Merry Merry

run, run, run

My good friend Jordan came up last night from Charlottesville to help me get settled into my new apt. She is great at rearranging and organizing and now my closet looks like an ad from Pottery Barn. Its awesome.
Jordan and I are running the Charlottesville 1/2 in April so we went for a little training run this am followed by breakfast at the IHOP in Falls Church.
Thank you Jordan!!!

New Address

1520 North Lancaster St. Apt. #5
Arlington, VA 22205

Moving Day!

I am moving to my new apt. in Arlington today. Hopefully they will turn the power on this morning, which will make the whole experience a bit more pleasant. I hired movers this time and they should be arriving any moment.
I hope to have everything in place by this afternoon. Unpacking will be another story...

I wanted a fun, happy image for such a cold and blustery day in Northern VA. Tomorrow I leave to spend a few days in GA so I have a lot on the to-do list today. Chores, playing soccer, lifting weights, then going to work for a few hours. I would love to watch some football but I don't think that is going to happen.
I am also in desperate need of new jeans as my only pair is holey and not fit for public consumption. I can't do GAP jeans but does anyone have a suggestion for where to find some good, not too expensive jeans?

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I think we have one of the best dads in the world. Some of my favorite memories...setting up trains under the tree at Christmas...carving pumpkins when we were little...watching dad graduate with a phd from UGA...going to UGA/Ga Tech games together...our family holidays...dad driving several hours and back on a week night to watch me play soccer in college. We love you dad!

baking day

Last Sunday my friend Katherine and her sister came over for a baking day. I picked up tons of apples when I was in NH a few weeks ago and I wanted to use them up. We made bourbon apple cake, apple pie with Katherine's special recipe, and apple sauce with a recipe from my sister Sarah. The applesauce is delicious - I've been eating it all week. My roommate helped me demolish my half of the apple pie pretty quickly and I brought most of the bourbon cake to friends at work so I wouldn't be tempted.

Here's Sarah's applesauce recipe:

3 TB butter
6 Macintosh apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1/4 c sugar
1 ts cinnamon 1/2 ts nutmeg 4 TB water Combine all ingredients in a saucepan
and cook over medium heat until apples
become very tender, about 30 minutes. Applesauce may be left lumpy or pureed
with a handblender to become smoother.

It serves four but I doubled it so I could have enough for friends. Enjoy!

i'm a little behind...

Sorry, loyal readers, but I had a tough week last week and wasn't able to do much of anything. I hurt my neck playing soccer last Sunday and have been almost completely out of commission since...
I will recap, starting with last Saturday...My friends Kevin, Susan, and I ran the Charlottesville 10k last Saturday am in the pouring rain. I stayed at my friend Jordan's house on Friday night and she kindly woke up early to drive me to the start and cheer us on to the finish. After the race we had breakfast at the Bluegrass Grill and Bakery (313 Second Street, SE; 434-295-9700) which was conveniently featured in the NY Times "36 hours in Charlottesville" just the day before the race! The food was excellent. I had scrambled eggs with sausage, cheese, spinach, and onions, and split a short stack of pancakes with Kevin. Yum.
Sunday morning I had a soccer game, followed by the 2nd annual pumpkin carving contest at Susan's house. The neck injury didn't show up until Monday am, so I was pain-free for the carving and other activities. I carved a raven with quotes around it for my entry in the contest. Unfortunately the judges were not English majors and did not understand my carving but I still liked the end result.
Mon-Fri. I was pretty miserable...I think I headed a ball the wrong way on Sunday and I was in pretty sad shape the rest of the week. I went to a chiropractor on Friday and am 80% better. I don't know exactly what he did but the pain immediately went away and I was able to play two games this weekend and did some extra cardio this morning, too. I will be back to weight lifting early next week.
I am currently watching the Colts/Pats game and hoping the Colts win for the sake of my pick 'em league...

Sunday Fun

NH!

