International Student Picnic

 Friday night we had the American Friends Hawaiian picnic on the front lawn of Georgetown University.  Tom and I had a difficult time getting there.  GPS was acting up and I've never driven there!  Showed up 30 minutes late....grrrr!  DC driving will be the death of me I tell you!

 Pulled chicken BBQ sandwiches, games and dancing along with "welcome" cakes.

 Kind of a generalized map of the US.  They had leaders dress up like they had come from each section of the country.  Utah=EMPTY QUARTER?  What?  They made up for it by explaining there is little population there comparatively speaking. The international students had quizzes after each "introduction" to our country.

 Alexis brought me this beautiful handmade waterfall picture holder her mom had sent from Singapore for me.

Our table won the grand prize for winning the most quizzes!

Earlier in the week the director of the program had sent out a request for more "friends" as she had some who hadn't been matched up yet.  Tom decided to participate and so we met his new friend Zimo, who is from China at the picnic.  Tom spent most the evening with him but I haven't had much time to get to know him yet.  I do know he's a graduate student studying computer science.  We're having both he and Alexis over for dinner soon so we can get to know him better.

Swimming in the Potomac

Tom, Anita, Me, Dave, Sarah, Kelly, Kristen & Vince

 While I was in Utah some of the Tri group (including Tom) met at National Harbor for an open water practice swim.  They thought it was really beneficial so we went back last night.  It's organized with buoys set out and lifeguards all around in case anyone gets into trouble.  Jumping into the water was kind of freaky as you think it's going to be cold but it was lovely!  Just warm enough and very pleasant.  In fact as I was swimming I kept thinking this is just the perfect temp!

 Pre-swim on the dock.  We all got a number written on our hand so they could mark us off as we came out of the water.....

 We started about 6:30 and swam for probably an hour....maybe less.  You could do as many laps as you wanted until 7:45 then everyone had to be out.  The wind was blowing some so the water was choppy but that was good practice as well.  We need to learn to be able to breathe on alternating sides in case the water is coming at our faces.  There were also a lot of swimmers so you had that whole people kicking and bumping into you thing going on.  Again, better to practice that here than in a race!  Tom decided to do one last loop so he's not in this final post-swim pix.

Labor Day in NJ

Sunday morning I went to church while Tom did a 50 mile bike ride then we packed up to head to NJ for a couple of days.  Taylor's friend Max was wrapping up his visit and we thought a trip to the beach would be nice.  He's had a flexible schedule so was able to stay for 18 days.  Taylor, Max and another friend shared a house that Max's parents owned in SLC while we were in AL.  Max took a 3 day bus ride to get to DC but he's a pilot so he's spent some time trying to hitch a ride through a private pilot network to get back West.  The best offer he got would only get him as far as Chicago so he decided to extend, do the trip to NJ with us then just bus it back home.  He's spent a lot of time at the Air and Space Museum when Taylor was working though and they've done a lot of riding bikes around the city as well checking out the monuments. He's been a good house guest and Taylor loved having a friend from home here as well.

Headed to Ocean City for ice cream on the boardwalk Sunday night....

Had to have photo with a monkey.  

Monday morning was rainy so it was looking like a beach trip wasn't going to happen.  We got the boys up and headed to Victor's Museum.  Victor is also a pilot so we knew he and Max would have lots to talk about and there's plenty to see there as well.  Taylor hadn't been there since he was very small either....

Victor just loves when others get enjoyment out of his toys!

                                                    Max loved the Indian motorcycles.......

Taylor gave the civil war bugle a go but couldn't get the lip action quite right.  He played trombone in jr. high and has a coronet that Victor gave him many years ago.

Victor plays clarinet in a band that plays big band music around town and gave us a nice revelry!

Cool player piano!

Lots of airplane talk but none of it made much sense to the rest of us.  Lots of engine sizes, types, etc.  But it was fun to listen in......

Weather was still crappy so we headed over to Kathy and Denny's new house they had just closed on a couple of days earlier.  We decided a good way to spend labor day was engaged in some labor so we helped get all the rooms taped for painting and the boys helped haul stuff from the attic to the trash. A couple of hours later and with nutritional sustainment from some NJ subs, we headed back to Marie's.

Started to clear late afternoon so we decided to brave the beach, even if we had to swim in the rain.

