Snowed In

Yeah, so the weatherman was actually right for a change...we got A LOT of snow! Here are some pics from my fun snow day.

Quote of the day: “To appreciate the beauty of a snow flake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

It's Coming...

So I'm driving to the store to finish up my Christmas shopping last night after work and I hear on the radio that we are expected to get 10-20 inches of SNOW this weekend... SAY WHAT??!? Nah that can't be true. My ears must have been hearing wrong because this is D.C. and D.C doesn't even know what real snow is. 1 inch of the white fluffy stuff and the whole city shuts down...or better put, 1 inch of rain and the city shuts down. (these people REALLY need to learn how to drive...Ha Ha I should be talking ;)

Anyways, I just checked weather.com to make sure I haven't certifiably gone nuts (which at this point I hardly doubt, because I very well may have) and sure enough this is the forecast map I see...

There we are...right smack dab in the middle of the darkest purple!

Bout to rush home from the office, grab my snow pants and a couple days worth of clean clothes and head over the my best friends house. If I have to be snowed in for a couple days, I might as well be snowed in with people I love :)

I see a whole lot of movie watching and game playing in my future!

Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll definitely upload some pics if we actually get as much as we are expected to.

Quote of the Day: “Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway." ~Maya Angelou

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

My best friend Kara, whose house I am currently invading, has a 2 year old daughter named Sophia. You might have seen her in some of my pics over the years...she is the most adorable little thing ever. Super naughty, but super adorable.

Over the past month that I have been living with them I have totally fallen in love with her. On my darkest of days, when the stresses of life slap me hard in the face, one little hug from her snaps me back to reality. I'm sure that's how all you moms out there feel. But since I'm not a mom yet, this is the next best thing. (if not better, since I can always give her back ;)

Today we took her to the Zoo, or as any of you other kids in grown up bodies know, that is code for...we actually took ourselves to the Zoo ;) We had such a great time too. The weather was just perfect.

Here are a few pics:

Someone is a little excited













I'm not listening to you, I'm not listening to you...













Showing Mr. Bear some lovin'













Loved the elephants!





















Quote of the day: "Remember when you thought boys had cooties...when friends were new, dreams were un-shattered and worries few...when recess was too short and life was too long...decisions came easily without need to belong...when storks delivered the babies and passions weren't so strong...friendships were un-broken...right was right, and wrong was wrong...when bad things didn't happen...when only skinned knees brought tears, and the night light in it's socket quieted all our fears...when farewell meant just for summer, and real friends didn't part...the fun went on forever and never left a broken heart."

Where Did The Time Go?

Wow, has it really been over a month since I've posted on here?? That is just crazy. I'm truly disappointed in myself for neglecting my beloved blog like that.

Time has been flying by though, yet standing still all at the same time. Lots of changes have taken place in my life over the last few months, none of which were welcomed changes, might I add...but I'm doing my best to believe that in the end I will be able to look back and say that they were all actually changes for the better.

I moved out of my apartment in DC at the beginning of August and put all my stuff into storage. Not knowing where my next job will be located, I thought it best not to sign a new year lease. Plus, as you can probably guess, not having a job means not having money, and not having money means that having to pay rent each month could pose quite a big problem. Especially considering the ridiculous price of rent here in the DC area. All you ppl living in the 'burbs don't even want to know what the cost of living is around here. Trust me, just be thankful you aren't paying it.

Anyways, so with my whole life crammed in Tupperware containers in the back of my car and the rest in a 10x10 storage unit, I'm currently camping out with one of my girlfriends at her townhouse in western Montgomery County. Although its not optimal living for either party, all I have to say is thank God for friends!

I've gone on quite a few interviews, been promised job offers and everything, but unfortunately haven't quite landed my dream job just yet...but I'm still confident that the one meant for me is out there somewhere, just have to be patient.


Quote of the day: "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Pooh

Back to Reality

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you return from a fun vacation or from being around friends and family for an extended amount of time? You know...the "ugh, back to reality" feeling.

Well, that's exactly the feeling I have right now and I hate it. I had such a fun 3 day weekend. Not a care in world...and now the reality that it's over and I have to return back to the mundane routine of my life is sinking in. Yuck!

Guess that's just way life goes though :(

Here's are some pics of my crew and I at Kings Dominion yesterday. We had such a blast! Not sure exactly why, maybe the economy has something to do with it, but to our surprise we pretty much had the whole park to ourselves. I loved just jumping from roller coaster to roller coaster without having to wait in any lines...
...my head and stomach, however, didn't really like it so much.

Definitely don't think the adult body (or at least this adult body) is made to handle that sort of extreme intensity.