I just returned from almost a week-long jaunt to New England. Sarah and Tom hosted me last Friday night in their new Beacon Hill apt. It's beautiful and has awesome views of the public park across the street and the city. We enjoyed dinner at Boston Beer Works with Sam and Deb and on Saturday hit the Head of the Charles Race. Late afternoon we headed to the lake in NH where we started the fire and waited on Mom and Dad to arrive.
We had such a relaxing long weekend! The highlights...apple picking, enjoying the foliage, breakfast at the Corner Store, hitting the antique shops and Gibson's Pewter (http://www.gibsonpewter.com/blog/), and more! See Sarah's blog for a pic of me in the kayak - thanks Sarah!

A near-perfect holiday weekend...

I had a great holiday weekend - thanks Columbus! I arrived in NJ for my cousin Julie's engagement party a little early so I could watch the OU/Texas game with my dad. The party began a few hours later and was so much fun. It was a perfect fall day so many of the guests stayed outside enjoying the weather on the lawn...and the bar on the porch.
Uncle John offered a lovely toast for the bride and groom and everything - the food, the music, the company, was great. Mom spent several hours at the piano playing a long list of broadway hits.
I met several members of the Donahue clan as well as some of Dave's family members. I can't wait for the wedding - Julie is going to be a beautiful bride!
On Sunday Julie's good friend Beth hosted a brunch before we all headed our separate ways. It was another beautiful fall day in Westfield, which has always been one of my favorite small towns. Beth and her husband Chris hosted a great event, complete with a birthday cake to celebrate all of the October birthdays!
Sunday night I stopped in Baltimore to see James - we had dinner in Fells Point and then walked around town for a little while. He looks great and is doing an impressive job running the travel business.
This morning I went to the Original IHOP for breakfast to see my friend Liz before she heads back to Vienna, followed by a visit to my friend Kimberly, who just had a new baby named Finn. He is adoreable and seems like a very happy baby.

Texas BBQ is the Best!!

I just returned from almost a week in deep of the heart of Texas. While Waco is not exactly a bustling metropolis, they do have some of the best BBQ I've ever had.
I also attended the OU/Baylor game in Waco - it was a blowout but fun to see the #1 team in the country.

"what wealth it is to have such friends that we cannot think of them without elevation" Henry David Thoreau

The Original House of Pancakes

This morning my friends and I met at the OHOP for breakfast. Several of them ran the Navy 5-miler first but I opted out since I have a soccer game today. The OHOP is in Falls Church, just a short drive from my house, and they have the best blueberry pancakes around. I had a short stack and lots of coffee. So good.
The rest of the day I am watching the Pack/TB game and maybe the Dallas/Skins game too. It's muggy and rainy here - not exactly fall yet but I'm enjoying the late summer weather anyway.

pictures!

My dad recently sent me a hard drive with all of my pictures on it from my old Mac. I had trouble saving the pics to disks so this was the perfect solution. This picture of James and I was taken after our Labor Day weekend in New Hampshire. We were on the Cross Sound Ferry on our way to Jimmy and Rene's house to look at a Ski Nautique. Long Island is so beautiful! It's been a long time since I was on that ferry - we used to take it all the time when we lived on LI. It was a nice way to travel and I'm glad I was able to spend some fun time with dad, James, and Kerry.

False Alarm...

I reneged on the apt. this am. I think I was just nervous and made a snap decision. Fortunately the landlord gave me my deposit back. I seriously would have been living on rice and beans for the next 12 months. The search continues!

Jackpot...sort of

I found an apt. today! It's supertiny and superexpensive, but its right next to my favorite trail and I can walk to the grocery store, etc. It's a single family home with a dentist office on the bottom floor and my apt. on the top. It has a yard and the landlord says I can plant things, so that is really exciting. All hardwood floors and lots of 'character.'
My new project is to find a lot of free fun since my entertainment fund has been reduced to pennies...

It's time to put on make-up...

