#33 Posing with Presidential Portraits

Last weekend when my brother came to visit me here in D.C., we accomplished #33 - See (and test your knowledge of) the presidential portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. One caveat - we arrived in time to take a docent-led tour, during which he talked about a few of the famous portraits, but they were the easily recognizable ones so I think our visit still counts. Besides, I still had to explain to my brother the difference between Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's portraits.

Also, I got some classy pictures with some very classy gentlemen

In Vino Veritas

I have come closer to completing #2 - Use Groupon Deals, as this past weekend I took my brother (who was visiting me in D.C.) to a wine tasting at Unicorn Winery in Amissville, VA.

The deal was fantastic - a wine tasting of 6-8 wines for 2 people, 2 free glasses of wine to enjoy on their patio (which overlooked a pond where people were fly fishing), a free bottle of wine to take home, and 2 souvenir wine glasses. Talk about a fantastic deal. Keep 'em comin' Groupon/LivingSocial. I salute you.

I also enjoyed this winery because as soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the owner's dog, a Schnauzer. He was absolutely adorable, and so friendly! It can't get any better than that.

I've also completed #17 on my list - Visit the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. Sam and I took the guided tour (only $5 each!), which takes you through the free public areas, and then allows you to see more of the temple along with the observation deck! And let me tell you, the view is spectacular. With the heat haze, we only had 10 miles of visibility, but were told on a clear, cool day the view is 5 times that! We could see the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, most of Alexandria, the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, and the National Harbor.

#46 - A Case For Israel

I have finally finished Alan Dershowitz's book The Case For Israel (of which my mother may be justly proud - it was her suggestion, and book, that I took). It is a striking account of every accusation laid at Israel's doorstep, with logical and historical proof that tear them apart. I particularly liked his layout - each chapter provides an accusation with examples of exactly who said what, then briefly gives the reality of the situation with the more extensive proof following. If you are serious about learning how to defend Israel against her accusers, including those who are blatantly dismissive or ignorant of the facts, you need to read this book.

His conclusion says it all:

"To avoid the bloody past becoming prologue yet again, we must learn from the tragic mistakes that needlessly took all these lives. I now rest the case for Israel that I make in this book. I realize, however, that the defense can never rest when it comes to the Jewish state. No matter what steps Israel takes toward peace and the two-state solution, there will always be some for whom nothing short of Israel's destruction will suffice. For that reason, Israel's best defense must remain its determination to survive and its ability to defend its citizens against those zealots - some armed with bombs, others with bigotry - who cannot abide the reality of a strong independent and democratic Jewish state."

Update Facebook Status from Hogwarts or the Moon

Ever notice when you update your Facebook status that it states you are updating from your iPhone, Blackberry, or other mobile device? Well, now you can update from the moon, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the TARDIS, or even from The Future.

Yes, someone actually created a website to do this. And I applaud you sir.

By using this website to update your Facebook status, you can choose from where you update. And I fully intend to use this as often as possible. Even if this is the closest I will ever get to Hogwarts.

An Accidental Gelato Trip

As I was making my list of "101 Things to do in 1,001 Days" I came across tons of lists of things to do and places to go in DC. And something that tops the list - visiting a famous gelato store in Georgetown, called Dolcezza. I thought nothing of it, until I remembered my July 4th weekend.

On July 4th, as I drove some friends from a cookout in north Georgetown to the fireworks in Rosslyn, I popped a tire and had to pull over on Wisconsin Avenue. As my friends and friendly strangers tried to help (don't worry, I called AAA to help me out and they did a spectacular job of showing up and fixing my car in little under 30 min!), one nice guy jokingly said I should just give up and grab some gelato. And you know what? I did. My car had conveniently broken down right outside the Dolcezza Gelateria, so while I waited for AAA, I partook of the dark chocolate gelato. So although I was in a cruddy situation, I took a little time to sit and relax, because there's really nothing else you can do. And it felt great to just NOT worry so much, and just take what comes as it comes :)

Life lesson learned. S*** happens. Suck it up, and get on with living life.

And now I've completed #98 - Visit a Gelateria.

Quotations, Poems, and Rockstars. Oh My!

So far from my list of "101 Things to do in 1,001 days," I have completed #27, #54, and #86.

#27 Make a Quotation Book (Started: 7/2011)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love collecting quotations, and that I can recite entire movies word-for-word. There are just some movies and books that are so perfectly written, that express an emotion so wonderfully that you just know there is no possible way someone could say it better. And those quotes are worth remembering. Then there are quotations that remind me of exactly when I read a certain book, or how I felt watching that precise scene. When you can remember exactly how you felt in that moment just by remembering a line from a scene, it truly is memorable. I love that.

