Ninja Please

Stupid, forgetful fans.

Can we all just calm down for a second? Just take a step back, and calm down people.

The new season of Arrested is excellent, and anyone who says otherwise, was not paying attention.  Yes, the single-character episode format is weaker than the original three seasons, but you know what? It's kind of a miracle that a cancelled TV show was brought back at all, so just shut your mouths and be grateful. It's still better than any show on TV right now. Hands. Down.

This show is not low-brow comedy. It requires the audience to pay attention, to invest in the characters and story-lines (probably why it was cancelled in the first place), to have some basic understanding of topical events, and to watch and listen carefully for countless inside references and multiple-layered jokes. It's smart. And the way each of the character's individual stories weave together at the end of season 4 like some beautiful tapestry of amazingness deserves praise. It's good writing. They weren't making this up along the way (i.e. Lost).  Did fans simply forget what it was like the first time they watched the pilot? You have to treat it the same way, where you really didn't have a clue what was going on, and let it build from there. And it does.  Once you get to the Gob episode, things really pick-up, and before you know it you're just a hot mess sitting on your sofa, wishing for more.

Memorial Day Weekend

We were so happy to have Kelsey and Kylie come visit us again this year! Last week, Kylie was honored for her tenure in working with members of Congress in support of research for autoimmune diseases like Crohn's.  After she and Kelsey spent the day on the Hill, we all walked down to the Lincoln and WWII memorial on Thursday night--the monuments are a totally different experience at night.  On Saturday, we  walked by the White House, went to the Holocaust Museum, then up to the Air and Space (Kylie's favorite was the Amelia Earhart exhibit) then over to the National Gallery of Art, and finally, up to the National Portrait Gallery in Chinatown. Afterwards we gladly grabbed some dinner in Chinatown and went and saw the new Star Trek movie. It was so much fun to see them again, we love having visitors and are so proud of Kylie!

You're Gonna Get Some Hop-ons....

I was this close to hopping a train to NYC last weekend, but stayed here instead.



I've made a huge mistake.

Image source

Outerbanks

It was so lovely to get away for an actual vacation with Brody and spend some time exploring the Outerbanks and relaxing on the beach.

The Outerbanks is a long skinny series of islands off the coast of North Carolina with the Atlantic on one side and the Currituck Sound on the other.  It is beautiful and so picturesque with endless beachgrass and ocean views, and stunning beach houses with cedar shingles and white trim everywhere!

It was my first time being in the South (other than Florida which is its own animal really) and it was great. Southern hospitality is alive and well, we tried hush puppies for the first time--which were delicious, and Nascar was playing in more than one restaurant we went to. Brody got to eat some fresh seafood and we both got some much needed sun.

Brody taught me how to golf for the first time, and we stumbled upon some incredible kite surfers, apparently it's a big thing in the area. We went to Kittyhawk and saw where the Wright Bros made the first flight, and visited the Bodie (pronounced body) island lighthouse, which I just fell in love with.

On our last day we woke up at 5:45 am  to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and it was magical (complete with soundtrack of Adagio in D Minor thanks to Brody).  The sun was incredible and the water was the most beautiful shade of seafoam blue, and so calm! Absolutely worth the early-morning wakeup. Which, if you know me and how much I'm not a morning person, is saying a lot.

On the drive back to DC we stopped at the historic Jamestown settlement in Virginia and got to see some cool ruins, amazing trees, and learn more about the real history of Pocahontas, John Smith and the rest of those hardy colonists. So many lies Disney, so many.

The Final Countdown

I'll post a bunch of pictures from our trip at some point, but first things first:

There is a place...

...just behind the Korean War memorial on the mall, that is kind of one of my favorites. It's just a small group of benches nestled under some meticulously trimmed trees that, for the most part, tourists don't notice or care to stop and consider. It is quiet and beautiful and surprisingly secluded. It overlooks the other side of the "Freedom is Not Free" pond and there are usually little duckies padding around or relaxing in the water.

Perfect for a few quiet minutes of respite from the bustle of the mall.