this is... something

night shift insomnia.

2013-08-20T05:46:00.000-04:00

>>daily reminder from LLD<<

So.

I worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Came home yesterday morning around 8, got into bed, and slept until 1. I made myself wake up and do normal activities so that I could sleep at a normal hour at night.

My. Plan. Failed.

It's actually been failing me pretty regularly for the past month or so even though it has worked like a charm for the past year. Until the end of June/beginning of July, I had no problem switching back and forth between nights and days. I actually have no issue waking up and functioning the day after I worked nights, I just now seem to have an issue sleeping at night.

So here I am. 5:22 Tuesday morning and I've been up since 1 yesterday afternoon. I'm not sure why I couldn't sleep last night since I know I'm tired, but I have a two thoughts.

One could be that since I've been working more night than day shifts, my body is just on a night schedule and is having a tougher time switching back and forth.

The other, which I honestly think to be more likely, is that it's wedding crunch time. Tomorrow marks the one month marker. Though I haven't had a real stress moment, I do constantly have various little check boxes going through my head of the different things that need to get done.

I put my insomnia to good use though! I pretty much solidified the seating chart in one shot, paid some bills, did some laundry, and watched Breaking Pointe on Hulu. I did get into bed a few times when I started to feel tired... but then my head just kept thinking about different things.

My new sleep plan for today... stay up until 8 (the time I usually get home from work), take some zzzquil, and try to sleep until just before I have to go to work tonight.

Wish me luck!

Maybe I should start meditating daily to calm my mind... Any tips?

Here's a few photos from Foam Fest that occurred many moons ago in Richmond, VA.

>>that's a broken obstacle right there... that people still climbed<<

let the countdown begin.

2013-08-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

38 days.

Thirty-eight!

That's the number of days until Dave and I get married! Sure the countdown has been going for a while... but for other people. I never really got into the counting down of days. I knew that it was still a few months and that was good enough of a countdown for me. Well friends, the time has come. I have the number in my head ready to spout off whenever requested. Feel free to test me sometime. ;)

The past few months of planning haven't been as bad as people lead you to believe. Planning from across the country (living in DC, getting married in SD)... also not so bad. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I decided I now need to kick my butt into gear and get those little projects I said could wait until the summer going. The moment I decided that caused me some fear... but it hasn't been so bad and is coming together rather nicely. Sure there are still some details that need to be sorted, but at this moment the forecast looks good.

Let's hope the next 37 days treat us well. :)

Care for some random photos of the past few weeks in DC?

>> camping in the shenandoahs<<

>>camping kisses<<

>>gotta love some baseball<<

>>a little gold cup action<<

>>he embraces laziness<<

>>marine barracks<<

>>national cathedral<<

five things.

2013-07-13T15:08:00.002-04:00

five of my favorites from the past few weeks.

>> summer, baseball, and presidents <<

>> summer and golf <<

>> summer day trips <<

>> summer, sunshine, and roller coasters <<

>> summer and the best friends anyone could ever ask for <<

I'm sensing a theme here...

five things.

2013-05-31T16:50:00.000-04:00

Five little things I absolutely love about The Smokies and road trips with my man.

>>the views<<

>>the activities<<

>>the local treasures<<

>>riding shotgun with this man at the wheel<<

>>coming back to our favorite little man<<

happy memorial day!

2013-05-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

Though there's only a few hours left to Memorial Day 2013, I hope it's been a good one and that the rest of it is just as good. In my case, this weekend was one for the books. I'll fill you in later this week... but know it involved lots of mileage, sunshine, and laughter.

good to be back.

2013-05-26T17:49:00.001-04:00

After a long and unintended break from this blog, I'm back! Even better, today marks the return of Arrested Development! Though I haven't spent the whole day watching Season 4, I have been waiting for this day for over a year (I hopped on the AD bandwagon a little late) and have watched the first episode. I plan on watching the rest in the next few days.

