaking from the wind. Every time we pulled off to take pictures, we were blasted with cold air from the sea. Storms kept rolling in with the waves; we could not catch a break or some clear skies. I wanted to get some pictures of the jagged coastline, so we pulled off once more and took some pictures. While we were shivering out in the mist, an Irishman rolled down his window, laughed at us, and told us, "It is too cold out there for any of that, lads." I mean he was right, but I would not let that get in the way of photographing that pretty coastline.

I found a Mama Cow to pet.

Wildest of Rovers

We made it to The Cliffs of Moher and promptly bundled up. The wind had felt rattling the car was in full force. We were practically flattened on our way into the visitor center. Because we were forced to take shelter in the visitor center, we learned a lot about how these cliffs formed and what was living near them. The Cliffs of Moher began forming 300 million years ago in warm and shallow waters.
Fun fact, Focus Foxies, the Ireland was in a very different and very tropical place on Earth 300 million years ago. The Cliffs of Moher were in fact a river delta at one point, which allowed it to continue to grow in height as sediments settled. The Cliffs of Moher's layers of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone show much of its history, but that history is constantly changing with each wave. We were warned against getting too close to the edge as they were known to give way. Seriously, you could just erode off the cliff straight into the ocean.

This eroding issue did not keep some of The Cliff of Moher's more famous residents away. A colony of puffins has made the cliffs their home. We wanted to catch a glimpse at them, but alas, the cold kept us away. It actually began to sleat as we fought the wind to get back to the car.

The Cliffs of Moher, featured in The Princess Bride and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Price

Galway Girl

2013-10-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

Stardate 67288.6

22:00 - We spent our third day in Ireland in County Galway. This was no ordinary day. This was a day of reckoning. You see, Focus Foxies, we placed this day aside as a prize. Earlier we had made a bet that the winner of our fantasy football league match-up would be King or Queen of the day. Since I did not prevail, Rob had great fun planning our day trip. Fortunately for a girl like me, Rob knows what I like to do. We set our sights on going to the country side to see Kylemore Abbey.

Lough Inagh, I believe

Kylemore Abbey lies in the heart of an area called Connemara. Throughout Ireland, you will find many gorgeous countrysides and wandering landscapes, but in my opinion, nothing compares to Connemara. Connemara's mountains rise up to meet the sky. Its adjacent lakes provide contrast as they dip below, and bogs cover the land. In October, the wind whips around the car, and we curved around each mountain, waiting to see what was next. We took a shortcut to get to Kylemore Abbey through the Inagh Valley.

As in much of Ireland, Inagh Valley is home to many creatures of a more cuddly nature: sheep. At least, I assumed sheep were of a more cuddly nature, but alas, it is not so. I had many dreams when I landed in Ireland, chief among them to pet a sheep. I am sad to say, Focus Foxies, I failed miserably in this task. Connemara seemed like the perfect place to attempt it, but I got out of the car, carefully made my approach, and they fled like wild things.

We eventually made our way to Kylemore Abbey. Originally, Kylemore Abbey was no abbey at all; it was a castle built by a cotton merchant's son, named Mitchell Henry. Mitchell and his wife, Margaret, honeymooned in Connemara and fell in love with its beauty. When Henry inherited his father's fortunes, he set about to build a castle, or rather a monument to the love he held for Margaret. In 1867, he built a magnificent castle, employing many Irishmen after a time of great famine. He spared no expense in this undertaking. At this time, he had no worries about money in the slightest.

Kylemore Abbey

Mitchell Henry proved to be a great landlord and benefactor to the area, which had suffered from a lack of jobs and development. He provided adequate housing and schools for his tenants. He even provided windows in each house. Fun fact, Focus Foxies, windows were taxed by the English back in the day. Mr. Henry paid for the taxes to ensure that his tenants' houses were well lit. Sadly, the Henrys suffered a great loss when Margaret died young in Cairo. She left behind her grieving widower and nine children.

Kylemore went on spending lavishly. Eventually, Henry had to sell the property, but not many takers existed. Even King George VII declined, mentioning the cost alone was exorbitant. Henry died in 1910 in England with less than 100 pounds to his name.

In 1903, the property made its way into the hands of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester as a wedding gift. However, the Duke's penchant for gambling was legendary. In a tight game of cards, he gambled away the deed to Kylemore. Needless to say, he lost more than a place to stay; the Duchess was soon on her way out as well.

Kylemore became an Abbey in 1920, when the Irish Benedictine Nuns purchased it. This order of nuns had been looking for a place to call their own for quite some time. Founded by Lady Butler in 1600s, the Irish order soon found themselves unwelcomed in Ireland due to the Williamites forcing out Catholic influences on the island. The nuns fled to Ypres for safety and were able to remain due to the patronage of King Jacob and Queen Mary. King James contributed to their handicraft works by purchasing their gold and silver weavings. The Benedictine Nuns were known far and wide for such works, and for a king (or a king without a kingdom), this was an invaluable skill. The Irish Benedictine Nuns stayed in Belgium until WWI. The order fled again, this time to Ireland.

The order settled in Kylemore and opened up a boarding school for girls. Many upper class girls came to Kylemore to be educated for nearly 100 years. The local girls also attended a day school at Kylemore. The school is now closed but the order kept their education mission by opening Kylemore up to the public. We toured around the Abbey and grounds, and sampled some of the nuns' homemade candies.

Another testimony to Mitchell Henry's love for Margaret is the Gothic Catherdral in miniature dedicated to her. When Margaret died, Mitchell commissioned this church in her honor. The Church appears to be more feminine in nature on the inside to reflect Mrs. Henry's beauty. In addition, the marble in the Church represents the four different provinces of Ireland. They used green for Connaught, rose for Muster, black for Leinster, and grey for Ulster. Originally, the church was Anglican. However with the return of the Benedictine Nuns, the Church is now Catholic and used for the nuns' prayer services.

