..........Rewind

Ok I want to go back on vacation! Ahhh 5 days off in the past 2 weeks have totally spoiled me. Here are some pics to reminisce with...

Let the Holidays Begin

Ok so I know I've been a horrible horrible blogger letting the entries slide for the past week but I've been in the land of no internet connections since Wednesday so cut me some slack. It's hard to go from the Southernmost point in the US all the way up to New Hampshire and then back down to Rhode Island again all in a week and a half!

Here's the update:

• Spent Thanksgiving-Sunday in North Conway, NH and finally got to hit the slopes! We went to Sunday River on Friday and then Attitash on Sunday. The snow was pretty good, however the crowds were too much for the few trails that were actually open.
• Shopping in the NC was out of control- that didn't last too long. I was a little disappointed that I had to miss Black Friday down in Rhode Island though : ( I was looking forward to the sales at all of those highly commercialized stores like Target's 1 am sale or something ridiculous like that.
  

Return of the Blog -- Real World Key West Sighting!

I've just returned from the vacation and wow, where do I start?? The trip was amazing but the highlight was actually seeing the Real World Key West being filmed!! Matt and I walked into Fat Tuesdays and noticed a camera crew hanging out in the back near the pool tables. When they left in a hurry we trailed them with our Fat Tuesday's famous frozen drinks (gotta love the lack of open container laws in Key West) to the Lazy Gecko where they started filming the curly-haired cast member hitting on some girl and trying to get her number. This went on for a while and the camera crew was hustling all around the bar, knocking people in the head with the camera etc. to get different shots. After that little episode was over and the girl left with her friends. We realized that another cast member, this time a girl with dark curly hair and a lot of eye shadow, was also hanging out at the bar. The cameras caught her bustin' a move on the dance-floor.

Here's the cast's business venture. It's a spray tanning shop on Duval allll the way at the end.

Bienvenido a Miami!

Soooo excited to be leaving for South Florida in a little more than 24 hours. And I have to say "South Florida" because we really will be alll over S.Fla for 4 days.

We fly into Ft. Lauderdale at 10am on Wednesday, pick up the car and head down the Keys to where my dad lives in Marathon. The next day, we're driving down the rest of the Keys to Key West for some key lime pie and pina coladas at Sloppy Joes (and them some more at all of the other bars on Duval). And while we're there... we might as well check up on those Real World kids. Why not right? After we leave Key West we're heading ALLLLLL the way back up to Miami to spend the night and next day on South Beach and then back to Ft. Lauderdale. Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy that's a lot of island hopping : ) I'm listening to some Gloria Estefan right now to get in the mood.

Desperate Housewives... 1 down

So apparently the guy who plays "Guy in Basement" on Desperate Housewives, actor Page Kennedy has been fired from the show for "inappropriate conduct". Apparently his role will be recasted soon, but Kennedy's last appearance as "potential fugitive escaped from basement" will be in the near future. Seriously, a job where all you have to do is appear once or twice in an escape attempt and then you spent the rest of the time banging pipes down in the basement?? I would kill for that job. How do you screw that up?? I couldn't get a straight answer as to what this alleged "improper conduct" was, but word is that it did not involve another cast member. The Enquirer even went as far to say that it was because he flashed two women assistants on the set... but well, it is the Enquirer.

Euro Slides in Wake of French Riots

As the "Paris Riots" evolve into the "French Riots" the euro fell to $1.1710, the weakest since Nov. 2003 yesterday, due to . These euro prices are reminiscent of the days where I lived in France and we would gasp at the euro creeping up to $1.20 (since it was $1.15 when we first arrived and $0.99 a year before that)

According to Bloomberg.com

The European currency fell versus 13 of its major counterparts as social disorder may damp growth and deter investment in euro-denominated assets. The euro extended losses after sliding past last year's low against the dollar, a level at which traders placed pre-set orders to sell the currency.

``The riots in France will have impacted confidence over Europe and we're also seeing key technical levels being broken, pushing the euro lower,'' said Paul Mackel, a currency strategist at ABN Amro Holding NV in London. ``The market may have jumped the gun in expecting the ECB to raise rates, so that's negative for the euro.''

Paris Riots

How do you stop them?

Les principales villes touchées par les violences
(The main cities touched by the violence)
LeMonde.fr

I just saw a report that the violence and rioting has spread to 300 towns in France. That's outrageous! In my French culture courses in college we got into the problem that France has with its immigrant population so I understand where this violence is stemming from. But the question for the French government remains... how do you stop them and protect your citizens?

According to an article in the Washington Post,

French President Jacques Chirac addressed the public Sunday for the first time since the violence began, saying his government's "absolute priority" was "reestablishing security and public order." His brief appearance came hours after the arson rampages struck the heart of Paris and accelerated their spread to other major French cities.

It took him until Sunday!! 10 days after the suburbs of Paris are being torched by rebel youth?!? Now what Chirac?

World Peace

V has always been the "green one"out of the three of us. The three of us being VMJ, best friends since freshman year/my sophomore year of college. J and I are now living together again, her in grad school and me working at a Tech Company in Sales Training. Our dearest V however, has decided to take another path in life and join the Peace Corps. I'm writing this post now because I've just received my first email from the tiny island nation of Tonga, where V will be living and working for the next 2 years. 2 years?!? Oh God I can't even fathom it yet... at least now it's slightly less than 2 years... 1 day down.

Tonga Tonga Tonga... I'd never heard of the "Friendly Islands" until news that V was being sent there for her Peace Corps assignment. I had to say that I was relieve though that she wasn't being sent to some war torn African country just because she had a few years of French in high school.

Her first email was very positive, minus the fear of potentially vicious pigs, and I'm sure she's ready to get rolling in her new home. There are even flip flop stores! I love flip flops... I could live in them year round except for flip flops in the snow is not pleasant, I've tried.

Some photos from the marathon

The race start at Arlington Cemetery
Marine Corps Marathon

My first marathon!

I just got back from the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. this weekend and I am exhausted! My feet hurt, my legs are sore... and I was just spectating! Yes yes, it's true, I didn't actually run in the marathon but being a spectator is hard work!

Here are helpful tips that I wish I had known before embarking on the role as Marathon spectator:

Running 26.2 miles is hard enough, so we at DCist decided to lend our
extensive experience as both runners and spectators to help you optimize your marathon experience. Why? Because we love you. And we hate blisters.

• Muppets on TV? Creepy. Kermit running a marathon? Amazing.
• The Crystal City Street Fair is a favorite spot for spectators, but spectators should try to hop around to cheer on their friends and family. Some of the loneliest segments on the course are Haines Point and the 14th Street bridge, which one DCist marathoner likened to Dante’s 10th circle of hell, so place yourself strategically.
• Chafing is no joke—stock up on the Body Glide or Vaseline.
• Some spectators pass out cups and beer and shots of tequila along the course. Amusing in theory, disastrous in practice. There are several water and Powerade stations along the course, but also try to position friends with supplies of your favorite (nonalcoholic) beverage.
• The best things for spectators to hand out are orange slices, hard candy, sports drink and gel packs. And bring signs – your friends will appreciate it more than you realize.
• Screw Atkins and carbo load.
• Out of the 26.2 mile race, the final 0.2 are arguably the most difficult. But don’t forget to smile for the camera.

The race starts at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday. Oh, and don't forget to set your clock back, because there’s no need to be prolong your pre-race anxiety (we know, we know…it’s not like you’re going to be able to sleep the night before anyway).

Click here for a map of the race