So what has been happening lately? A lot and practically nothing at the same time, it feels. Over the past few months I've gotten more acclimated to work, gone for hikes, listened to some great live music, planned a bunch for the wedding, watched the Caps practice, turned 27, enjoyed March Madness in DC, and played a few rounds of kickball and indoor bocce. See, I've been doing things but nothing really new or groundbreaking. Hahah.

To ease back into this blogging thing, this post is more photos than words.

Oh, and enjoy Memorial Day tomorrow! Be safe.

xx

u.c.d.

2013-03-07T15:48:00.001-05:00

In honor of my alma mater's first home nationally televised sporting event (ESPN 2 tonight at 8PM PST/11PM EST, meaning I'll already be asleep when it starts)...

Go, Ags!

dog meets snow.

2013-02-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, a group of us went up to Pennsylvania for some fun and relaxation. We were a little worried about how our Panamanian dog would react to a massive amount of snow... He's obviously been around snow here in DC but nothing more than a couple inches. We should've known better than to worry. ;)

my favorite series of photos from cali.

2013-02-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

That's our ring bearer! :)

mas cali.

2013-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

a glimpse of my california.

2013-02-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

//my favorite little man showing us all how well he can eat//

No words can really describe how good it felt to go home a couple of weeks ago. Though it wasn't the first time I went to California since moving out here, it was the first time I visited my family and friends in the bay. We packed so much in during the few days we were in town, driving up and down 80 many many times. I'm so thankful that Dave and I have such loving friends and family who took time out of their days to make sure they had some free time for us. Here are a few of my favorites taken on my phone.

//visiting sudwerk and old friends//

//i popped the question and asked her to be one of my co-MOHs//

//the boys reunited//

//senorita bread//

//i want to get back to my city by the bay//

//next year!//

//visiting refuges has to be one of my favorite parts of traveling now//

//buster insisted on riding shotgun with dave on the way to the airport//

goooooo titus.

2013-02-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

Back from California. Missing it like crazy already. Tons of pictures and stories to be posted in the coming days. Until then, here's a video that made my morning and will definitely make yours too!

#inaug2013.

2013-01-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

Today we witnessed the swearing in of President Obama and Vice President Biden in the 57th Presidential Inauguration. It was a long day filled with lots of walking, lots of trying to squeeze through people for restroom breaks, and lots of excitement.

Our day started incredibly early, 3:30 am to be exact. Some friends popped by the house for some inaugural pre-gaming followed by walking towards the mall to find a spot to wait for several hours until the ceremony began. Some friends had tickets for different sections (some with actual seats, those lucky guys!)... we were with the non-ticketed folk, which is essentially general admission, and had to prepare to brave the masses. We didn't get to our spot on the mall until 6:30 thanks to road blocks and detours but ended up getting a pretty sweet spot anyway.

Since the ceremony wouldn't be starting until 11:30, I decided to plop myself down on the ground and nap. I've been sick since Thursday and decided that between the lack of sleep and the cold I needed to rest as much as possible... even if that meant sleeping in a little ball tucked against a folding chair on one side and Dave's leg on the other. It worked out pretty well for me. Even though I still don't feel perfect I'm sure that the nap helped me in the health department.

The ceremony itself was incredible. I'm so thankful to be living in a city where history is being made every day and I'm able to witness it first hand. The various speeches were moving and inspiring. I'm excited for the possibility of where this country can go - I just hope our politicians put their special interests aside and focus on the American people.

We capped the day with some cupcakes from The Sweet Lobby - don't you just love the Obama toppings?

Congrats, Mister President!

a day of presidents.

2012-12-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, our dear friend Mindy came to town. We decided to spend the day doing touristy things none of us have done (there are still so many more things in DC that Dave and I have yet to see/do). I'd been dying to check out the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum and decided that should be on the list. The other thing? Watching A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater. Good planning all around!

