A lean and hungry look

So I know getting a dog is not a good idea for me, but. . . that was before I saw Caesar.

If anyone knows me from the Baxter era (may he rest in peace), I am a sucker for dogs with...problems. I think Caesar here is missing an eye and my heart goes out to him.

Visit to the shelter?

Here is an old pic of Bax. He was blind and I loved him fiercely.

Car Shopping!

So, if it ain't this:

It's going to have to be this:

This:

Or this:

Though I've always wanted of of these (in orange):

Question is, do I wait 'til I get to Morocco or try and find one now?

I have a Wii Problem

So for those of you living in a hole, here in Washington we have over 3 feet of snow. The government has been shut down since Monday. Today is Thursday.

What better time to play Wii with your friends you ask? No better time, I answer. Until you vigorously bowl and throw the controller at the TV, smashing it. Said TV is brand new, the most I think I've paid for anything save my car back in the day. And my house, but you get the point.

Kind friend offers to get the TV for me, and though armed with my credit card and a note, Best Buy will not give him the TV. Le sigh. More snow yesterday. I tried to get out and get to Best Buy. Nothing doing. Sat waiting for the Metro for a half hour. Went home, blinded by snow. Ventured back out, found a cabbie charging exorbitant fees. He got me to Best Buy (for $50, mind you). Closed! I called them, they said they were open, but no dice.

So, day 4 snowed in and I am reading a travel guide to the USSR. Le sigh. I want to go to work.

Morocco!

I am going to Morocco! I start with the US Embassy, Rabat as the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer and the Political Officer in June.

So very very happy!

H & H Thievery Corporation Show

Thievery Corporation show, 9:30 Club

H & H colorful feets
H & H pre-game at El Tamarindo

Getting ready

Settled in

Life in DC is great so far (with the exception of lack of dive bars in neighborhood - more research required on that front).
Training has been intense and interesting and inspiring. It is amazing to be surrounded by people that could thoroughly school me in Trivial Pursuit. Someone needed and got a big dose of humble pie.
I have solved the grocery dilemma by taking frequent trips with a backpack. The cart will be used as a planter when spring arrives.
Today I hope to explore the city while it is sunny and un-frigid. . .

i am a country mouse

after today's uproarious display of bumpkin-ness, i think i have finally solved my personal dilemma of whether i am a city mouse or a country mouse.

after 2 days in dc, i have finally realized that baltimore is a lot of wonderful things, but it is not a city.

i just walked 3 miles to get groceries with one of those city-people grocery carts. these carts are not all made alike. do not buy the first one you see from a cheap chinese import store. i fell on my laden cart in the middle of the street at least 3 times, spilling all of my groceries. this never would have happened in baltimore because i had a car and the grocery stores had parking lots. cities do not have grocery stores with parking lots. cities barely even have grocery stores period.

this is a great time for such as important revelation given that i am about to embark on a career that will have me living in every capitol city in the world. crap. i am a country mouse with no hope of living in the country for the forseeable future. awesome.

and don't buy the above grocery cart. it sucks (that or i don't know how to drive it. probably the latter.)