A roommate christmas an a Capital tour.

After a few postponements, it was finally time for the roommate trio to come together and exchange laughs and gifts over some tasty cheese fondue (and a little red wine). I think the biggest hit of the night was Emily's Snoopy snow cone maker. She was pretty stoked. Of course the excitement faded significantly as it took her 20 minutes to get a bite's worth of snow-cone.

The ladies both loved the scarves I made them - a shorter one with a hole through it with handpainted wool for Emily, and a light gray big one with fatty wool for Vara - both in my stitch.

And I got a hand-knit item this year as well!! Socks that Emily knit for me -

I've been reminded how small that DC is many times through various positive and negative experiences. One good aspect about that is it makes it pretty easy to meet new friends. I like to be the friendly girl in the morning, smiling at everyone as we walk to work or play. A lot of mornings I pass the same folks. And that's how I met Rich. He lives by my work, and works at the Hart building - which is near Union where I get off. All this is to say that we pass eachother going opposite directions on 2nd quite often, and eventually began to strike up a conversation. So when he offered a tour of the Capital, I was more than happy to accept. With this being super-busy time, we were finally able to squeeze it in on the day before I left for holiday. I was suprised at how easy it was to just walk into the Hart building and up to his office to ditch our stuff. Kind of scary, actually. Then we headed down to the infamous underground tunnels (avoiding the seventeen degree weather outside - brilliant!)
I have always heard of these tunnels and subways, but it was fun to actually be in there. All the while hearing fun stories of the trials and tribulations (and fun) of being a staffer. I should mention here that I've (purposefully) avoided the staffers thus far. Tending towards a different group and only seeing these creatures from afar, I didn't think I was missing much. I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong (now), and I have to say that at least one of the staffers isn't so horrible.

I played more of the appreciative observer than the eager documenter this trip, so I'm quite lacking in the photos. But it was a fantastic tour of the place. It was so nice to be talking with someone one-on-one rather than be stuck in a tour group of 30 with headphones and a herder cattle-prodding you through the rooms that are unrestricted. I still had to have a few tourist moments, stopping to appreciate the multitudes of great feet that have traversed the hallways and stairways - so much so that they have worn to show the signs of their age.
And I paused with the 147 other people with cameras pointed to the sky to capture the ceiling.

It was still amazing to see all of the great rooms and chambers and meeting spots; to stand in the space looking onto the Washington Monument where in less than a month Obama will be innagurated; to be in an epicenter where great (and not so great) minds have collaborated.

We had a few moments to check out the new visitor's center. But it was a very quick stop-off. The space is beautiful, but somewhat lacking the wow factor of the adjoining buildings.

I found out that this strange starburst stone is the very center of DC - the spot where North, South, East, and West Capitol Streets intersect, quadranting DC.

Then it was time to brave the cold and head to eastern market to finish Eric's christmas present. I stopped off at a coffee shop (the new Murky Coffee, I can't remember or find the new name). The decor is cute, the staff super-friendly, and the drinks and food are amazing! I had this deliciousness:

and a mocha. It's the kind of place that does this to the top of your coffee, and yet it's still a great place to whip out your laptop and get some photoshopping done.

This brings me to holiday in Florida (and about a year from when this whole blog thing started up)!