By the time we got there we had blue sky and Tom and I ventured in to do a half mile swim as part of our training.  One swam (with the easily seen white swim cap) while the other spotted from the beach.  We used the GPS to figure out the distance so we could swim parallel to the shore.  I went first but didn't get out far enough so was tossed around when waves would break over me.  I moved out further but would be brought back with the current.  Still managed to muscle through it and did the half mile in about 25 minutes.  Tom went next but over compensated for my staying close to the shore by going out too far.  He didn't have his prescription goggles either so I wasn't sure he could even see me on the beach trying to keep him on track.  He couldn't.  A lifeguard stopped me to ask who I was watching.  I told him and he asked if he was training for the tri that's coming up in a few weeks.  I told him he was and he let us keep going.  However, on Tom's way back, another lifeguard started blowing his whistle. I wasn't sure what he was doing as he was motioning people to get out of the water but then packed up his stand and boat and went away.  We think it must have been the end of their shift (about 6:30 pm) In the meantime, Tom had heard him and came in before he needed to.

Marie and Victor were leaving the next morning to drive to Lancaster, PA to buy some Amish made furniture.  Tom did a couple of things around the house for her while I went for a run.  Afterwards we got the boys up for another trip to the beach.

 Taylor and Max headed closer to the boardwalk to swim and walk around.  Apparently they were standing in the water and Taylor was messing with what he thought was a piece of metal in the water.  Turns out it was a horseshoe crab!  Yikes!  It was still alive so he brought it down where we were to show us.  Sheesh, that thing had a blade sticking out of it!

 Tom decided to try the swim again and did much better.  His eyesight is a real problem out there though as the only thing he can see for spotting are giant buildings!  He was better at staying on track though and did it in less time than I did.  But he always does.

Had to make one more stop as we headed out through Margate so we could see Lucy the Elephant.  Our kids always love to see Lucy so thought we should at least get the boys in a quick photo.

 

Picked up Marie's car which was being serviced, had quick showers and cleaned up our mess before heading out.  Another quick stop at Vic's for cheesesteaks then it was back to DC!

Back in DC

  There was much on the agenda once I returned to DC. We had our free tickets to the Nats game from the blood donation event for Tuesday night.  We actually had 4 tickets but Taylor and his friend Max (visiting from Montana) had decided to spend a long weekend in NYC with their friends and as we couldn't find anyone else to go (the Nats aren't having their best season...) we were on our own.  Free seats mean way up high seats but we still had a good time.

Thursday night our friend Mauricio was here from Columbia with a group of students showing them the sites of the Eastern states...fortunately, that included Washington DC.  We met him at his hotel then wandered for many blocks thinking we were headed towards DuPont Circle.  Just when you think you have a sense of this city you venture out without a map and end up going in the wrong direction.  Fortunately Mauricio had a GPS on his phone that got us on track.  We ended up at an Irish pub for dinner.  Yummy chicken pot pie for me!

Saturday morning we met up with our Tri group to do a double brick workout.  Bike 3 laps around Hains (about 10 miles) run for 15 minutes then cycle for another 2 laps then run 5 minutes.  I was pooped as I have been working out every day trying to make up for all the food I ate and all the exercising I didn't do in Utah.

That afternoon we went to The Kennedy Center for the Page to Stage Festival.  Julie Jensen (playwright) and Tracy Callahan (director) were there from Utah with Julie's new play.  A beautiful piece based on the young adult novel Mockingbird.  All the plays are free and are readings of works that are in process.  This particular play will hopefully be presented here next year.  Anyway, it was funny, moving and well acted.

After a quick hello to our Utah friends Tom headed home and I hopped a cab to Georgetown.  First cab ride in DC and just for reference a $10 trip from Kennedy Center to the University.  On the way we passed Georgetown Cupcakes which had a line coming out the door and weaving clear up the street!

 This was our first outing with Georgetown American Friends that included ALL the participating students.  Some hadn't even met their "friend" yet so there was a lot of visiting going on.  Very sweet as you can tell they have been taught to make eye contact, extend their hand out and smile with a "hello, I'm ______, how are you?"  After a bit of a confused registration it turned out some international friends (and American friends as well) had brought along people who weren't registered so there wasn't room on the vans for all of us.  Kristin and I ended up taking her car which turned out being much nicer anyway!

 First stop was the Iwo Jima memorial, then the capitol, then the FDR memorial.  At each location there were photos, quizzes and contests.  Amazingly enough, when there is a very large group traveling in many vans and some on foot.....you can only get to three places in four hours.  Was so fun to see how excited the students were to see things in person they've only seen in photos or in movies.

Love this from the FDR memorial

Alexis and Fei

Kristin, Michel and Michel's friend Yeang who was visiting from Ohio

It was a beautiful night and as we had Kristin's car she was able to drop me at the apartment after we finished up at FDR.  Yay!  No late night Metro ride!