After visiting Kylemore Abbey, we drove along the coastline to Galway. Rob's next idea was to take advantage of the comedy festival in Galway. We went to Busker Brownes for the open mic night. Focus Foxies, huge differences exist between American and Irish humor. Irish humor believe it or not, is more clean cut. We rarely heard them make an off color joke or one about politics or religion. The two American comedians (not us) passing through gave it a shot and made it clear that we strive to shock. Anything vulgar or scandalous passed through the non-filtered Americans' mouths. We found it hilarious. It did not fly with the female Irish audience. We got an extra kick out of watching them gape in disgust and then leave. In general, all of the comedians gave it their best shot, and we laughed with and without them.

Our day came to a close, but I can say I was the luckiest girl in Galway that night.

The Moonshiner

2013-10-26T23:30:00.000-04:00

This exists in Ireland!

Stardate 67285.9

22:30 - We started off our morning in the outskirts of Kilkenny and an hour behind. We did not have a schedule to keep, but Ireland did treat us to daylight savings early this year. As travel weary travelers, we accepted with gratitude. Plus, we ate our first full Irish breakfast, which beats most other breakfasts.

Rose garden in the rain.

We wanted to make a day of visiting two special manufacturers of alcohol: Smithwicks Brewery and Kilbeggan Distillery. We fell in love with Smithwicks the night before, so we felt it only right to pay homage to the drink by taking a tour. I mean it is located in an old St Francis Abbey, so we really were paying homage. However, our dreams were cut short by pesky maintenance heathens as the brewery was closed for upgrades until Spring 2014. So we substituted our first drinking tour with something I have never been to: a castle.

The Butler Crest over the main entrance

Kilkenny brags about being a Medieval town complete with torture displays, cathedrals, and castles. We went to what is now called the Kilkenny Castle. Originally built in the early thirteenth century, Kilkenny Castle endures as an example of Anglo-Norman architecture. The Butler family became the primary owners of the castle in the fourteenth century until 1967. The Butler family was a pretty big deal in Ireland; they even held fancy titles, such as Earl and Viscount. However, in 1967, they no longer wished to manage the upkeep of Kilkenny Castle, so he sold it to the government of Ireland for £50.

While the outsides represented the Anglo-Normans, the inside reflected Victorian tastes. It was filled with marvelous furniture and paintings from around the world. The paintings were mostly of the Butler family members and royalty throughout the ages.

Outside of the castle, the people of Kilkenny used the ground for different celebrations. While we were there, the Taste of Kilkenny festival took place. I got to speak with a woman who sold whiskey chocolate cream liquor called Coole Swan. We huddled under her tent to shelter from the rain. She knew right off the bat that Rob was part Irish. She also explained that it was her husband and her son that made the cream that went into the liquor, so I promptly took some off her hands. She ships worldwide, so go check her out.

After our castle tour, we drove to our next tour: Kilbeggan Distillery. Now this distillery has a proud tradition in Rob's family. His mother's side of the family comes from a long line of proud Irish people named McManus. It just so happened that a man named Matthias McManus built the distillery in 1757. Unfortunately, this distillery did not pass down throw the generations because in 1798, both Matthias and his son were executed for their parts in one of the many Irish rebellions. It seems that one thing did eventually pass down from generation to generation and that would be the fiery attitude towards authority.

As he lovingly looks onto his family's legacy

The town of Kilbeggan took care of the whiskey license, thus the namesake, so other Irishmen like Locke and Cooley could make whiskey in the future. Because of their dedication, this whiskey distillery can proudly be called the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in Ireland and perhaps the world (from 1757 onward to be exact).

The current Kilbeggan distillery has the old operation juxtaposed against the new. We saw the the old equipment, such as mash tin, and the water wheel that powered everything. Fun fact, Focus Foxies, the distillery used to dump the some of the alcoholic waste into the adjacent river. Most of the fish in that river would be temporarily knocked out by this waste but would recover downstream. The old operation was small and cramped, and I had enjoyed ignoring the 'mind your head' signs. The new operation was slick. We got to see all of the modern yet rustic finishes. Rob was more interested in seeing the actual production. I set about admiring the modern yet rustic touches. Those large barrels contained the early stages of whiskey pre-distilled. They were just open and for the taking. We contained ourselves and did not take a sip or a bath.

The Waterwheel

House Special

The Kilbeggan distillery eventually made its way into the hands of the Cooley company. We were able to buy and try out some of the various whiskeys made in-house and around the company. The main ones in-house were the Locke's brand and the Connemara whiskey. The Locke's brand is a straight forward Irish whiskey. The Connemara whiskey has a peaty flavor and is Rob's favorite. The other two we tried were the Tyrconnell and the Greenore. The Tyrconnell was named after a race horse who was named for a region in Ireland. The Greenore took on more aspects of a bourbon, thus it became my favorite. With the tour, we had one free whiskey tasting and shot glass, so they gave us the house special. Of course, we had to try out a few more. How else would we know what to take back as souvenirs?

We sobered up in the Kilbeggan Distillery restaurant, feasting on ham and cabbage and an amazing chicken club. Our final destination for day was in Galway where we stayed in a fancy hotel, The Clayton. Believe you me, Focus Foxies, I googled these directions. There was no way I would allow the same shenanigans as the previous night. Once parked, we let other people drive us into town for a Saturday night out.