We ended up taking two of the free tours at the Portrait Gallery. One looking at Civil War art in the American Art Museum and the other exploring everything the National Portrait Gallery has to offer. I highly recommend taking the tours if you ever go. You learn way more than you would just walking around the place alone - though I'm sure everyone but me already knew that. My favorite part was the section with portraits of all of the presidents. Some looked lifelike... while others didn't. They were all great though!

The production of A Christmas Carol was incredible. It's one of my favorite Christmas stories, yet I'd never seen it live. So exciting! It was a little eerie at times to know that I was sitting across from where the infamous event occurred, but I got over it pretty quickly. Ford's Theater is absolutely gorgeous. I love how small it is and how you have a pretty great view from wherever you're sitting. Since we bought our tickets pretty last minute, the three of us ended up having to sit separately. Another new experience... being sandwiched between strangers during a play. In the end it doesn't matter - I mean, how often do you really talk to the person next to you when so engrossed in a play?

And completely unrelated... how cool is this?

macy's thanksgiving parade.

2012-12-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know this post is going up weeks after the parade occurred. Yes, I know I've failed at updating this blog lately (I'll do better this week, I promise!). Yes, I know it's technically called the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Dave and I fail consistently calling it the "thanksgiving parade"). Doesn't matter... In the end, I have tons of photos to share! But before I do, head over to The Magnolia Pair to check out the sweet feature Miss Britt posted.

//oh, kermie!!//

//mr. fallon and the roots//

//karmin//

//i personally think the washington nats presidents look waaaay better//

//all bundled up//

//poor sponge bob...//

//papa smurf//

//aye aye, captain mickey//

//and of course... SANTA!!!!!//

And can I just say how thankful I am for this guy right here?! I couldn't imaging a better person to share new experiences with, to have fun with, and to just plain spend my life with.

here it goes again.

2012-11-26T18:53:00.003-05:00

Been a crazy past few days. Thanksgiving was great until I started to feel icky. Now the dog isn't doing so well either. We did catch A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater last night - pretty amazing! We did take tons of pictures on Thursday at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... I'll post them soon! Just trying to get life back in order.

Until then... enjoy this video that I somehow escaped. Seriously, how have I never seen this amazing piece of work?!

some turkey day tuneage

2012-11-12T15:09:00.003-05:00

A friend posted this on facebook... I just had to share.

mashed potatoes on my on my table.

five things.

2012-11-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

the monday edition.

//Love and the ocean... What more can a girl ask for?//

//My first bear sighting//

//Kites are awesome. Cow kites... even better//

//Dog treats in so many different shapes and flavors... He actually loves the green veggie one!//

//OBAMA!//

obx.

2012-11-08T14:44:00.000-05:00

We had a blast in OBX this past weekend. Though it was pretty chilly out, we bundled up and explored all that we could. From soaking up history at the Wright Brothers Memorial to flying kites at Jockey's Ridge State Park to eating at all of the amazing restaurants, we couldn't get enough. Dave is already creating a list of other things we need to see and do. Just a few more days until Dave is finished working at the refuge out there... He'll be doing a post with all of the amazing things you can see at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Trust me, it's pretty sweet.

Nags Head, we love you!

tease.

2012-11-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Just a little something to brighten your day... I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday with a post about our weekend in the OBX (between work and watching the election coverage, who knows when I'll actually sort through the massive amount of pictures).

Make sure you go and vote (especially my Virginians and other swing staters!)!

i caved.

2012-11-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I decided to commandeer Dave's phone (since I still live in the world of Blackberry until the HTC One X+ is officially released)... the result of his phone takeover? I downloaded instagram! I'm a big lover of lomo and the beautiful and unexpected results it yields... My holgalita has gone on many trips with me and provided exciting photos that I hold dear to my heart (and I have three rolls of film yet to be developed). I was skeptical about instagram because, though it creates a similar effect, it isn't organic. In the end though, I'm a sucker for anything having to do with photos and I must admit that I'm a fan! Dave was making fun of me for caving as he has a similar perspective on it, but I'm pretty sure he secretly thinks it's cool too. If you wanna follow along, my username is love_maritess. (Expect a lag in posting stuff on there until next week. Dave is still in NC... with his phone...)

safe and sound. windy and wet.

