Holy Burrito

I couldn't leave California without one awesomely-authentic Mexican meal, so this morning, after another long walk down on the beach, I headed to Lily's Cafe.

This place is amazing. It's a little hole in the wall, but cheap and so satisfying.  It's frequented by locals and somewhat of a hidden gem.  I had the breakfast burrito.  O.m.g.

Featuring: a fresh tortilla, scrambled eggs, cheese, refried beans and bacon.  And I also added some hot sauce and salsa to spice things up.  Two million calories later, I'm in a total food coma. But it was worth it!

It's just about time for me to shower and start packing (boo).  We are having dinner with one of my mom's friends, then I'm off to LAX to catch the red-eye back to DC tonight.   While the East Coast will always be my home, spending time in California reminds me not to take life (or myself) too seriously, and to just stop and enjoy the scenery once and awhile.

And what awesome scenery it is.

See you on the flip!

California Dreamin'

Hello from California!

After a busy couple days of traveling and meetings, I'm finally spending some quality time with my mom.  Remember how I said the weather was going to be gross?  I lied.  Or really, the weather forecast lied.  It's beautiful and sunny today, and I feel energized and can't wait for some warmer temps in DC.

We took advantage of the nice weather and walked along the beach for three hours this morning.  It was great workout, and we even stopped along the way to watch a local surfing competition.  If I come back in another life, I want to be a surfer.  It looks hard but so fun!

This afternoon we had lunch at the Country Mart and then headed to check out the newly renovated Malibu Lumber Yard.   It used to be an actual lumber yard and hardware store, and now it's a posh shopping area with restaurants and a great outdoor area with ping-pong tables, lounge chairs and even 12-foot tall fish tanks.  It's very California, but I enjoyed it.

Pretty, huh?  Before we left, I of course had to stop at Crumbs and get a treat for later! :-)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, and good luck to my friends running the GW Parkway Classic tomorrow morning!  You'll do great!

P.S. Krista has a Larabar giveaway on her blog.  Check it out!

Converted

I know this makes me a bit of an odd ball, but I'm usually not a huge fan of yogurt.  Something about the consistency and the live cultures creeps me out.  But I'm happy to say that Greek yogurt has changed that.  In my best Paula Deen voice, "I'm converted ya'll!" 

I mostly stick to the Fage brand.  It's so good, but around $2 a yogurt.  As my Dad would say, "champagne taste, beer budget."  Well last week I hit up Harris Teeter, and saw there was a 4 for $5 special on Yoplait Greek yogurt.  I gave it a shot, and I'm so glad I did.

I've tried both the strawberry and blueberry flavors so far.  Both are great, and the nutrition stats are pretty good considering the fruit addition.

I think I'll still stick to Fage for cooking, but the Yoplait alternative is certainly cheaper for daily use.  Speaking of cooking with yogurt, I'm trying out this chicken slouvaki recipe next week.  It looks simple to make and delicious.

In other news... I'm heading to California tomorrow.  I'll be in business meetings on Thursday and Friday, and then spending Saturday and Sunday with my mom.  I'm so excited to see her, and to relax for a couple days to relax before flying back to DC.

Just to nip any of your weather-related jealousy in the bud:



Rain, rain go away...

If you have any favorite yogurt brands, flavors, recipes, etc. please let me know!  I definitely want to start using it more as a healthy substitute for some of the not so healthy things I love (sour cream, I'm looking at you).

Cherry Blossom Sunrise

On Saturday, I joined a group of local photographers for a sunrise shoot of the famed Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin in downtown DC.  It was cold, but a lot of fun!

I got there around 5:45 a.m. and by time I had the tripod setup and started shooting, the sky was just starting to get light.  While we didn't actually get a sunrise (it was too overcast), I still got a few fun shots.  It's great being around photographers that have a lot of experience and can show you the tricks.

Such a beautiful morning!

Back to paper writing.  I can't wait to be done with grad school and have relaxing Sundays again!  Hope everyone had a great weekend.

It's Been Awhile

Hi everyone!  Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I'm in the process of renaming and revamping the blog, so I'll post the new link when it's available.  Stay tuned!

Pipes

Awhile back, I blogged an inspirational video about Ben.  He had lost over 100 pounds and just ran his first marathon.  Ben recently posted this video on his blog, and I love it.  It's an acoustic performance of Pink's latest hit song, that he and a friend put together.  No big deal...

Pure talent.  Makes me feel like a dud.  Enjoy!



Someone needs to sign this girl, ASAP.

Baller

One fateful Thanksgiving Day, I couldn't find anything interesting to watch on TV.  I eventually gave up and left the National Dog Show on in the background while cooking and getting ready for dinner.  A short while later, I heard the announcer welcome the "non-sporting" group.  I scoffed, rolled my eyes and braced for lots of fluff and yap.

But instead, I spotted it.  A roly-poly ball of cuteness in the form of a French Bulldog.  The announcer explained that the breed originated in Europe in the 1800s, and that they were bred as a companion dog for lacemakers.  He also said they were known for being "clowns" and having huge personalities.  I had always wanted a dog, and thought it was the right time.  So I spent the next six months researching the breed and finding out everything I could about them.  I even made a few trips to the local dog park to watch (stalk?) the DMV French Bulldog group.

After learning that adoptions weren't going to work (I wasn't qualified since I lived in an apartment and I'm not home during the day), I finally got a reference for a breeder who was expecting a summer litter and could put me first on the list of interested "parents."  I told the breeder that I wanted a cream male with lots of personality, but I mostly wanted a healthy puppy.  So I waited anxiously, and on June 15th, I heard great news.  There was a perfect little cream male bulldog and he was MINE!  The next nine weeks of waiting were torture, but I got plenty of email updates from the breeder.  She warned me that my puppy (originally named Fighter... no comment) was very very "spunky" and would probably give me quite a run for my money.  I was so excited when August rolled around it was finally time for my puppy (renamed Cooper) to come home.

Fast forward to 18 months later.  What a journey.  The term "clown" barely scratches the surface.  Cooper is a 24/7 source of entertainment and his personality gets bigger by the day.  He also demands constant attention, and his recent obsession is playing fetch.  For hours on hours, seriously he never tires.

This past Sunday, I sprawled out on the living room floor to do some reading for grad school.  Within seconds, Cooper was at my side, licking my face and walking all over my papers.  I needed to get my work done, so I petted him and told him to go lie down.  AS IF!  A minute later, Cooper was back at my side, with his favorite red ball in tow.  He just dropped it and gave me the "play with me please" look that I can't resist.  So instead of doing my work, we played fetch.  And I grabbed the camera, because he was cracking me up with all of his antics.

In case you think I'm exaggerating...

No more?  Ok...

Corcoran Gallery

I had the pleasure of visiting the Corcoran Gallery of Art this weekend and really enjoyed it!  I haven't been to the gallery in years, but it was throughly worth the $8 ticket.

The museum is gorgeous.

We started off in the American and European Art section.

Look familiar?  Amazing.

 One of my favorite pieces.  The pictures don't do her justice...

Clockwork.

Bronze work.

A random but beautiful stained glass piece from a Cathedral in Europe, along with a sculpture piece called the "Veiled Nun."  Again, much better in person :)

Next up was the modern art section.

And last but not least, photography and media :)

Warhol's Mao.

I spy with my little eye...

I took about a hundred more pictures but I'll spare you all of them!  I definitely recommend the Corcoran if you're looking for something artsy to do in the city.  Thanks for the invite, JB!