We quickly realized that Galway is the town for Hen and Stag parties. Focus Foxies, I think you might misinterpret this statement as a few people go out before they get hitched in Galway. No, false. Every larger party we saw out and about in Galway was a Hen or Stag party. They were rampant across town. Our first place definitely attracted this crowd. The Quays (pronounced keys) hosted a live cover band that played everything from Johnny Cash to the Black Keys. Apparently, Johnny Cash travels well in Ireland. The cover band really played well. Our next location we stumbled upon was called Murphys. Murphys represents your typical Irish pub. We say that because none of the pre-wedding parties followed us, and our cab driver said it was a locals only type of place (the next day). Because of the casual setting, we got to interact a bunch more with actual Irish people in flesh and blood. We met a small group of Irish police officers who were actually pretty fluent in college and professional football. Because they were police officers, they got to do some of the work when President Obama came to Ireland. They had a few stories about his visit.

Sadly Murphys had last call a bit too soon, but we definitely enjoyed our little night in Galway.

Sleepless in Dublin

2013-10-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

Dublin from up top.

Stardate 67283.3

23:50 - We landed in Ireland on a bed of fog beneath and a blanket of storms above us. We had been traveling all night to get here at 04:00, and our adventure was just beginning. We were going to rent a car and travel about Ireland's country side exploring the ruins, landscapes and pubs. We were just missing one thing when we landed: sleep.

There was not much time to sleep. We got in our car, hurriedly drove on the wrong side of the road (their right side of the road, confused yet?), and got ourselves lost in Dublin. Dublin was our first town to visit, but we were not staying there long. Like many towns in Ireland, Dublin suffers from a distinct lack of signage and a devotion to changing the street name every few blocks. We ended up at a gas station in a random part of town to sleep, wait for the sun, and buy a Dublin map.

Our business in Dublin consisted of seeing the famous Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library that housed it. We had our tour booked, and we were not going to skip it. The Book of Kells is an intricate manuscript containing the four gospels of the New Testament. This book was made in the early 800s by four monks.Check it out, because we were not allowed to take pictures. We did get to take pictures of the famous Trinity College Library, which houses the Book of Kells and other famous objects of Irish heritage. Fun fact, Focus Foxies, this library provided the basis for the Jedi Archives in the Attack of the Clones.

Our next goal was to get lost again. I am just joking, but we managed to do it nonetheless. We finally stopped ourselves in a parking lot and again slept for a few hours. Luckily it was a parking lot for a restaurant. I took advantage of that and some time to figure out how to get us to some back roads. You see, Focus Foxies, this was my aim all along. I had purchased a back roads book, and it had this awesome drive through the Wicklow Mountains. And who wouldn't want to do that? Well, when you hadn't slept well in a really long time, it starts to look silly. Luckily, Rob got a great power nap in, and we powered on. I think he knew I had my heart set on going through the mountains.

The Wicklow Mountains did not disappoint. We drove through this unearthly terrain full of the fabled Irish landscape and colors. The colors were just starting to turn to fall hues, but the lushness of Spring and Summer remained. We could not take our eyes off of it. We passed through valleys and waterfalls, while we wound our way around cloud covered mountains. We passed tree farms and wandering sheep on small and narrow roads. It was worth every penny to get over here.

Through the Wicklow Mountains, there lies a small area named 'Glendalough' or the glen of two lakes. Glendalough has a very famous reputation of being home to mainly saints, chiefly St. Kevin. After being ordained a priest, St. Kevin left to a then remote part of Ireland to avoid his followers and live as a hermit. However, word got around that he was a holy man living off the land, so people came around pretty quickly. St. Kevin eventually established a small community of monks and a church where St. Kieran once lived.

St Kevin's Church and Round Tower

Round Tower Art Shot

The whole area of Glendalough has seven churches and/or holy sites. One of the non-holy sites is the Round Tower, which impressively sits 30 meters high. The tower was used as a store room, partially for protection, and partially for my odd attempts at artsy picture taking.

We meandered our way to the main highway as the sun started to set. Our hotel room was in Kilkenny, but the only catch is that we had no where to stop for dinner nor did we know where the hotel was in Kilkenny. The first challenge was finding the hotel, and thankfully a man at a convenience store was able to give us the most confusing directions to it. Our second concern, our stomachs proved to be a a much more difficult task. We could have stayed in the hotel and slept because at this point we were at 48 hours with very little sleep. But we did not. We (I) were hungry, and gosh darnit, Focus Foxies, we were on a mission. A mission from God.

It turns out this mission was most likely from St. Kevin because he did not eat too often, and we waited a while to eat as well. We found a parking spot in Kilkenny and proceeded to walk all around town to find out that everywhere stops serving at 21:00. EVERYWHERE.
Not even a sad face could make it better. We ended up getting lost trying to find an ice cream shop we had seen before. Instead, we found ourselves lost in the suburbs. We officially threw in the towel and went in to ask someone how to get back to the car and again found ourselves in strange territory. We walked into this strange little low key pub (we alter found out it was named the David Campion's Lounge Bar) with maybe five or so people in it. You know, Focus Foxies, in those old western movies where people walk into the saloon and others immediately give them a look because they are not from around those parts? This was nothing like that. They were happy to give up seats for new people. We knew we could not immediately ask for directions, so we asked for two Smithwicks.

Let me tell you, Focus Foxies, that was the best Smithwicks I have ever tasted! I do not know if it was the day or the place or just because it is better in Ireland, but it was better. It is having a completely different beer. We got to talking to the locals. This being a local bar and a Friday night, they had started quite a bit earlier. They were all curious about where we were going and where we should go. They even unknowingly told us how to get back to town. So we tipped out hats after the beer, and left.