2012-10-30T10:51:00.003-04:00

Thank you to all of my friends and family who have checked in on me throughout the past 24 hours to make sure that I'm ok and safe. I'm happy to report that hurricane-turned-post-tropical-storm Sandy did minimal damage in my neighborhood. We have power, running water, and no flooding. Yes, a tree came down and damaged two cars (I thought it was only one... turns out another was hidden under all of those branches) but the only other remnants of a storm are leaves and small branches on the ground. It's still raining and windy outside, but nothing scary. Metro is still closed (though the escalators are going... how about we save some energy WMATA?!), but businesses are opening up again. If you have twitter, you can search #openindc to see which businesses are open.

Unfortunately, not everyone on the East Coast has been as lucky. NYU hospital had to be evacuated, cities are without power and are flooded, and the death toll is climbing. I am so very thankful and lucky that we're safe here in DC, Dave is safe in NC, and my friends and family along the coast are all safe as well. Some don't have power or water, but at least they're all safe and indoors. Praying for all of those who were so heavily impacted by this storm - especially in NY and NJ, which I heard were hit the hardest.

On a lighter note... Don't forget to go to Taco Bell to get your free Doritos locos taco this afternoon thanks to Angel Pagan for stealing a base during game 2 of the World Series! If your location is closed today due to the storm... there will be a raincheck date!

sandy and the giants.

2012-10-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

The worst has yet to hit, but my block is already seeing problems. I got home from babysitting this morning to find my block closed off and a tree blocking the road. So incredibly glad I wasn't around when it happened and that I was able to find a parking spot free of trees (which is pretty difficult if you know my neighborhood and the massive amount of trees surrounding). Luckily nobody was hurt and only one car (I think) got damaged.

Dave is in Nags Head, NC, which has me terribly worried since it's a tiny little strip of land. He promises me he's safe and sound but said many roads are closed or completely washed over. He also had to relocate because the house he was staying at is too close to water level.

//This isn't where he's staying but it looks scary... and this is from yesterday!//

Here in DC, public schools are closed, many businesses are closed, people are stocking up on supplies, and driving like maniacs (slow down people!). Anz and I are tucked away in our little English basement with sandbags standing guard at both the front and back door. We've got a decent amount of water saved up and enough ice in the freezer to keep things good for a day, should the power go out.

I heard on the news today... items in the fridge will only last 4 hours with no power. A full freezer will last two days (if you don't open it!) and one day if it's only half full. They say to place items you wont necessarily need (milk, meat, etc) in the freezer so that it'll stay good.

In other news... HOLY SMOKES SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS! Way to SWEEEEEEEEEEEP! I couldn't be more proud of my team.

via

A note to all the Giants fans who are fans just because they won aka fair-weather fans aka bandwagoners... be a little nicer! Yes, our team won two World Series Chamionships in the past three years, but that doesn't give you the right to rip on everyone else. You guys are so mean when the Giants are doing poorly and hate on the fans of opposing teams. The San Francisco Giants are an amazing team with incredible players. They deserve fans who are polite, respectful, and supportive at all times.

A huge thanks for all of the congratulations. :) The hugs, phone calls, and text messages mean the world to us.
We love and appreciate you.

five things.

2012-10-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

//Patuxent//

//Virginia coastline//

//Found some San Miguel in Virginia!//

//Tuesday Trivia//

//I think you get what this one is//

and a little bonus.

to the beach.

2012-10-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we left DC and drove down to Virginia Beach (stayed in a hotel Friday night and camped Saturday night). Best thing to ever happen! We hiked some trails, took in the history, relaxed on the beach, ate delicious food, and just plain enjoyed life. I can't tell you how good it felt to get out of DC, sit on the beach, and smell fresh ocean air (even if it is the atlantic... pacific ocean, you still have my heart).

//Anz did not like this statue. At all.//