#54 Buy a book of poetry. Read it outside in the sunshine (Completed: 7/9/11)

I picked up 100 Best-Loved Poems at the library, and being the weekend, decided to enjoy soaking up some sun at the pool while I enjoyed some poetry. And let me just say, it was fabulous. I discovered anew old favorites, and fell in love with unknown authors. Some of my favorites:

Jenny kiss'd me when we met,

Jumping from the chair she sat in;

Time, you thief, who love to get

Sweets into your list, put that in!

Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,

Say that health and wealth have miss'd me,

Say I'm growing old, but add,

Jenny kiss'd me.

~Leigh Hunt

And while I know that this is not the original poem, this shortened version still encompasses the fantastic wordplay and sensations that Lewis Carroll portrayed in Alice in Wonderland:

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogroves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Jaws that bite, and claws that catch;

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

And the frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

#86 See a Musical (Completed 7/12/2011)

My friend AW and I went to "Rock of Ages" at the National Theatre last week. It was absolutley brilliant. The story plot is pretty basic - boy meets girl, falls head-over-heels, but both are separated by circumstances and eventually reunite later when they come to realize what they really want. And along the way are aging rockers, Germans trying to gentrify LA hotspots, and lots of sexual inuendo and rock 'n roll classics. Its just an excuse to use famous Rock and Roll songs from the '80s, so that the audience can participate in just about every scene. And we did. My favorite part - when you first walked in, the ushers handed out fake lighters with the musical logo, that light up when you press a button. This off-Broadway performance also started Constantine Maroulis, a contender from American Idol, once upon a time. Granted, I don't watch the show, but he was pretty fantastic nonetheless.

101 Things in 1,001 Days

Inspired by my friend MBH, I have begun a project called "101 Things in 1,001 Days." The premise is to make a list of 101 things that stretch your boundaries - whether travelling somewhere special, doing something you always mean to do but never make the time for, or trying something completely out of your comfort zone. You push yourself to try new things, meet new people, have different experiences. And the time limit makes you really focus on doing the tasks.

Now, you may think that it would be simple to create a list of 101 items. And you'd be deluding yourself. It is one of the most agonizingly difficult things to do, because you want each one to be specific enough to be quantifiable (easy to prove that you have done it) and still attainable (going to the moon is not a viable option, especially since we're no longer sending any missions into space). Therefore, item 1 on my list: to create the list. And I'm still not done :(

But because I've made a pretty darn good list so far, I've decided to go ahead and publish what I have at the moment, and make additions as the ideas surface.

So here goes:

1. Create this list (it’s not as easy as you might think!) (Completed


2. Use my Groupon deals before they expire. Deals left: 4/5


3. Ask friends for 5 book recommendations, and then read them. Books left: 4/5


4. Send a secret to Post Secret


5. Make a budget (Completed 7/11/11)


6. Complete the 100 push-up challenge


7. Go to the Civitan garage sale (first Saturday of the month)


8. Map test: see if I can draw and label all 50 states correctly on a blank US map (http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf )


9. Make a list of movies I’ve wanted to see, then rent/watch them all




1. The King’s Speech


2. Inception


3. Blade Runner


4. Rebel Without A Cause


5. Schindler’s List


6. To Kill a Mockingbird


7. The Usual Suspects


8. Toy Story 3


9. Due Date


10. True Grit (original or remake)


11. Paul


12. The Adjustment Bureau


13. The Conspirator


14. Remember Me


15. Henry’s Crime


16. The Namesake


17. Flags of Our Fathers


18. Midnight in Paris


19. Twelfth Night


20. Jane Eyre


21. The Ritchie Boys


22. Wild Target


23. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (the original)


24. Life Is Beautiful


25. After the Banquet


26. Snatch


10. Do a blog post for each of the 101 Things I have to do


11. Go see the Meridian Hill Park Drum Circle (every Sunday between 3 and 9 pm)


12. Go see live music at the National Gallery of Art (every Sunday at 6:30 in the West Building)


13. Attend a free lecture at the National Gallery of Art (Sundays at 2)


14. Clean out my Gmail Inbox


15. Pay off student loans (consider extra monthly payments to the principal)


16. Learn to use the fancy coffee machine Jasmine gave you (Completed 7/23/2011)


17. Visit the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria (Completed 7/23/2011)


18. Convince/inspire someone to start their own “101 Things” list


19. Go visit Andrea in L.A.


20. Get a picture with Mickey Mouse in Disneyland


21. Get pictures with as many characters as possible in Disneyland


22. Start to learn Korean/Japanese/Chinese or Hindi (BONUS: learn a little of each!)


23. Go to Italy




1. Reenact a gladiator battle (and/or a scene from Gladiator!) at the Coliseum


2. Marvel at the Pantheon


3. Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish


4. Put your hand into La Bocca della Verita (the “Mouth of Truth”)


24. Attend the 150th Celebration/Reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg with Dad


25. Get a tan – the smart way - no burning.


26. Visit the Georgia Aquarium


27. Make a quotation book (from movies, life, history, and books, etc.) and add at least one quotation per week (Started July 2011)