This story does not end badly or in any state of hunger. We ended up finding a SuperMacs, which is the only saving grace for Kilkenny's late night eating.

Cathedral at Glendalough

Zooma Annapolis Women's Race 2013

2013-06-02T18:22:00.000-04:00

Finish Line

Stardate 66885.7

18:22 - In Spring 2013, I decided to get healthy, super healthy. In that vein of thought, I signed up for a 10k race. I have mastered a 5k and have participated in a a couple of 8k races. Those last 2ks were going to be tough. Before this journey, I let myself go. Basically, I could not run more than a mile. Actually, I could run less than a mile. My muscles cramped up when I ran about 0.75 miles. I thought I was seriously injured the first time this happened. I was not, but I did need to build up.

Swag Bag!

The build up was intense and so was the DC heat. I picked out a training plan. I never picked out a plan before. I mean I have always been able to run my races, except the 5k in grad school. I blame that race a victim of the night before. They didn't even have the ice cream left when I finished. This race was going to be different. I had been dieting and sticking to the plan.

I signed up for the Zooma Annapolis Women's Race Series. We decided to make a weekend of it with me running it and Rob actually running it. He volunteered to be the turn around guy for the 10k people. The race had both half-marathon and 10k runs. Rob was the guy who had us 10k gals turn around so we didn't run 13.1 miles. We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast to make sure we can get to the start line in time.

Spoiler alert: I finished!

The day of the race was blazing hot! Annapolis unlike the usual coastal towns I have been in is hilly. The hills took me by surprise. I mostly trained on flat surfaces in DC. Despite all of this, I finished the race. I hurt my foot, but I did finish! The race was a lot of fun. I like doing "women's runs." Everyone dresses up nicely and is really pumped to run. This helps a lot when you are not sure you can actually finish the race.

Brew At The Zoo

2013-05-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

Stardate 66866.6

18:21 - Sometimes you feel like going wild and day drinking. Brew at the Zoo is the way to go when both these feelings are running through your veins. You have to try at least all of the beers there twice. The worst beer there is Sam Adams. That should tell you all you need to know about the quality. Most of the beers were animal themed, but here is a run down of the best:

1. Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale - Awesome, I am not a pale ale. This ale hops around in more way than one. Hey-o. I will stop that, Focus Foxies.

2. Harpoon Honey Cider - Nectar of the gods. Enough said. It glistens in the early Summer light.

3. DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus - Only one thing could beat number two, that is sweet baby Jesus. It is true. I mean a stripper referred us to this beer. That is not a lie, Focus Foxies. More importantly, it tastes like a peanut butter cup. Do not doubt me or our stripper friend.

After we toured the beers, we took the tram to the animals. I wanted to check these awesome beings out first, but the boys wanted to get in line to get into the beer section. I mean they were right because the line was so long. Nonetheless, we had time for the wild. There is an order in the Maryland Zoo. A order of animals, if you will. I know the zookeepers don't let the animals know that, but there is. First you walk into the zoo and spy the prairie dogs. They are cute, run around, and dig. Then you tram like you do up the hill. The hill is basically were it is at. There is the Arctic section and the African section.

1. The Arctic section - your classic foxes and polar bear mix. No penguins. Penguins live South of the hemisphere.

2. The Africa section - you see the giraffes; you see the lions. Then you see the PENGUINS!

Focus Foxies, this is an amazing event that helps out a good cause. You will find me there next year.

Focus Foxies in attendance: Rob, Chip, and actual foxes

Private Breaux Vineyard Tour

2013-03-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66653.1

18:11 - Not too long ago, we discovered a little vineyard by the name of Breaux Vineyards. An excellent name for an establishment, if I do say so myself. We decided to investigate it for my birthday. I am not saying that we got special treatment, but Rob called the vineyard up and started dropping some names. So we got a private tour of Breaux Vineyards.

Our tour started off with a wine tasting. You know, like private tours of vineyards do. We had nine wines to taste. I am not much for nonsweet wines, but that is what Breaux Vineyards specialized in. After the wine tasting, a guy named Sam with an amazing mustache with a twirl at the end took us around to show us the barrels in which the wines aged and the bottling station.

After lunch we went to Summit Racing to go-cart. We got some kick ass outfits including some helmets. However, I did not need it. I basically Sunday drove around the course. I had no idea if those crazy little cars could flip over. Every time we went around a corner, I felt myself almost lifting off. Everyone else kept lapping me over and over again. I didn't mind. I was having fun and not ending up in the emergency room.

As far as second celebrations for my 25th birthday go, this is the best.

Reunion tour in Aggieland

2013-03-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66630.3

It had been a long time since I had a proper reunion with Aggieland, and for my 25th birthday, I got a world class tour of the place. You see, Focus Foxies, Aggieland (College Station) had been through quite a few changes since I graduated and went gallivanting off to the big district. The biggest change I wanted to see was the Memorial Student Center. For those of you who may not know my college political career, the MSC was quite the point of contention back in the day. I wanted to see what three years and a bunch of money got us. It turns out, quite a bit. It has a ton of natural light, study spaces, and places to not study in. The MSC was pretty much the living room on campus, and I am glad that it returned to being one.

Something new I got to try was meeting the polo team's horses. My sister, Kim, plays polo for Texas A&M. She is kind of a big deal. We got to watch as she took care of the horses. We met this fun little horse to the left, named Fortuna. We were not bitten, so I call it the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We forgot to bring carrots. If we did bring them, these horses would remember us forever! Horses love carrots, but these horses needed to be in shape for the game.