Quote of the day: "Life can be like a roller coaster...its filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive." ~Stacey Charter

Fun in the Sun

I'm so excited for this weekend! My pool at my apartment opens on Saturday and nothing makes me happier than that :) For the past few weeks, since the pool hasn't been open yet, when its been nice out, my roommate and I have been laying out on the top of our parking garage...gotta love city living.

No one ever parks up there on the top level so the privacy and seclusion made for a perfect tanning spot for us....or so we thought. Unfortunately the parking garage security guard, who so conveniently thought it necessary to "guard" the top level every time we were up there, where not a single car is parked mind you, really kind of made things awkward.

But oh well. You gotta love guys. Do they honestly think they're not obvious? I really wonder.

But other than hanging out poolside every hour of every day this weekend, on Monday my girlfriends and I are gonna go to Kings Dominion. Should be fun. Last year I went to Six Flags with my brother, sister, and ex. It was a good time and I heard Kings Dominion is supposed to be way better. So I'm excited. Then afterwards we'll probably come back and have a little cookout.

Sun, fun, friends, food, pool, day off work...doesn't get much better than that :)

What do you all have planned?


Quote of the day: Charlotte: "Imagine, being blind and not being able to see a beautiful day like today. Can you think of anything worse?"
Anthony: "Stonewashed jeans and a matching jacket.”
~Sex and The City

Check That One Off My Bucket List

Last night was my Boyz II Men concert and let me tell you...they were AMAZING! I don't really even know how its possible, but I definitely love them even more now than I did before.

The concert was at this awesome venue called Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, VA. It was my first time there and I was totally impressed. Its a small, intimate place that holds maybe 300 people at most. You sit at tables and they serve you appetizers, dinner, drinks...anything you need to keep you happy while you wait.

Seating is first come first serve so the plan was to leave my place at 4pm, get there around 5pm when the doors opened, get good seats, and then just sit and have dinner til the show started at 7:30pm.

Well...lets just say it didn't quite work out that way.

DC traffic SUCKS!...enough said.

The 13 mile drive to VA took us over 2 hours and we got there almost right as the show was starting. As you can imagine I was beyond pissed. Luckily the second Shawn, Wanya, and Nathan came out on stage, the previous two hours from hell were erased from my mind and I had nothing but feelings of euphoric ecstasy. (Yeah, they are really that good, no lie)

They sang all my favorite songs and then some, handed out roses, serenaded a birthday girl, told jokes, had choreographed dances, and even called some dudes mom on his cell and sang a "Song For Mama" on the phone to her.


Omg you have no idea...I was so in love <3>

I waited the past 18 years to see them (they really started singing together way back in 1991, isn't that crazy)...but it was definitely well worth the wait!


Quote of the Day: "Back in school, we used to dream about this everyday. Could it really happen, or do dreams just fade away. Now everybody is singin' now, it's in this town, woo ooh. So we started a group and here we are...Kickin' it just for you" ~ Boyz II Men ~ Motown Philly

Craptastic!

This past week was absolutely gorgeous. I whipped out my shorts, tanks and flip flops and was really getting used to all the sun and summer-esque heat. Now, lately, for some stupid reason, good ol' Mother Nature decided we need some rain...and lots of it. Just checked the forecast and looks like there is no end in sight either. Awesome. Can pretty much chalk this weekend up as craptastic!

Tonight I'm going to the Nationals baseball game with some of my girlfriends...if the rain allows. The Nats suck hardcore and I honestly couldn't name a single player on their team if my life depended on it, but that's all really just trivial. Nobody cares about the actual game anyways... as long as I can see the players asses in those tight baseball pants, everything else is irrelevant.


Should be a fun time!


Quote of the day: "Baseball is a game where a curve is an optical illusion, a screwball can be a pitch or a person, stealing is legal and you can spit anywhere you like except in the umpire's eye or on the ball." ~Jim Murray

Hello SUN-day!

Dear Sun,

Welcome back! I am so so glad you are here. I was beginning to think cold had a permanent strong hold on you, but I guess I should have known better than to doubt whether you were coming back. These past few days I have spent reconnecting with you have been oh so glorious. My pale skin has been slightly smooched by your lips and I am loving it. I can't wait for all the fun times you and I are going to have this summer. I think its fair to say I love you sun!

With all my heart,
Robyn

____________________________________________________________________

Happy SUNday everyone! Really hope you all are enjoying the weather this weekend as much as I am. The thought of sitting inside on my computer when the sun is shining outside just about eats me alive so I'm going to speed things up and resort to a little bullet point action today.

Friday night I went to the Waterfront with some of my girlfriends. I have never been there before and quickly realized I have totally been missing out. Georgetown, water, boats, outdoor bars and restaurants, young people everywhere...love it. Definitely going back.

