Another Wonderful, Fun Packed Weekend

The weekend really started Saturday morning when I ran in a 5k race to raise money for the Amazon Conservation Team, a small local non-profit. I didn't run quite as fast as I had hoped but it was very enjoyable to race and feel the excitement of being out there with a bunch of other runners, including Eagle Eyes and her boo.

For lunch, Eagle Eyes, her boo and I went to the Lebanese Taverna cafe in Silver Spring, which was amazing. I had a special dish, moudardara, which I'd never had before, made of lentils and onions. But even the staples such as hummus and pita were exceptionally tasty.

Then it was off to a scavenger hunt on the mall with my friend New York to celebrate one of her friend's 30th birthday. Here are some funny things that were said:

"'Wait, hold on a minute' just isn't an option when you are doing something illegal." (We were resting our chins on headless sculptures that we weren't supposed to touch for a photo in order fulfill our requirement of being photographed doing something illegal and our photographer was having trouble framing and shooting the photo).

"You two are loose and easy with your normal curves." (This from a statistician on our team in response to our suggestions of objects to photograph on the mall that resembled a bell curve. It's not easy finding a normal curve, the closest we came was the roof of an oddly shaped building).

"We'll be the trash talkers!" (This was our self-chosen group name, and for this photograph some confused tourist agreed to take a picture of the four of us in front of a large pile of trash. We insisted the photographer get as much of the trash as possible in the photo).

It was lots of fun, so was the ensuing party.

Sunday I got to check out the Dupont farmer's market, which was just as good, if not better, than the Takoma Park farmer's market. I was in farmer's market heaven tasting the crab cakes, seafood gazpacho, milk, yogurt and cheeses. I'll have to be sure to make it back there again before the summer is over.

I finished out the weekend with four hours of work with my advisor checking on some nests that wouldn't wait until tomorrow. He did all the tree climbing, living up to his reputation as Tarzan. It was satisfying to get a good chunk of work done that really needed to get done, although there are certainly other fun ways I could have spent the afternoon.

I really didn't want this weekend to end, but the only really good thing about it ending is that yesterday, Saturday June 21, was summer solstice. I might have altogether forgotten this very important fact had New York not reminded me as the sun was finally setting. When she mentioned this I was ecstatic as it now means the days will be getting shorter and I will be getting up later and later every morning instead of earlier and earlier. Amen to that.