Full circle

Sometimes coincidences happen unexpectedly and get my wheels turning and just make me all sorts of happy and nostalgic and sentimental.

For example, Cousin Cally came over last week and grabbed a book off our bookshelf.  It happened to be a favorite, Katharine Graham's Personal History, which I read when I lived in San Francisco in 2002 (and ironically takes place mostly in DC).  Inside the book, I found an old SF Muni bus pass, dated July 2002 that I obviously used as my bookmark.  After I got over the initial "whoa-I'm-old" feeling, I realized that was exactly 8 years ago and could distinctly recall reading that amazing book all over San Francisco (maybe even sometimes at my desk at work....on those really busy days).  I stole the bookmark back from Cally (as all good older cousins should do) to use with my current read, The Big Short by Michael Lewis.

Well, today, as I was taking the bus in DC to meet some San Francisco friends who were in town and trying to make sense of the crazy mortgage bond crisis in Lewis's book, I managed to leave my SF bus pass bookmark on the DC bus. 

Seems inconsequential, but to me it made me smile and recall that fabulous time in my life.

[image from here]

Up in the air and on the move.

[image via here]

I can't believe it, but I am writing wrote this while onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1, Seat 9A.  Yes, wifi onboard my plane just really makes me ill.....i like my peace and quiet.  Oh well, this world is moving fast and we all better keep up.

Jen Scales and I were just g-chatting (yes, me at 10,000 feet, Jen in her bed, Carrie-Bradshaw style....we even broke into a video chat briefly, which was just too weird on a plane....)  ANNNND, we were sharing ideas for good songs for running.  So I scrolled through my iPod and found my current DC workout mix, and thought I'd share some of my new tracks and old stand-bys here.  Would love to hear what gets you moving too!

wavin flag - k'naan
bizarre love triangle - new order
kids - mgmt
african herbsman - bob marley (king kooba remix) - random, but I really love this song....puts me in a good mood when riding the sweaty metro.....
home - edward and the magnetic zeros
shut up and let me go - the ting tings
lazy eye - silversun pickups (a fave)
horchata - vampire weekend
imma be - black eyed peas
diva - beyonce (karmatronic club remix)
i'm good, I'm gone - lykke li
sunshowers - MIA
paper planes - MIA
hello bonjour - michael franti
quick fix - vv brown
heart it races - architecture in helsinki - LOVE this one....
wilco (the song) - wilco
a-punk - vampire weekend
american boy - estelle
womanizer - britney spears (yes, it's true...)
circus - also b spears
1901 - Phoenix
hot n cold - katy perry
say hey (i love you) - michael franti
single ladies - beyonce (every good mix ever should have this song on it...)
young foks - peter bjorn & john
the well and the lighthouse - arcade fire
fans - Kings of Leon (I think this one is the most listened to song in my iTunes)
black thumbnail - kings of leon
skin of my yellow country teeth - clap your hands say yeah
don't stop till you get enough - Michael Jackson
ya viene el sol - ozomatli (reminds me of running along crissy field)
hope - shaggy (reminds me of college and running on the chessie trail)
e-pro - beck
hey ya - outkast (don't forget about this one)
new york, new york - ryan adams (good NYC marathon inspiration!!)
just like heaven - the cure (a TNT coach recommended this song WAY back when and I loved running in SF to this one)
baba o'riley - the who
american girl - tom petty

[image via here]

I love cardigans....

....and I'm happy to see Mr. Rogers unplugged. 

Get your "Brazilian" on.

I want to go to Brazil, like now.

How we spent our money this week.

Two round trip tickets to Brazil: Check.  $$$
New bike for Rick (plus all the gear that goes with it): Check.  $$$$
New Macbook Pro for Rick: Check: $$$
New Bike shoes and Pedals for Keenan: Check: $$
Every single meal eaten out since Friday: Check.  $$

The only thing that was free and plentiful all weekend long?  Humidity.  Not sure I can handle this place.  And it's only June.

Up this week:
Keenan heads to Indianapolis for work, Rick heads to Boston.  Ships passing in the night.

If only....

.... we all started our day with this much enthusiasm, energy, and love!! 

I can do anything good, better than anyone....

Our house smells like goodness.

Test is over and Rick is back.  And he's in the kitchen cooking some sort of delicious pasta goodness.  Yay!!  House (er, apt) smells like garlicky tomato-y sausagey heaven.  I love it when he cooks because, unlike me, he loves to invent recipes based on whatever we have in the pantry.   We call it the Pantry Challenge, and he almost always wins. 

I'm so glad he's back, though he's already thinking about the next test he's going to study for.  Oh dear.

We celebrated last night with some friends over beer and then a yummy meal at Zaytinya.  Holy cow delicious.  I may or may not have had a few too many Aphrodites Pear cocktails (hey, I get to celebrate too, right??), and the server just surprised us with all kinds of good food from the menu, which is a good strategy if you are indecisive like me and ALWAYS change your order.  Yum.

Up next for the Robbinses:
- Family trip to NC coast for a friend's wedding
- Booking a trip to Brazil in August to see Mary
- Buying a bike for Rick so we can compete in....
- Nations Triathlon on September 12
- refilling the wine glass to go with dinner....now that it's 9:36.  Bon Appetit!