Saturday my bestie, her daughter and I went to College Park to stroll around Maryland Day. Its basically like a big carnival on campus where they set up fun stuff to do, see, and eat and anyone and everyone comes through to check it out. Such a perfect day for it too. For lunch we sat on our picnic blanket under a tree, relaxed and people watched. Doesn't get much better than that.

For the rest of the afternoon we went shopping. Spent too much money, but got some great new stuff for summer that made me smile (and that's all that matters). Couple pair of sunglasses, some adorable pink loafers, a Zack Morris posse t-shirt, and a fabulous sheer paisley print tank. Enough said!

Yesterday was the NFL draft and my boy Darius Heyward-Bey was taken by the Raiders as the 7th overall pick. I'm so excited for him...Terps represent!!

And today I'm just planning on going to church, then maybe cruising around downtown with some of my work friends, maybe catch a movie later. There is one called Obsession with Beyonce in it that I'm trying to see. Should be fun!

Quote of the day: "Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the SUN will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move toward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.” ~ Og Mandino

Brimming With Fun

After a long cherry blossom filled day in DC on Saturday we finally packed things up and headed home around 6pm. Tired, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to shower and lay around semi-comatose for the rest of the night, I was totally overwhelmed at the thought of a 7:30pm birthday party I had promised to attend. Ugh!

Being a person of my word though, I sucked it up, quickly threw on some party-going apparel, touched up my makeup, and did the best I could to make my wind-blown hair look presentable...and out the door I went...all the way down to Springfield, Virginia.

Despite the angry inner dialogue taking place in my head on the way there, once I arrived I was nothing but happy about my decision to come. My bestie and I arrived a little bit (or actually a lot bit) late, but hey, what can we say...at least we arrived.

The party was a hat party, at the request of the birthday boy, so I dug out one of the very few that I have, and of course, rocked it out.

The man of the night is a professional photographer...a pretty amazing one too I must say...so he had a great idea to turn one of the rooms in his house into a photo booth room during the party. Wow...I had no idea how much fun that could be. We all had such a blast with it. Here are a few of our pics.

After all was said and done Kara and I arrived back at my place around 3 am, and boy were we tired. It's been quite a while since my last sleepover, and despite our complete exhaustion, in little school girl fashion, we stayed up for a few more hours, laying in my bed, giggling and gossiping about the crazy events of the day. Oh how I love best friends!


Quote of the day: "When you wear a hat, it is like medicine for the soul. The hat is the expression of who you are as a women! The hat is your dreams of who you can be. It facilitates the different parts of who you are: mysterious...proper...sexy...playful. "

Get Your Bloomin' Arse Out of My Way!!

Saturday morning was the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in D.C., and for God knows what reason I thought that would be a great time to head down to the mall and check out the beautiful scenery.

Unfortunately, 2 million other people (literally) had the same idea. Ughh...Have I ever mentioned how much I hate tourists?

I pretty much live a stones throw away from the district and thus could've went to check out the cherry blossoms at ANY other time over the past couple weeks, but of course, my bestie and I so conveniently chose to go the same day as every other human being on the planet.

Awesome.

The Metro was a total cluster f***, I couldn't walk without running into someone, someone's child, someone's pet, or someone's stroller, we had to eat lunch on the window sill in the corner of the cafe in the Smithsonian because there were absolutely no seats to be had, and thanks to the hurricane-like winds I could barely even open my eyes long enough to see anything.

...but other than that...those darn cherry blossoms were pretty beautiful, I must admit.

Can you tell how much we loved the wind? That pic pretty much sums it up.

Quote of the day: "Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." ~ Arthur Golden

Boyz II Men Back Again

My dearest Boyz II Men,

Nathan, Michael, Shawn and Wanya --- I really missed you guys. Where have you been all these years? Other than that little fling I had with Grant Hill and David Justice, you were my one true love back in the 90's. It really wasn't right for you to just up and leave me like that. I know you said you had come to the "end of the road" but I guess I wasn't prepared for you to just disappear on me.

We shared so many memories together, so many long car rides, so many intimate moments, so many tears. Hearing your voice, even now, makes me all tingly inside.

Just yesterday I heard from one of my friends that you are coming into town next month. It hurts me so much that I had to find out news like that through the grapevine...I really thought we were closer than that. But the truth is, I'm super excited. I still love you, always have, and always will. I can't wait to see you. I'm so glad you are back again!

Quote of the day: "Can we go back to the days our love was strong. Can you tell me how a perfect love goes wrong. Can somebody tell me how to get things back the way they used to be. Oh God give me a reason, I'm down on bended knee." ~ Boyz II Men

Is the Weekend Over Already?

Friday night was suppose to be our much anticipated "Made in the 80's" Party and let me tell you, I had the most radical getup picked out. Here's a picture of my shoes, just to give you a little taste.

