Royal Wedding Day

PERFECT sign for today! My friend Danielle sent this to me on Wednesday and I was happy to repost for today! Happy Royal Wedding Day!!!! Never fear, I got up at while it was still dark out to watch and I will report back later ♥

This Day in History v.19

I was reading my many many many random blogs that I've just kind of stumbled upon and saw a blog post about the red telephone booth so I decided to do one of my own :)

From Wikipedia:

The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and current or ex-British Colonies around the world. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot.

The first standard public telephone kiosk introduced by the United Kingdom Post Office was produced in concrete in 1920 and was designated K1 (Kiosk No.1). This design was not of the same family as the familiar red telephone boxes.
The red telephone box was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a kiosk that would be acceptable to the London Metropolitan Boroughs which had hitherto resisted the Post Office's effort to erect K1 kiosks on their streets.

A red telephone booth on a jolly jaunt around London.

Marine Barracks

Just the other day it was a BEAUTIFUL sunny, first day of spring kind of day here in Washington, D.C. and I was killing time at the Eastern Market area after work, waiting for a colleague. We were going to go to my IMPACT day site for the first time so I wanted to make sure I got there early and scoped the place out. Anyways, back to my little adventure at Eastern Market. I've wanted to go to the area for quite some time now, but I always feel like its F-O-R-E-V-E-R far away from me because really it is on the other side of DC and I'd be coming from Virginia. Its such a cute little area and I was pleasantly suprised by all of the shops and restaurants. Somehow I managed to come up on 8th street and realized I had gone to a work happy hour at one of the restaurants. I kept walking down the street and I happened upon the Marine Barracks. Something about baby tiny boys in BDUs with riffles, well....... riffle my feathers!

There are 2 groups who guard the entrances and I walked past the first group, I think there were two Marines, and they both starred me down, smiled, and said "Hi, I really like your dress!" (um..okay?) And I smiled said "Thanks!" and kept walking. Then I past the second group, three of them, and once again they stopped what they were doing and were all like "Hiiiiiiii" and one shouts "Its a beautiful day out" HAHAHAHA seriously? So of course I say "Yes it is! OOOHHRRRAAAHHH boys" And I saluted them and one shouts "Its an even better day now!" HAHAHAHHAA oh baby tiny Marines, how I love you :)

I didn't know much about the Barracks so I was curious to find out any information:

The Marine Barracks, is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806, and main ceremonial grounds of the Corps. The buildings at the Marine Barracks are some of the oldest in Washington.

In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson and Commandant LtCol William Ward Burrows rode horses about the new capital to find a place suitable for the Marines near the Washington Navy Yard. They chose a location within marching distance of both the Navy Yard and the Capitol.

When the British burned Washington during the War of 1812, they also captured the Marine barracks, whom they had defeated at the Battle of Bladensburg. It is traditionally held within the Marine Corps that, out of respect for the brave showing of the Marines at Bladensburg, the British refrained from burning the barracks and the Commandant's house. Another possible reason is that they intended to use it as a command post, but left the area before this could be done. 8th and I has been the home of the Silent Drill Platoon and the Marine Band since the barracks' establishment in 1801 and the residence of the Commandant since 1806, when the Commandant's House was completed. The Commandant's house is the only original building left in the complex, the remainder having been rebuilt in 1900 and 1907.

Friday Evening Parades are held at Marine Barracks Washington during Friday evenings in summer (May through August). These 75-minute performances of music and precision marching, features the Marine Band along with the Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Silent Drill Platoon. The ceremony begins at 8:45 p.m., with a concert by the Marine Band.

Interesting! I'm going to have to try to see this ceremony one day!!!

Royal Wedding

It's only 1 week away....aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I'm super exicted for the obvious reasons but I'm taking the day off to get up early and watch with two of my good friends. I don't know quite how early we're getting up but probably around 5 am? Ha, since the wedding happens at 11 BST, then its about 6 am EST. Yikes, that's early!!

Well, if you're like me then you've had an eye on Royal Wedding Extravagenza 2011 and you know all the details, but in case you're not, here are a few:

Grandsons rarely need a grandmother's approval to marry. But in William's case, there's a little something called the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 to worry about. It requires the sitting monarch to formally approve the marriages of most direct descendants of King George II.

The Middleton Coat of Arms

Three acorns, symbolizing the Middleton children, and a flash of gold to represent Kate's mother, Carole, are at the heart of the design. But there's more meaning to the choice of imagery than meets the eye.

In addition to signifying the princess-to-be and her siblings Pippa, 27, and James, 24, the acorns also hark back to the oak trees that grow near Kate's home in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

Puns are also traditional in heraldry design, so the designers at the College of Arms used gold for the thick band in the middle to represent Carole's maiden name: Goldsmith.

The two white chevrons on each side of the band are meant to denote hills and mountains and represent "outdoor pursuits that the family enjoy together," according to a statement released Tuesday. The blue ribbon above the shield-like design signifies an unmarried daughter.

