First-World Problems

I was chatting with some co-workers the other day and one of them, an older man in his late fourties, was talking about how his wife called him to complain that their maid had broken a table at their house and forgetten to tell them about it.  And I had to try really hard to contain my laughter (and I failed).  Gee, life must be really rough when your maid breaks something and forgets to mention it.  And you can bet that I made fun of him for his most first-world, of first-world problems.

Meanwhile, at tutoring last night, I was trying to convince some of our younger girls that yes, they do want to go to college.  That they just have to work hard for a few years and it will pay dividends for the rest of their lives.  That if they just work hard and get good grades now, they will more-than-likely go to college for free. I was practically begging them actually.  It's funny being 'older' and knowing how much those high school years really will effect the rest of their lives and trying to impress that upon them.  Trying to explain that especially now, with the job market and economy the way it is, a degree has become a must.  That, given their backgrounds, they could easily get scholarships for school.  I felt so old.

I feel like Brody and I straddle that line a lot, flitting back and forth between worlds.  I spend all day with very wealthy 1%-ers and my nights and weekends in the real world.  DC has a strange dichotomy, the poorest of the poor and richest and most-powerful people in the country all living together in our little 68-square mile city with no representation in congress.  Two sides of the same coin, with a bunch of students and young professionals thrown somewhere in the middle.  And it's made me much more aware of the kinds of things I complain about.  It's hard to whine about getting wisdom teeth pulled when your husband home teaches a wheelchair-bound immigrant with AIDS, who lives in squallor and yet still makes it to church every week (and usually gets their earlier than we do).  You feel just a tad guilty complaining about not seeing your husband very much during finals when a single, mother-of-three tells you how tired she is from waking up at 5:00 am to get to her first job on time (yes, first, as in more than one job).  You feel a little bit like an ungrateful cow when you complain about the slight incline in your treadmill when the person you're giving a ride to church tells you how she has diabetes and arthritus and can't get insurance, or get a job because of her record, and has to take care of her mom with alzheimer's who refuses to go to a doctor.

Nope.  I'll take my first-world problems and be grateful for them and try not to forget the people I've met here and how much they've opened my eyes. 

Story of My Life

When Google Maps says I'm going to have to go through Dupont Circle

 from #WHENINDC

(fair warning, some are a little raunchy)

Lately

I got my wisdom teeth pulled on Friday afternoon. I only had two uppers, and after they numbed me (which was by far the worst part), the procedure took about 5 minutes.  I was shocked how quick and easy it was. And how easy the 'recovery' has been. I've just been on some prescription-strength ibuprofen and haven't  had any swelling, thankfully. But I spent the weekend eating lots of oatmeal and trying not to laugh. It felt more like I'd been punched in the jaw than any pain in my gums.

Brody is in the thick of studying for finals, (his first test is tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed for him), which means he has been studying about 12-13 hours a day for the last week or two, getting home around midnight every night, usually ending with a well-deserved back rub from me. I can't believe his first year is practically over, it's flown by!

I've been trying to stay busy, cleaning up around the apartment and working on some personal projects. And of course, playing with friends. I met up with Patricia the other week at the Pentagon City metro and we dined al fresco on some delicious Turkish dishes.  The pita bread was divine and we each got a little traditional mezza sampler so we could try a bunch of different dishes.  Afterwards we may have stopped by DSW, (I didn't realize how great Pentagon City's shopping is).  It was so fun to see her and catch up on the latest and greatest.  I just love her.

Last week, I met up with April and Sara at the National Portrait Gallery last week to do our April VT and celebrate Sara's birthday.  It was my first time at this Smithsonian, (although I'd walked by several times) and it was, of course, amazing. There are so many gorgeous pieces, including a portrait of Joseph Smith, which currently has a desirable slot on the first floor just off the main entrance.  The second and third floors also house plenty of non-portraiture pieces and I couldn't help taking pictures of some of my favorites.  The Third floor, although surprisingly hard to get to, may have been my favorite.  There is a section towards the end that literally looks like a library of paintings. Row upon row, with shelves and shelves of paintings galore.

 

I had to snap a picture with an original Warhol of Marilyn (and yes, I felt as awkward as I look), while April and Sara posed with Katharine Hepburn's oscars (her portrait is int he background as well).  Afterwards we bought Sara a cupcake at Red Velvet and wandered around Chinatown.

Visiting

Ashley Bernhisel and I go way back....waayyyyyyy back to elementary and Jr. High school days of dollar movies, Training Table, and wrapping paper sword-fights at Toys-R-Us in Sugarhouse.  So far back that it's weird to call her Ashley instead of just "Bern".  So needless to say I was thrilled when she said she was coming to DC for the TedMed talks conference last week (she's in med-school at the U).  So I took Friday off of work and we toured some of the monuments on the mall, got some delicious dinner in Chinatown, and did a little Zara shopping that afternoon.

 

On Saturday, after a little mishap with the metro (which ate Bern's card and the lady had to open the stile to get it out and she got really annoyed that I took a picture) we went to the American Indian Smithsonian and although it's one of my favorite museums architecturally-speaking, I had never actually been inside.  It was amazing, there was so many wonderful exhibits on the different American tribes, cultures and traditions, and their art and craftsmanship (my favorite) including this insane VW bug that was covered in tiny glass beads in traditional designs.  However,  I was a little disappointed by the fact that there were multiple mentions of Twilight in the Quileute tribe's section. There's just something a little off-putting about seeing a photo from Twilight in a Smithsonian. Bern had to get a picture of course.

Afterwards we stopped by the museum's cafe for a little lunch, which just made me laugh. The prices were RIDICULOUS. As in $17 for 3 tappas, or $13 for a quesadilla.  We opted for some more authentic dishes and then headed over to the Library of Congress, one of my favorite sites in DC.  I'm always overwhelmed by the gorgeous mosaics, beaus-relief, stained glass, etc.  And I got to see the reading room for the first time.

Due to some metro complications and TSA being evil, Bern actually missed her flight home on Saturday evening but ended up going the next morning at 7:00.  Which meant a 5:00 am wake-up call for me, although if I must drive here, I prefer to be the only person on the road.  And I only got a little lost on my way home from the airport :)

Look for Less

It's getting a little too political around here so let's take it down a knotch with some retail.  I love finding a perfectly affordable substitute for something out of my price range:

J Crew  Oxford Flats $138 /  Gap Outlet $35 (probably my best purchase in a while)

J Crew Martina Suede Wedge $199 (on sale orig. $228) / Target $29

Anthropologie Fabriella T-Straps $110 /  Asos Gladiator Espadrille Wedges $75

J Crew Viv Bow Flats $228 /  Me Too "Patty" $89

Madewell Sidewalk Skimmer $98 / Old Navy Canvas Polka Dot Flats $19

J Crew Seville canvas espadrilles $138 /  Asos Mid Height Wedges $44

J Crew Viv Patent Flats $188  /  Urban Outfitters BDG Pointy Skimmer $34

Topshop St. Tropez Loafer $138   /  Urban Outfitters Classic canvas loafer $34

No, I don't own all of these, but I may need to buy one of the nude flats for summer :)