Found out later this bar was shut down

Later that day, I went to one of our watering holes on Northgate. Pretty much all of the bars you want to go to in Aggieland are on one, maybe two blocks of land. Fitzwilly's happens to be one were you could smoke cigars and buy pitchers of Shiner for $6 (that includes a dollar tip). I met up with my friends Nick and Ashleigh to catch up and remember old times. They were pretty interested in the guy I was dating. Mostly because, they are protective like that.

Stardate 66634.4

On my actual 25th birthday, I had a hell of a time with Mark and Bethany Womack! They took my to
Polly's Cocina for Saturday morning breakfast tacos. There is only one other breakfast food I love more than tacos: kolaches. However, both are hard to come by in DC. I can make my own breakfast tacos, but these are so much better. Plus, they have a little aTm branded into them and chorizo.

The business reason why I was in Aggieland was the chance to be on a panel for the Bush School. We basically encouraged new students to attend the Bush School. It is nice to know that people view me as being a mildly successful adult that can encourage others to come to attend graduate school. I spoke with all the incoming students about what I did in DC, how I got the job, and how the Bush School prepared me for life on the outside.

Stolen from Bethany

Business came to a close, and we went out to celebrate. We fueled up on some epic Layne's Chicken Fingers. I didn't hold back. Five piece meal, double fries because I do not need arteries in the morning. Also, you will not be getting a picture of this meal. I ate it too quickly. We made our way to my most favorite bar of all time. It could not be a better night! We, being older than the rest of the crowd in College Station, got out there early and got my favorite booth. There is something amazing that DC lacks. Booths for people to sit in a pub and have an honest beer. Speaking of beers, check the list below. It blows your mind every time. Every of the time. We drank many beers and had a surprise visit from our favorite Krishna. He promptly got Irish car bombs for my birthday. So good. We even got free Texas glasses for my birthday or Texas' birthday. Yes, Focus Foxies, Texas has a birthday and it shares it with me. Just another reason why Texas and I are meant to be.

This just needed to be large

Stardate 66636

Overall, it was an amazing weekend, but I had a few things waiting for me back in DC. Most importantly, these cupcakes. I loved being able to get back home, even if it was for a little bit.

Celebrating Focus Foxies: Mama Breaux, Kimmie Swimmie, Aimee showed up for a bit, The Two of the Four Womacks I know, Krishna, Old Man Nick, and the lovely Ashleigh. Oh and Fortuna. Kelley Mac provided the cupcakes.

Time to Move On!

2013-02-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66614

11:23 - Well, Focus Foxies, this has been a long time coming, but it is time for me to move on from my apartment. I know I have only been there for a few months. What you really need to know is that I was dealing with a stage 4 maybe 5 crazy person where the best things I could say about her was that she mostly paid her bills on time and did not steal from me or stab me. That is no exactly a ringing endorsement....

Luckily I have found someone else to live with in a near by apartment. That someone is the sweet and awesome Kelley! She has chosen to live with me despite my faults and knowing my love of shenanigans. So win win.

I think I am most excited about decorating this new place. My previous place was a dirty cave, but this place will be bright and sunny! I went to town/pinterest to create for myself a lovely little feminine bedroom complete with a makeshift canopy (see above). The canopy consists of Ikea curtains and curtain rods and some led lights (they don't heat up). I decided on purple because I love all things purple.

The next was the living room! Kelley got an awesome purple rug...notice the theme of the place. I painted a bookshelf along with a couple of other paintings for the walls.

Red Hook Lobster

2013-02-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66565.2

15:45 - On a cold day, (far colder than in the Dominican Republic) I decided to indulge a love of mine: food trucks. I had nothing in my fridge for lunch and wanted to continue to walk on the wild side, so food from a moving vehicle fits the bill. For this particular culinary adventure, I chose the Red Hook Lobster.

Red Hook Lobster has a claim to fame as being the best DC lobster truck. They specialize in Maine Lobster Rolls. What qualifies as a ‘Maine Lobster Roll’, Focus Foxies? I am not sure. I really do not have that type of regional knowledge, but the sign on the truck mentioned mayo. I was mostly sold on that point. I went with a shrimp roll meal. This buttery roll was covered, nay suffocated with little shrimp. I mean a pile of shrimp on a bun. The shrimp was coated in a homemade lemon mayo, which was tangy to say the least. The shrimp were on a bed of lettuce, but I had to fight my way in to figure that out.

The meal felt like a little trip to the Northeast. It came with the traditional Northeast Cape Cod chips. They are your typical kettle chips that I adore. The most notable thing about the truck was their drink selection. They had a fountain right there on the side of the truck. All of the cokes were made by Maine Root. This is a small, independent 'soda' manufacturer. They have bunches of different organic sodas to try. I decided to go with something more regionally familiar to me: Mexi-cola. I enjoyed it. It was spicier than your usual coke. It was cool to see Red Hook Lobster support local (by local, I mean Maine) companies. It made it feel more authentic.

This wouldn't be your typical lunch at $12 a meal, but it did make for something different in L'enfant plaza. As I was walking up, the cook/owner and a guest were talking about DC chef twitter fights. It was pretty legit place. I felt like I was a part of something. Soon you won't recognize me, Focus Foxies. I will be a part of the culinary underground.

Four Boats and No One's Funeral

2013-02-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66597.2

Our last day in the Dominican Republic, we decided to visit the South side of the island. We booked a tour that led us on four different boats that explored the Southern coast.

Boat 1: We sailed on the catamaran along the coast, catching wonderful views of the Parque Nacional de Este on land. The National Park is one of the few in the world that tries to protect the whole coastal ecosystem from the ocean to the mangroves to the shoreline. It’s actually one of the largest marine national parks in the region. We sailed on the catamaran until we reached the channel between the main island and Isla Soana.