This coat of arms, which will stay with the Middletons, will be merged with Prince William's when the couple is married, and a new design will be constructed for the Princess (a process that takes several months).

As for the official, to-the-minute "ceremonial timings" on the big day (all London time):

Between 8:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.
The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.

From 9:50 a.m.
Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries, the Diplomatic Corps and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.

10:10 a.m.
The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:15 a.m.

10:20 a.m.
Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:27 a.m.

10:25 a.m.
Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:30 a.m.

10:35 a.m.
The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:40 a.m.:
The Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie or York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence

10:38 a.m.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:42 a.m.

10:40 a.m.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:45 a.m.

10:45 a.m.
The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel. They arrive Westminster Abbey at 10:55 a.m.

10:51 a.m.
The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

11:00 a.m.
The Marriage Service begins (and will be relayed by audio speakers along the route).

12:15 p.m.
The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain's Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen's Procession with a Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.

12:30 p.m.
The Bride's Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.

12:40 p.m.
Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.

From 12:40 p.m.
Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1:25 p.m.
The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their Families, appear on the Balcony.

1:30 p.m.
Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Then the Queen's reception begins!

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY LAMBDA EPSILON

Christina and Karen holding the charter for Lambda Epsilon 20 years ago today!

As my sisters' FB statuses state:

Karen: HOLY PINK and WHITE, ya'll!!!! 20 years ago, a group of virtual strangers signed a charter that would become the founding of the Lambda Epsilon chapter of Phi Mu at CNU! Happy Anniversary to my Lambda Epsilon Sisters! Thank you for leaving your mark on our chapter and making it such an amazing experience... one of a lifetime!!!! :)

Mel: Thank you to all the women you came before me and paved the way. Thank you to the women I shared my experience with. Thank you to those who carry on our great legacy. Damn proud to be from LE!

Caroline: Lambda Epsilon turns 20 years old today! Much love to all of my CNU Phi Mu's. I don't know where I would be without you ladies ♥

Heather: Happy 20th Anniversary Lambda Epsilon Chapter of Phi Mu Fraternity ♥♥♥ Les Soeurs Fideles

Erika: Wearing my chapter letters in a mini celebration for Lambda Epsilon's 20th! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Phi Mu:O)

I don't think I could say it any better, so I wont try, but....HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAMBDA EPSILON!!!!!!!

???

...Yep. It's that kind of day.

How Do YOU Make an Impact? v.2

This year, for my company's IMPACT day, I will be volunteering at SMYAL. If you are an avid reader of my blog (don't lie...I know you are!) then you'd know what IMPACT day is, but if not, here's a recap. Every year, on the first Friday in June the whole company (YES, WORLDWIDE!) gets the day off to volunteer. Now this is EPIC for several different reasons because the company:

1. Doesn't get paid but still pays us


2. Is really into giving to the community and not just on this one day


3. differentiates itself from the competitors

This year I will not only be volunteering at SMYAL, but I am the communication lead for it too! Not entirely sure what this means, but not only are you supposed to be volunteering but you are also supposed to kind of help out too in other ways.

A little background on SMYAL: The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) is the premier Washington, DC metro area service organization solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Their mission is to promote and support self-confident, healthy, productive lives for LGBTQ youth as they journey from adolescence into adulthood. For over 26 years, SMYAL has been a beacon of hope for LGBTQ youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

This year, volunteers will help build a float to be in the DC Pride Parade: The annual Capital Pride parade steps off on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 6pm. It will travel through Dupont Circle, 17th Street, and through northwest Washington DC.

So yeah, that's what I'm going to be doing this year!

Escalefters

UGH! I hate nothing more than escalefters (those people who stand on the left side and REFUSE to move). I want to shout at them, this is NOT England people, we don't stand on the left! Geez DUH! I have been known to poke someone on the shoulder if they haven't moved by my 3rd EXCUSE ME. I may be short and young looking but you do NOT want to mess with me! Please be forwarned all you escalefters because I'mma coming after you!

Sorority Founding Dinner

For the past 7 years the DC Phi Mu Alumnae Chapter meets up on April 6th at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC to celebrate its founding. This event last year was my first DC Phi Mu event. I had moved in on a Sunday and from what I remember it was two days later I went to this event. Hahaha I do remember calling Carlina (an alum of the Tidewater Chapter that I went to school with) almost in tears because I thought this chapter wasn't going to be any fun. I can't remember what sisters I talked to that night but needless to say I haven't seen them since. I can safely say now that I was terribly wrong! But it is hard to go from one chapter where you have SO many awesome connections to another chapter where you don't know anyone. But that's the beauty of Phi Mu because you have at least one thing (probably MANY MANY more things) in common! That and I badgered my sorority sisters up here to join the chapter too! [Insert evil laugh here]

For food, I got the spinach stuffed cannolli and it was good, but it wasn't GREAT. I've eaten there twice before (this exact same event last year!) and I LOVED what I got both times, some really good chicken dinner and then a beef stew...my mouth is watering now. Not over last my dinner this time :/