According to a NY Times article the Disney company, which bought the rights to the Muppets, is bringing them back in a big way.
Check it out here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/movies/21barn.html

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

did everyone see the Palin/Clinton skit on SNL?

SNL never disappoints when it comes to political coverage. Check it out here: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/

Pick 'em League, Week Two

I recently joined a pick 'em league for NFL games. This is not like fantasy football which requires managing a team, but is simply picking winners/losers each week. I am going with the Jets against the Pats...partly because I want to see BF win and partly because I think the Pats offense is going to be a little shaky.
I am also picking the Packers over the Lions and the Eagles over the Cowboys.

on track

My friend Susan and I have been doing twice weekly track workouts in the mornings and its been a great reason to get out of bed! I have never been able to stick to a morning exercise routine, probably because its too easy to sleep in, but with a friend waiting at the track there is more incentive.
There are actually a lot of people there every morning getting their workouts in - the track is owned by a local high school but the town pitched in some funding so everyone can use it.
Today I noticed how dark it is in the mornings - fall is on its way! It's still humid, though, and not quite time for the fall wardrobe I have packed away...

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah, here's a virtual toast to you on your birthday. Hope it was a happy day and that you are settling into your new apt. in Boston. Cheers to you!

Beantown Bound

I am headed to Boston for a conference tomorrow and will be there til Friday. I am going to see the Sox play the other Sox on Friday night then I'm going to camp in NH for the rest of Labor Day weekend. I can't wait!! Sarah says its a little chilly up there but hopefully the weather will warm up so we can ski, etc.
Hope everyone has a lovely holiday weekend!!!

Big Acorn, Oct. 5

I just signed up for my first mini-triathlon! I'm really excited. It's a lake swim in Oct. which under normal circumstances would be a bit cold, but Lake Anna, where the race takes place, is heated by a power plant. I think the run and the bike ride will be fairly easy but the swimming might be tough. I've never competed in an open water swim but those who have say you can expect to get kicked in the head, etc. Aside from that, I'm looking forward to it.

Cost Benefit Analysis of Buying a New Mac

My iBook is about 6 years old - ancient by computer standards - and my new ipod is not compatible with the current operating system on my mac. I am weighing whether to upgrade the OS or just buy a new Mac. I'm thinking I will just buy the new Mac since a new OS would a. be really slow on current Mac and b. cost almost 1/2 as much as buying the new Mac. Or maybe I'm just trying to justify buying a new computer...Thoughts, suggestions?

Glad to be home...

Dear All,

I know I said I would try to post while in Vienna but it just didn't happen. Sigh. But I am back now and refreshed, recharged, and ready to go! I will start posting soon about all of my adventures...

Off to Vienna!

I'm off for my two month trip to Vienna tonight! I am going to try to blog while I'm there. Have a great summer everyone!!!

Happy Anniversary to Sarah and Tom...

I can't believe it's been a year since Sarah and Tom's wedding! It was such a fun celebration and looking back at pictures I'm remembering all of the fun memories. Congrats!

Congrats Tom!

Having a little trouble loading pics, but it was such a great weekend in Durham and we are all so proud of Tom. He and Sarah endured two tough years at Duke but now it's time to celebrate! We also celebrated Mother's Day with mom and Mrs. Wood - Sarah made a really nice lunch and much fun was had by all.
Hope to post some pics soon.

soccer, soccer

After a long hiatus I am back to playing again. I joined a co-ed team which plays on Sunday mornings and recently my friend B. from the gym invited me to play pickup with him and his friends. After my game this am I headed over to the intramural fields at George Mason U. They have an awesome field that is a combination of turf and grass. I'm not sure of the mechanics behind it but it's a very nice, soft, perfectly flat surface. Lovely. The pick up soccer was a lot more fun than the organized version and once the guys realize you can actually play they will pass the ball.

I remembered the sunscreen, which was good, but am already very sore.

East Said West Said

Check out cousin Julie's blog!!!!! - linked on right

A little T. Jeff in honor of my Charlottesville trip...

"I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage, with my books, my family, and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splended post, which any human power can give."

A Great Race...

I would recommend the Charlottesville 1/2 to anyone interested in trying a long race. It's probably not the best race for a first marathon, though. The spectators are few and far between but the scenery is unbelievable. The course meanders through horse country, up and down a lot of hills, and some of the prettiest parts of downtown Charlottesville. After the race Susan and I met up with my good friend Jordan at WildWings. Unfortunately there are no WW in DC, so we had to get our fix in C-ville. It was a great weekend and I was so happy to see Jordan again. Last weekend we met up in Fredericksburg to have dinner with her parents - also a lovely time.
I was supposed to play soccer this am but we got rained out. I'm kind of happy we did because I'm a little sore.

Charlottesville Half!

I'm running the Charlottesville 1/2 marathon with my friend Susan tomorrow! She is such a fun girl so it's bound to be a great time. I have done a few 1/2's in the past but I hear this one is very hilly so it will be interesting...Send happy thoughts my way at 6:30am tomorrow!

Thought for Today

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” - Cicero

Trippin'

Almost the entire Kahrs family will be traveling this week. Sarah and mom leave for China on Sunday to see James, and I am leaving tomorrow night for Bucharest. Fun times ahead! Dad and Kerry will stay in Georgia to keep the home fires burning...I can't wait til we are reunited to share our travel stories.

Little Bro's 5k and other successes...

My brother James recently posted about running a 20 minute 5k - for all you non-runners out there, this is quite an accomplishment. In all my years of running I've never been able to do anything less than 21 minutes. James ran x-country in high school, took a few years off, and is recently back into running. Way to go, James!

This picture, from summer 2007, was taken just before James left for China.

Into the Wild

I recently saw Into the Wild at the Arlington Cinema and Draft House - a rundown theater that serves beer and a full menu of grill type stuff. It's my new favorite theater. I highly recommend both the movie and the theater. "Into the Wild" didn't get much coverage and I don't think it made it into some of the mainstream theaters but its definitely worth adding to the Netflix list.

Sadness

Spring is...

It's finally warm in VA - if only for the day! Hope everyone has a good one

din-din

I had a great dinner with one of my oldest friends, Jordan, last night. Jordan, my sister Sarah and I have been friends since nursery school!! We met in Fredericksburg, which is close to halfway between Charlottesville and Falls Church, VA. The plan was to meet at Outback, but there was an almost two hour wait! We ended up going to O'Charlies and had a very nice dinner. Jordan brought along a picture of the three of us at Sarah's rehearsal dinner - we were all laughing at something - probably recalling memories of our time together on Long Island. Let's do it again soon, Jordan!!!

Taking a serious look at spending...

I've started bringing my breakfast and lunch to work to save $$ and have a better idea of caloric intake. I noticed I was spending a lot on coffee, yogurt, granola for breakfast and salad or soup for lunch. And of course an afternoon coffee. I've cut spending from $10 a day to $10 a week! What will I do with all the extra cash?? Hmm.

'nother post about peach preserves

Tonight I invited two work friends to come over and bake for Valentine's Day. I'm not a big V-day fan but I do like to bake stuff for my friends and a holiday is a good excuse. We made chocolate chip cookies (a Martha Stewart recipe that I was afraid to try but it turned out to be really easy), butterscotch and chocolate cookie bars, oatmeal raisin-cranberry cookies and macaroons. Yum. My friend Susan brought dinner including a salad and home-made dressing. The dressing called for raspberry preserves but she used peach preserves instead - the very same peach preserves mom made for Sarah's wedding. I took several jars home and gave them out to my friends - including Susan. The preserves live on...

