All work with a smidgen of play

So, 4 days in DC with the boss is a long-ass time! Okay, so I wasn't with the folks from work the whole time, but it still felt like work. I was able to spend some time at some national treasures; the National Botanic Garden (beautiful orchid display), The National Gallary (masterpieces abound), The National Archives ( Hoorah Declaration of Independence!) and the National Museum of Natural History:

Above: An award-winning photo from the great nature Photograpy Exhibit

I was able to keep on the marathon training schedule while I was there-thank goodness! I walked at least one lap of The Mall everyday and even had the chance to walk from our hotel near the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and back. It took about an hour and a half, but I was really glad to get the training time in. The marathon is about 7 months away, but every little bit of training matters!

This will be the view from the finish line of the marathon. We will be walking around the entire lake which includes some hills and higher terrain in addition to flat surfaces.

We also finished the pirate ship for The Pirates of Penzance this weekend. The director and cast may not ever appreciate the amount of work that went into it, but the crew and I think it is pretty special :)

Whereever and with whomever Valentine's Day finds you, I hope it is a sweet one!

Slow Day, Snow Day

Don't you hate it when you get up at your normal time, work out and hop in the shower only to find out that you don't have to leave your house? Okay, maybe that doesn't happen for everyone, but luckily I am married to teacher and work for a very flexible office. Snow days are a beautiful thing.

I made it to the second day of training without wussing out--Pilates at 6:15--sounds like fun, right? Well, anyone that says that Pilates is an easy workout has obviously never tired to flex their abs while lifting their head up off a mat and lifting their arms up and down...whoa baby.

The snow day allowed me to get back in the jewelry groove. I made several really nice pieces and packed up all the "ingredients" for about a dozen pieces to take on my "road trip" to DC. The ride is long, so at least I'll be productive.

I also made a special piece for Sara, but I don't want to let the cat out of the bag about it too much until I send it to her.

Jewelry designing is the only time lately that has been just for me--no obligations, no expectations, no one peering over my shoulder. I am able to express whatever I want, however I want. I hope to apply those feelings to other parts of my life as the year progresses. I'll let you know how it goes...