28. Get clothes hemmed that need it


29. Find a dentist in Arlington/DC and make an appointment!


30. Take the Gargoyle Tour at the National Cathedral


31. Fly a kite (Bonus: do it at the Washington Monument)


32. Visit Grandpa Jack and Grandma Charlotte’s graves in Arlington National Cemetery


33. See (and test your knowledge!) the presidential portraits at the National Portrait Gallery (Completed 7/22/2011)


34. Visit the National Arboretum


35. Walk the entire grounds of Dumbarton Oaks


36. See the Russian Treasures collection at the Hillwood Museum (Bonus: go with family)


37. Discover Montrose Park (R St. NW, between 28th and 32nd Sts) and walk along Lovers’ Lane


38. Walk around the Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom Festival


39. Go to synagogue at least once a month


40. Pick a cookbook, and cook my way through it


41. Join the Lunch Club for a month (bring lunch, don’t pay to eat out)


42. Write a short story


43. Take a drawing class


44. Fix my bookshelves (glue backing)


45. Teach yourself Origami


46. Finish Alan Dershowitz’s book The Case for Israel (Completed 7/19/11)


47. Visit Joan and Jessica in Raleigh


48. Learn to play a song on the cello and/or guitar


49. Host a movie night at 2030 N Adams St.


50. Host a fireworks-watching party at 2030 N Adams (The Rooftop!)


51. Read Shakespeare’s plays (including, but not limited to, the following);




1. Twelfth Night


2. Othello


3. The Taming of the Shrew


4. Love’s Labours Lost


5. King Lear


52. Write a fan letter to an author you admire


53. Leave an inspirational note in a library book for someone to find (or incidentally, a receipt for checked-out books )


54. Buy a book of poetry. Read it outside in the sunshine. (Completed 7/9/11; 100 Best Loved Poems)


55. Answer the “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind”


56. Go on a roadtrip


57. See 10 classic movies you’ve never seen




1. Guys and Dolls


2. Citizen Kane


3. Soylent Green


4. The Way We Were


5. A Star Is Born


6. 42nd Street


7. The English Patient


8. Funny Girl


9. To Sir With Love


10. It Happened One Night


58. Make a birthday cake for someone


59. Make a custom recipe book


60. Sing Karaoke at a bar


61. Go to an indie concert for a band I’ve never heard about


62. Spend a night/weekend at a B&B


63. Write a letter to someone, entirely in cursive


64. Have dinner on the rooftop of my building


65. Send someone a postcard, even if I’m not on vacation


66. Complete a NYTimes crossword puzzle


67. Visit Alison Deary in Williamsburg w/ Marianne Brennan (Aug. 19-21, 2011)


68. Take a walk down the C & O Canal in Georgetown


69. See a show at Ford’s Theatre


70. Paint a picture


71. Donate clothes that do not fit


72. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween


73. Read 10 Classics:




1. The Aeneid – Virgil


2. 1984 – George Orwell


3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams


4. Faust – Goethe


5. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway


6. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee


7. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë


8. Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury


9. The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood


10. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller


74. Go on 3 Sunday drives, in which the direction to turn next is determined by the flip of a coin


75. Climb a tree


76. Swim in the ocean


77. Send REAL birthday cards to my friends


78. Learn to crochet. Make Alice a baby blanket.


79. Stop drinking soda for a month


80. Email pictures of my apartment to Jasmine. Brag.


81. Send 10 postcards through postcrossing.com (Sent: 9/10)


82. Take a drive along Sky Line Drive in the Shenandoah Valley (BONUS: go with someone, or do it to coincide it with #2)


83. Believe in 6 impossible things before breakfast


84. Go to the gym twice a week for a month


85. See a movie at the Arlington Drafthouse


86. See a musical (Complete: July 12, 2011 – “Rock of Ages” at the National Theatre)


87. Go camping/ spend a night under the stars


88. Make a wish on a shooting star


89. Go on a picnic


90. Read through 1000 Awesome Things; blog about the ones you agree with, or come up with your own!


91. Floss daily for a month


92. Water the Christmas cactus once every other week; fertilize every 3 weeks


93. Look for a job in YOUR FIELD!! (i.e. history, Jewish, writing, etc.)


94. Go to an outdoor film festival


95. Go berry picking


96. Visit Annapolis


97. Take a trip to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see the famous water lilies and lotus flowers


98. Grab some gelato at Dolcezza, a DC Gelato institution (Completed: July 4)


99. Attend a Twilight Polo match in The Plains, VA


100. Frame your college diploma already!


101. Get a puppy