Our waiter was nothing to write home about, actually he was pretty slow (in both speed and mental capacity). Him: [Best part...ever!] So that beer...is it like a Pale Ale. Me: Well, since the words Pale Ale is in the title of the beer I'm guessing so! And it really saddens me that we never take pictures, but oh well. What's a girl to do? I read a bit of background about this place because I knew it was the oldest saloon in DC and I wanted to learn a bit more. So, withouth further adieu, here is some more:

The Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest, most historic saloon, was founded in 1856. According to legend, innkeeper William E. Ebbitt bought a boarding house at that time, but no one today can pinpoint its exact location. It was most likely on the edge of present-day Chinatown, somewhere near the Verizon Center. As a boarding house, the Ebbitt guest list read like a Who's Who of American History. President McKinley is said to have lived there during his tenure in Congress. Presidents Grant, Andrew Johnson, Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Harding supposedly refreshed themselves at its stand-around bar.Each table in the Ebbitt was graced by a blue history card that read: "Many other famous statesmen, naval and military heroes, too numerous to mention here, have been guests of the house." Evolving to a higher form, Old Ebbitt became Washington's first known saloon. And as the years passed, it moved to a number of new locations. The moves and their history have amassed a priceless collection of antiques and memorabilia. Along the way, Old Ebbitt acquired beer steins, animal heads (reputedly bagged by Teddy Roosevelt), and wooden bears said to have been imported by Alexander Hamilton for his private bar. Unfortunately, many artifacts were beyond preserving, unable to weather the 1983 move just around the corner. Said architect John Richards Andrews at the time, "We tried to bring the spirit of the place without some of the old details." Today the Victorian interior evokes Washington saloons at the turn of the century. The antique clock over the revolving door at the entrance is an heirloom from the previous location, and the marble staircase with an iron-spindled rail was salvaged from the old National Metropolitan Bank next door.

Crystal City 5K

For the past three years Crystal City (where I currently live) has hosted a 5K every Friday in the month of April. I ran one race last year and I'm excited to still be around the area again this year so I've registered to run one today. Registration was only $20 and the company I work for gives half off any fitness related event...so essentially its only $10 for me! And you really can't beat a race that starts at 6:30pm!

Mornings

So I found this super cute photo this morning (thank you random FB friends!) and I thought it was totally appropriate on how I feel this morning!!!!! I don't know what it is but I'm just having an off day and super tired morning! Hope it brings a smile to your face, I know it did to mine!

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

So continuing on my quest to volunteer and cheer on runners in races, I volunteered yesterday to man the pre-race packet pickup for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. Ok, ok, you got me...there's something in it for me too. If you volunteer you are guaranteed a spot in next year's race. Duh, I'm not getting up at 5am on a Sunday for nothing!!!! So I had to get up at 5 in order to make it to the city by 6 for my shift from 6-9 am...let me tell you it was FAH-REEEZING! I wore my Underarmor, thick turtleneck sweater, a sweatshirt, a coat, long john pants, jeans, and 2 pairs of socks and I was STILL freezing! It was so so so cold and I can just imagine how cold the runners were in their shorts and short sleeves (hey, runners aren't always smart when it comes to clothes ;)

But at least I got to see two Phi Mus who also volunteered to man the sign up booths too. They are also runners and wanted to jump on the chance of guaranteeing a coveted spot in the 10 miler.

A little background on the race from the ever trusty Wikipedia:

The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is an annual 10-mile (16 km) road race in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973 originally as a precursor training run for elite runners planning to compete in the Boston Marathon, the race has evolved over the years into a local race for runners of all abilities. Nevertheless, it still attracts international running stars such as Catherine Ndereba, Bill Rodgers, John Korir, and Olga Romanova.

The race is scheduled for the first Sunday of each April, meant to coincide with the bloom of the cherry blossoms given as a gift in 1912 from the mayor of Tokyo. The race is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival of late March and early April in the city.The race course covers many historic and memorable sights in Washington, D.C. Among the landmarks along the route are the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the Watergate complex, Rock Creek Park, and the Tidal Basin.

April Fools!!!

Funny story, so this morning I was on the metro and we stopped outside of Arlington Cemetery and the conductor came on saying that we've stopped due to a customer refusing to get off and the metro police were on the scene. WHO DOES THAT?!?!?! Was he/she so adamant to go to work that morning? Was he/she afraid to get off at the cemetery thinking zombies were coming to get them? Finally about 10 minutes later the conductor came back and said the situation was resolved. Thankfully he/she decided it would be easier to get escorted out by the cops than potentially be trampled by angry metro customers!

Oh DC how I love your crazies!

I didn't particularly care because:

A. I had a seat

B. I had my kindle and its just getting to a good part of my book

C. The story was priceless

So do you think this was an April Fools joke? Or just another crazy metroride? Apparently there were other April Fool's happening on the metro today too! So, in light of April Fool's here's some great ecards: