Not too long ago I was sitting on the metro on my way home from work. A white-haired woman sat directly in front of me. Though I couldn't see her face, her fragile hands and small stature suggested that she was elderly. But her most striking characteristic was her scent.

She smelled of freshly cut roses.  

I hope that when I am elderly I smell that good. I know the scent of roses is closely associated with older women, but there was something about her scent that was so beautiful, and not at all old. I hope that when I am her age I smell like roses instead of moth balls, Ben Gay, or even worse, body odor.

And so I sat there, lost in thoughts of my twilight years, imagining the woman in front of me going home to her cats and photos of grandchildren. But I stirred from my thoughts when the woman reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She flipped to her marked page and commenced reading, but not before I caught a glimpse of the title.

"It's a Guy Thing:  How to Prevent Teen Pregnancy"

Poof. All of my preconceived notions of grandma disappeared instantly. For all I know, she'd just spent the day on Capitol Hill writing policy to decrease teen pregnancy. She was probably in the Presidential rose garden mulling over budgets and business plans, where she inadvertently bumped into a bush and picked up the scent of roses.  

Washington is full of surprises.

It is uplifting when I encounter people or situations that remind me that D.C. isn't such a bad place.  I admit, I am typically hard-pressed to identify these positive factors, especially when on the spot, but they do exist.

I will never tire of motorcades. Just last week I was walking to the metro after work when I heard sirens in the distance. Motorcade sirens are not to be confused with a routine police siren.  They are unmistakably layered and demanding of each passer-by's attention. Even at the hint of a motorcade, my excitement begins to mount. As the lights come into view, and fleet of black SUVs head my way, I bubble over with giddiness.  

First the motorcycles flash by.  Then the Chevy Tahoes, two by two, each one identical, their windows tinted an impenetrable black.  They are followed by yet another group of motorcycles. And in a flash, they are gone.

Typically, I try to act cool -- I'm a local, I'm supposed to be used to this right?  Wrong. Especially now that I know Obama could be staring back at me through that heavily tinted glass, I can't help but to feel  like I've just witnessed something.  I never know quite what, but something.

On Tuesday, November 18th, I became an aunt again! Camden Henry Peoples was born at 3:13 pm in San Jose, CA. Click here to see photos of the new baby, big brother Alex, and the proud parents.

For those of you who commonly read food blogs, the following will be familiar. The blogger over at Very Good Taste put together the list below. He believes every omnivore should try these foods at least once.

What on this list have you had that you loved?

What foods would you never even consider and which do you hope to try?

Those that I have had are typeset in bold. Had I been a bit more adventurous in Singapore I could have knocked off a few more (eel --which Ryan had, abalone, and durian.)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty vodka martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

43 out of 100. I have some work to do. But really, I will never complete this list. I will not eat whole insects or roadkill, ever. However, there are things on this list that sound pretty tasty. I recently heard a spot on NPR about Poutine, and it sounds scrumptious – it is a French Canadian dish that consists of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy. That would sound especially good after a long night of drinking.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 started off just like any other day. I went to work, likely never left the office to experience the wonderful autumn weather, and departed around 6 p.m. As I approached the large parking lot that I typically cross on my way home (located at the corner of 11th and H streets) I couldn't help but to notice the massive amount of people crowded into one half of the lot, and the carefully positioned security guards protecting this group. I continued halfway through the empty side of the lot and then stopped, just at the edge of the excited crowd.

What was going on?

There was a stage set up to my left, but it was empty.

My gaze swept the scene until it rested on the few men standing about 20 feet to my right.

It took a few moments for it to register, but soon my stomach was all butterflies. I was standing 20 feet from Barack Obama. President-elect Barack Obama.

My fingers flew into action, dialing everyone I knew that was within walking distance. In minutes, Theresa B. was standing at my side.

At this time Barack Obama still had a lot of competition for the democratic nomination. It would be months before Kucinich, Gravel, Dodd, Biden, Richardson, Edwards, and finally, Clinton, conceded to Obama for the nomination. In our house, it was still a toss up as to who we would support.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty took the stage and spoke about Barack Obama, concluding the introduction with his endorsement. And then, as Obama took the stage, the crowd erupted. I couldn't help but feeling overcome with pure excitement.

Even at that time I felt like I was witnessing history.

For the next 50 minutes I was mesmerized. I took in every word and then walked away feeling positively jubilant. I knew then and there who I would support as the next President of the United States. Ryan later laughed at me for being so easily smitten, "One speech was all it took?"

Yes. One speech.

Even after Obama won the nomination, he had a long and hard road ahead of him.

But here we are. Over a year later and Barack Obama is slated to be the next President of the United States.

D. C. is abuzz about the inauguration. The offices of state representatives are being overwhelmed with requests for tickets. Ticket agencies are selling tickets they only hope to distribute for up to $20,050. A block of 300 hotel rooms at the downtown Marriott has been booked for $1 million and locals are renting out there home and apartments for thousands of dollars.

D.C.'s official convention and tourism corporation, Destination DC, estimates 1.5 million people will attend the inauguration, compared to George W. Bush's 300,000 attendees.

I likely won't score a ticket, but on January 20th, I will be down on the National Mall.

Though I haven't met a single one of them, I know not everyone loves the idea of Obama as president -- a fact that is hard to remember when you live in a city/state of which 92% voted for him. And I know that those of us who do believe in him have placed a monumental set of expectations on the man. He will not be perfect. But at this moment, the most important part of Barack Obama's presidential victory is that people are humming with optimism. For the first time in years, the political chatter around our 'water-cooler' is positive. Hopeful.

California was a whirlwind! As usual, time flies and before we knew it, we were on a plane headed back toward the east coast. I miss Alex already!



The view from out hotel room in Monterey was incredible!




Santa Cruz - Home to the biggest seagulls I've ever seen!