lovely dinner

I invited a few friends over for dinner last night - no special occasion but a nice way to brighten up the winter. I served rack of lamb, a first for me, sweet potatoes, green beans, squash and zucchini, and brownies for dessert. My friend Laura brought over the squash and zucchini and sauteed it while everything else finished cooking. The sweet potatoes were really easy; I chopped them up, left the skins on, and surrounded the lamb with them. A little salt, pepper, olive oil and cinnamon and they were done.
Susan also came over and brought her new dog, McGee, who she adopted this weekend. He is so cute and friendly and didn't bark once. I would love to adopt a dog but my apt. is just not suited for one. Northern Va. has a golden retriever rescue society and that would be my first choice for adoption.
Anyway, back to dinner. Everything turned out really well and it was probably the easiest meal I've ever cooked for guests. We watched Oceans 13 afterwards and I really liked it. I never saw the previous Oceans, which are not a prerequisite for this one.

Ahead of the Curve

My friend Brooke is getting married next spring and has been searching through catalogs to get ideas for her wedding. In Martha Stewart's most recent wedding publication she came across a section detailing how to personalize wedding favors based on the location of the wedding, hometown of bride and groom, etc. For Georgia Martha's idea was peach preserves! My mom and sister beat her to the punch by a good year and a half. Mom and her friends spent hours making peach preserves from GA peaches for Sarah's wedding and they turned out so well.
Way to go!

Go Pats

I'm picking the Pats today after my Packers fell to the Giants. I'm excited about the superbowl but it seems like such a loooong time before next season.

MIT for free

Universities across the US are starting to offer courses for free. The catch: you can't earn a degree or get course credit, but its a cool way to keep learning.
Check it out here: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

The Star-Splitter

He burned his house down for the fire insurance
And spent the proceeds on a telescope
To satisfy a life-long curiosity
About our place among the infinities.

The girl gets organized...part 1

One of my new year's resolutions is to get organized - part of the great declutter plan of 2008. This weekend I've managed to make some progress. I have a habit of cutting out articles that interest me, ads I love, etc. so I've finally organized them all into folders. Next I want to tackle the ticket stubs, programs, etc. I have from every event since the beginning of time. Why am I keeping them? That's a great question.

Declutter tip 1: have cards, letters you want to keep? Punch a hole in one corner and keep them together with grommets from your local office supply store.

Hoping to see the Laubeau Leap

Today is a big day for NFL fans...I'm going to my friend Tom's house for a football bash. I'm predicting the Pats over the injury-riddled Chargers and the Pack over the Giants. Eli will be wearing a glove on one hand to ward off the cold - it's supposed to be four degees at kickoff - but Favre will not be wearing gloves because he is tough as nails. My friend Paul, who is a huge Packers fan, is also having a party at his house. Everyone is required to sit outside and watch the game to replicate what it will be like at Lambeau field. His invitation read: This party is for serious football fans only! No kidding.

"Learn how to feel joy" -Seneca

the happy list

One of my co-workers started a 'these are things that make me happy' list for a friend to give her a little boost from the winter blahs. When I read my friend's list it gave me an immediate boost and inspired me to start my own. Here's a few things that make me happy...
chance of snow
planned airport layover with a good book
the sound of clean snow squeaking beneath my skis

Go Pack!!

I'm often asked why I'm a Packers fan, and I admit it's a good question. I grew up on Long Island and then Georgia, so logically I should be either a Giants, Jets, or Falcons fan. The answer is the Falcons had Favre and they traded him...big mistake on their part. So I became a Packers fan. Will I be a Packers fan post-Favre? Yes. Let's hope he doesn't retire after this season. I can't imagine he would after the miraculous season they've had, but he was injured last year and never had the surgery, so its possible he is ready to go out on a high note. But let's hope not.

Christmas!

Christmas!

I've finally found time to upload my Christmas pictures! Enjoy

more from J-Ho

I can't stop thinking about my Jackson Hole trip - the fresh air, the wilderness, the skiing...it's hard to get there and even harder to leave. I hope one day I can go back.

Jackson Hole!

Just a preview - will write more later. Happy New Year everyone!!!