Boat 2

Lunch

Boat 2: Our second float was just that a float. Our tour guide made a joke about it being what Cubans tried to get to Florida on. So we figured it was pretty sturdy. We took the canoe raft into the mangroves to see the breeding grounds of frigate birds. Fun fact, frigate birds are large and have huge red necks that can be puffed out. They would swoop all around us, giving us the feeling of being wild adventurers. The tour guides were also able to drudge up some weird looking jellyfish for us. They were up-side-down jellyfish, meaning their tentacles were on top. I’m not going to lie, Focus Foxies, I petted one. I did not get stung, but it did feel gross.

Up-Side-Down Jelly

Boat 3: Next, we flew past the channel between the main island and Isla Soana in a speed boat. Our destination was the sand bar where the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans meet. So they let us out to drink and have fun in crystal blue waters. We watched as the waves came crashing into the sand bar and intermixed forming some outstanding blue hues. This water was much choppier than the sandbar we were on the previous day. Also, the wind came in pretty strong as well. We just stayed under water with our drinks for warmth. That's a free survival tip for everyone out there.

Boat 4: Our final boat consisted of paddle boat that took us upstream into the main island. It seemed like a trip back in time with the old school transportation and the Jurassic vegetation. It was as if the boat and river pierced a hole in the gigantic wall of jungle. Focus Foxies, I think we were in the Rio Yuma that borders two providences in Dominican Republic. There is actually no way to be sure. Our guide just dropped off after a while.

As the sun set, I held a rum cocktail in hand and propped my feet up. I felt peaceful amongst the jungle and happy about our last day in the Dominican Republic.

Swims with Sharks

2013-01-31T16:51:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66551.4

Not sharks, but fish

14:40 - We thought after having a rough day with whales, we would take it easy with some sharks and stingrays. Focus Foxies, we also decided that being in a boat was not good enough. We wanted to be the water with them. We wanted to swim with predators that have honed their skills for millennia. So we set off on a catamaran to our snorkel adventure.

Shark Tank

They let us off the boat to swim around and get used to the snorkel equipment before throwing into the shark tank. That is exactly what it was, a net in the middle of the ocean with sharks swimming around. I guess this would be a good time to tell y’all that these were only Nurse Sharks, so the probability that they would attack us was slim.

Nonetheless, they are super scary under water. They look like this menacing shadowy creature that can outswim and out-think you at any moment. We held our own and took pictures of these over 6 feet long Lords of the Ocean. Then we entered into the other tank with stingrays. Those Focus Foxies familiar with my travels will know that I am an old pro at stingrays. Nothing to fear about these guys, not even being stung. They had their stingers removed, piece of cake.

After our adventures with predators, we sailed around the coast to see some pretty spectacular views of the Dominican Republic. We were on the Eastern/Atlantic side of the island, but for how deep the water can get, it was a pretty blue color. Now the Dominican tour companies have particular move that other countries don’t have. Many tours will allow you to drink until your heart drops on the boat. Don’t get me wrong, the Dominican companies will let you drink massively. They however drop you off on a sandbar and bring the mixed drinks to you. It is quite fancy if I may say so! Plus, I am a bigger fan of rum than tequila. So take that Mexico.

Whale of a Tale

2013-01-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66549.6

23:45 - We start this tale where we began it: at the Punta Cana Airport. Our mission was to find the seasonal Humpback Whales in Samana Bay. The only problem was Samana Bay was a few hours away by bus through mountains. We decided to bypass the whole bus situation and take an airplane. I mean the type of plane that makes you put down how much you weigh because they need to balance both sides out.

We landed about an hour away from Samana Bay, and the weather did not cooperate with us. Focus Foxies, we had a deluge of biblical portions that threatened to cancel our whale watching plans and plagued us all day. We persevered but barely. We headed out to sea in some of the choppiest water I have ever been in. I mean I have been on many rough seas, Focus Foxies. This was down right terrible. They outfitted us with life jackets and big yellow jackets, and we went bravely into the perfect storm. We needed to go further into the bay to see the whales and let the storm past by us.

We were able to see two different pods of whales. One pod had a mother and calf in it,

and the other had several juveniles. We got the feeling that the Mom and calf whale did not want to be messed with and kept swimming away. So we went in search of the other pod spotted by another boat. These juveniles were playing around in the sea as if they had no cares in the world. Pictures were hard to take because the amount of people on the boat and whales can hold their breath for long periods of time.

Our adventure didn't stop with the whales. As epic as whales are, Focus Foxies, we needed more adventure packed in our day. We stopped on Cayo Levantado, which is an island in Samana Bay, to visit the beaches. Well, until the rain chased us away to our lunch spot.

Our next adventure was a horse ride like no other. My Mom and I are not experts in horse riding, but we have had our fair share of horseback shenanigans. We have taken a donkey down into the Grand Canyon and made it back to tell the stories. This situation made us think twice. I mean we still jumped on and went along for the ride. We just said so many prayers as we made our way through the extremely washed out trails. Each horse had a guide/owner who led us to a waterfall. (Side note: Focus Foxies, we had no idea what our end destination was for this horse ride. At one point we thought we were on a one way trip into the forest.) We eventually made it to Lemon Waterfall, which fun fact was a USAID project for tourism.

We eventually made it to the head of the trail in one piece. Our guides grabbed their day's wages and rode off into the sunset. This was our cue that it was our time to go home as well. We made our way back to the airport but not before we went through some Dominican backroad.

Yea, that road was washed out as well

Outta Moving Van

2013-01-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it was snowing when I left DC...

Stardate 66546.1

"We need to just get out of the van. Just go!" --Mom "What?"--Me

We found ourselves on the side of the road next to a market about ten miles from the hotel. But this is will into middle of our story. Focus Foxies, we need to back up to the beginning.

Hotel beach

My Mom and I touched down in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Monday (stardate 66543.4). We came to escape winter, experience the beach, and go whale watching. We were welcomed into the tropical island with a fun tourism visa fee. An interesting development tactic to say the least, but since it was only $10 and the airport was nice, we thought it worth it. If we didn't, it would be a short story. Our hotel was an all-inclusive beautiful resort that backed up to a beach.

A different market

Our first full day, we wanted to go shopping in a local market. We had a free day before we went on our excursions and wanted to make the best of it. Our hotel guest services had no idea where to send us. They had one shuttle service to a place called 'Bella Mar.' We were assured that it was a large market with many shops. Basically, it would be everything we would want out of DR. Bella Mar was a small, one shop stop. I mean larger that a few market stalls, but no dice. On the way back, I cobbled enough Spanish to get the driver to stop by Plaza Bavaro, which looked more promising. The driver was about to not let us out, so Mom took matters into our own hands. We just left the van and freaked everyone else out who stayed. They probably assume we are dead.

But, spoiler alert, we are not! We shopped until we dropped getting larimar (type of blue stone), paintings, shot glasses, and necklaces. We were the only tourists in the market, so it wasn't a take out your camera type of excursion. All eyes were on us as we walked around. It would have been a wonderful photo opportunity. We eventually caught a cab for $10 back to the cab. So the tip I have for you, Focus Foxies, is jump out of a slightly moving van. It will be a blast!

View from the hotel room

Zoo Atlanta

2012-12-31T19:45:00.000-05:00

Floppy ears and all

Stardate 66467.1

19:45 - To cap off the zoo-apolooza that was the year 2012, Rob and I ventured out to Zoo Atlanta. We had already seen the aquatic life in Atlanta and thought we would give the terrestrial animals a try. Venturing from exotic location to another proved to be a challenge. Mainly because of the beastly state of the Atlanta public transportation system. I mean we waited over half an hour for a bus to show up! We finally made it to see these fabulous creatures, and they did not disappoint!

On the Prowl

Focus Foxies, most people do not think to go to the zoo during the winter months. I guess being outside in the cold does not sound appealing to most, but the winter months are the best times to see the animals. This is true especially for big cats and bears. The cold weather makes them frisky! We got up close and personal to Zoo Atlanta's Sumatran Tigers and Malaysian Sun Bears. I mean really close. The one of the tigers came up and near the window to check out some of the kids. I mean the tiger could have eaten the kid if it was hungry. What could you do to stop them?

The Malaysian Sun Bears took to (dare I say) horseplaying around their exhibit. I mean the Atlanta Falcons should get on signing at least one of these bears the way they were tackling each other.

Most zoos will be able to show you the usual suspects of all animals, but good zoos will teach you a thing or two. I found out about a two new animals. The first animal to be discovered was the Tanuki, which looks like a raccoon. This makes a whole lot of sense because Tanuki is Japanese for raccoon dog. Also, the Japanese name will tip off most detective Focus Foxies that they live in East Asia. However, sleuthing Focus Foxies, these guys are not related to the raccoon family; they are dogs. They are tricky and loving animals. They choose to 'play dead' rather than encounter predators, and they are monogamous creatures.

The next creature comes from the bird family, and it is a rather odd bird. The Kori Busturds are sizable birds from the African Plains. These birds are not easily pushed around as the males are contenders for the world's heaviest flying bird. An honor in the animal kingdom, I assure you. The males can weigh up to 40 lbs; the females come in at 14 lbs. Both genders measure approximately 4 feet tall. The males do some pretty elaborate mating rituals to attract their small lady friends. They guard their nesting territories, making booming calls to differentiate themselves, and preform dances to show off their plumage. You know, all in a days work. I am not sure if these birds mate for life, but they have about 30 years of life to figure it out.

On a scale of 1 to 10; you want to be meerkat level

Well, year 2012 turned out to be the best year for me and the zoos. I made it to 4 different zoos this year. I am not trying to brag, but I believe that is some sort of record.

There is a Wild Ass Abisinine, as my Grandfather would say

Under the Georgia Sea

2012-12-31T16:25:00.001-05:00

Stardate 66466.7

16:45 - Far and wide, Atlanta is known for its spectacular aquarium. They have eight exhibit areas geared to show you every part of the water ecosystems. With 75% of the world made up of water, the aquarium has its work cut out for it.

Our first stop was the Georgia Explorer exhibit, and as the name suggests, you learn a ton about Georgian wildlife. In front of the exhibit is a touch tank, but no ordinary touch tank. You get the chance to touch stingrays! How cool is that? So I went in and attempted to touch a stingray, but they are frightful and slippery creatures. Eventually I was successful.

The Cold Water Quest exhibit featured the coolest ocean mammals and birds. We first got to see the California sea otters, which are huge! It was their feeding time so we watched as they danced and did tricks for treats. They are pretty smart and know how to ham it up for the crowd.

Next, we ventured out to see the Beluga Whales. These fanciful white whales danced around their huge aquarium. It was hypnotic to watch the dazzling blue aquarium and bright white gentle giant just swimming along. They would come right up glass (and sometimes bump into it), say hello, and then swim around again. The best part of the Cold Water Quest was the small colony of South African Penguins. They had a neat exhibit where you got to pop your head up into the exhibit and experience 360 degrees of penguin funness. Words simply cannot describe the magic. Therefore, Focus Foxies, I created a small montage for you.

The crowning jewel of the Georgia Aquarium is its Ocean Voyager exhibit. The exhibit consists of a four football field long tank full of ocean animals. They take you on a conveyor belt through the exhibit so you can see the ocean from another perspective. Up above you can see four huge whale sharks gliding through, large manta rays floating about, and schools of fishes following them around. At the end of the ride you can see the whole tank through one large pane of glass. The tank looks as if it goes on forever. The sheer size of the tank and the animals within was really impressive.

Our last stop was in the Tropical Diver exhibit where all of the colorful fish come out to play. I have seen tropical fish many times in the Carribbean Sea, but this exhibit showed tropical fish from all over. One tank featured a Pacific coral reef with a wave simulator. It gave you a glimpse of how unstable the lives of these fish are. They manage quite fine under these conditions, but it would make me sea sick.

Our animal adventures would not stop here, we eventually went to Zoo Atlanta to visit the land animals.

Rise Up, Dirty Birds!

2012-12-30T16:24:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66464.4

18:57 - Over the past professional football season, I have been getting quite into the NFL. So much so I finished 13^th in a fantasy football league. I’d say things are getting pretty serious. To get really into fantasy football, you have got to watch a bunch of actual football. I mean Redzone switching around to all of the games watching football. There is no waiting around and watching commercials; action is happening. However, I love watching a game live. There is nothing like being in the actual stadium. Over New Year’s Eve, Rob and I stopped by his old stomping grounds of Atlanta, and we couldn't be in Atlanta without seeing the Falcons. It was time to Rise Up!

For those Focus Foxies unfamiliar with the season will need to know that the Dirty Birds were riding the wave of multiple victories into the playoffs. In fact, they were the number one seed in the NFC. They had their last game at home and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game was pretty much a wash, but we got to see some of Rob's favorite players go out and run around. By the second half, they were resting a few starters, but it didn't stop us from cheering on when Matt Ryan would go long for Julio Jones. Plus, going to the Georgia Dome is a one of a kind experience. Where else can you see the Dirty Bird Victory Dance in person?

Focus Foxy Dirty Birds: Atlanta's Finest Rob, Matt and Joseph plus me.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

2012-12-27T16:24:00.000-05:00

Stardate 66455.7

16:24 - In the urban jungle of Houston, there lies a wonderful zoo among the tall buildings of the medical center. My family and I have trekking through Houston's mighty urban jungle to see the animals for years. This year, we decided to do something new. We wanted to see what the Houston Zoo had in store for zoo lights. At dusk, we travel through the then quiet urban jungle to see the lion sleep at night.

The zoo was lit up in the usual splendor of a Christmas village. Due to cold weather, most animals had to stay inside. We toured the reptile house, the aquarium and the small mammal house. The aquarium offered some pretty spectacular views of jelly fish. They were more impressive than the lights outside. But there was one little guy who was on display, and no normal house could hold him. Lets just say the had to build one extra tall! Yes, Focus Foxies, I reference the giraffe tower at the located zoo.

Being adorably camera shy

When I reference the giraffe tower, Focus Foxies, you know I meant a group of giraffes and not a building? Now you do. Well, we got to see young giraffe pop his head out for a little bit. I would not call this calf small, but he was dwarfed by the others. I later found out his name is Ghubari. With the peaceful lights of this Christmas village around us, we still had no clue where to find a sleeping lion, but we knew were on the right track.

This is the best shot I got of Ghubari!

Sleeping Lion!

Don't fear my darling, Focus Foxies, we eventually found our sleeping lion.
We came upon the large cat exhibits to see a prowling tiger, but no obvious sign of a lion. He was a hard one to spot at night. I swear he is in the middle of the picture. He looked so peaceful and deadly at the same time.

We started to leave the zoo, but not before we had witnessed the spectacular lights and music action. Call it a finale to a great night. We left with Christmas cheer and singing wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh....

Click here to see the finale!
Zoological Focus Foxies in attendance: Mom, Dad, Chelsea, and Hannah

Combined Federal Campaign 2012

2012-12-15T16:25:00.000-05:00

Every year, the federal government hosts a charity drive for their employees to donate to awesome charities. This charity drive is called the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and it is the only authorized charity drive for the work place. This is how it works, Focus Foxies, we, ‘g-men’ or ‘feds,’ give money to the CFC earmarked for specific charities. You can donate to over 4,400 approved charities, which range from health care to housing to youth development charities. This year, I was selected/volunteered by others to represent my office for the CFC. Basically I helped fundraise and get people excited about the CFC.

Supporting the Home Team

One of the fundraising ideas was to do a tailgate lunch, so I took this idea and ran with it. Being very excited about Pro Football this year, I had so many ideas to improve upon this idea. We wanted to keep one thing simple: hot dogs for lunch. They are easy and cheap, two great characteristics for a fundraiser lunch. But my own creative spin on this lunch was to play on the native DC rivalries. Now, the Washington Redskins were having a once in a while good season, yet there is always a lingering Cowboys’ fan base in the district. As sad as it is, they have a stronghold in the nation’s capital. To play on this love/hate relationship, I devised a ‘Battle for the District’ (we added the Ravens in there for good measure). Anyone who wanted to can put in money to vote for their favorite team.

Someone added the Nationals and Tampa Bay Bucs

Were my colleagues awestruck by the rookie star power that is the one-two punch of the RGIII-Alfred Morris Redskins offense? Did they wait patiently the return of Ray Lewis and the resurrection of the Ravens’ defense? Or did they support Tony Romo’s offense, the pride of Jerry Jones, America’s team: the Cowboys?

District Focus Foxies will be happy to know that they went with the home team, and the whole event raised about $500. I was so excited to be a part of it all and to help a great charity. HAIL!