Unfortunately one too many people couldn't make it, for one reason or another, so rather than sitting around with our side ponies, singing Milli Vanilli, and eating ring pops by ourselves we decided to postpone the party to a more suitable weekend.

So the four of us, who could actually make it, decided to go out for a nice dinner instead. As a pre-birthday celebration for moi we went to Gordon Biersch, a brewery restaurant in downtown Rockville. I had never even heard of the place prior, but the food and drinks were awesome and the company and conversation was even better. The only complaint I could muster up is that our seats were much too far away from the TVs, so I couldn't see the basketball action the way I would have liked. Luckily Duke wasn't playing that night so it really didn't create too much anxiety for me

I had a delicious Raspberry Bay Breeze cocktail, Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer to share, and Tuscan Chicken Pasta as my entree...Yuuuummy. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water all over again.

After a rather late night, according to my standards, I had to wake up bright and early Saturday morning (waaaay too bright and early if you ask me) for a day trip down to the National Harbor. A group of fellow photography enthusiasts were meeting up there to learn a little, laugh a little, and of course try to get a few nice shots. Here are a few that I took with my measly camera, that I'm now on a mission to replace with a nice Nikon or Canon. (A special thanks to my model Kara (aka my bestie) for her participation in a couple of them)



Hope you all had as good of a weekend as I did!



Quote of the day: “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” ~ Aaron Siskind

Monday-itis

Ughh...I've got a serious case of the Mondays :(

Maybe it's the fact that it's been rainy and yucky around here for quite a few days now and its finally starting to rub off on me...Maybe its the never-ending roommate drama that I'm stuck in the middle of, that makes being in my own apartment extremely awkward...Or maybe its the fact that exactly three months ago today is the last time my ex has made an attempt to contact me and it's making me feel so easily replaceable and so quickly forgotten about.

But whatever the exact reason is, most likely a combination type deal, today in particular, its really all getting me down. So in an effort to snap out of my funk I'm gonna do a little A-to-Z survey thing. 1) Because surveys in and of themselves make me happy, and 2) as a way to focus on the positive, happy things going on in my life, rather than the bad and the sad.

So here it goes:

A-1 STEAK SAUCE. Random I know, but just thinking about the stuff makes me happy. Yumm-oo!

B 3 months and counting until I'm on my way to BERMUDA!
White sand, clear water, hot sun...I can't wait!

C For many years while in college I fell out of the routine of going to church because no one I knew in the DC area went and I feared going by myself. But with God's help and perfect planning, I have now found a new CHURCH that I absolutely love!

D Yesterday DUKE won the Atlantic Coast Conference B-ball Tournament.
2009 ACC champs baby! We are, you're not!

E This Friday night my bestie is having an EIGHTIES PARTY.
It's been a long time since my last crimped, side ponytail. Should be fun!

F Starburst FAVEREDS are for real my friends. I'm in love.
I bought my first bag on Saturday at Giant. Practically already ate them all.

G My GIRLFRIENDS are the best! Really don't know what I would do without them right now.

H Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. And my office is having a St. Patty's day HAPPY HOUR. Yay! Happy hours make me happy :)

I have a whole box of ICE CREAM SANDWICHES waiting for me in the freezer.

J I love my JOB. Really couldn't ask for better. And in these tough economic times I am all the more thankful I even have one.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS is back for an all new season. Not even sure why I like the show, but I do. Now that "The Girls Next Door" are gone Kim, Kourtney and Khloe are the new center of my Sunday nights.

LUCKY CHARMS are on sale this week at Giant. Ahh! I love my lucky charms. The real breakfast of champions.

MARCH MADNESS kicks off this Thursday. Nothing puts a smile on my face like college basketball...all day...everyday.

N I love a good afternoon NAP. If only we had a designated nap time at the office like we used to in preschool.

O I need to stomp on all the fear and insecurity I have and be OPTIMISTIC about what my future holds.

P This coming Saturday morning a group of my friends and I are meeting down at the National Harbor for a fun "PHOTO JAUNT" event. A time to walk around together, enjoy the sights, and take pictures.

Q I love a good QUOTE. When I'm bored at work or at home I just google quotes and can spend hours sitting there reading them.

R Memorial day weekend my girlfriends and I are are going on a ROAD TRIP. Not sure where to just yet, but where ever I know its gonna be a blast.

SUMMER is right around the corner and I couldn't be any more happy about it. Out with the coats and scarves and in with the bikinis and flip flops!

T Hard to believe but I'm gonna be turning TWENTY FIVE in 9 days.
Time flies when you're having fun I guess.

U No matter how UNFAIR life seems I know and truly believe that everything is working out for my good.

V Every summer the last week of July/first week of August my family goes on VACATION to Bethany Beach. I'm already looking forward to it. Always a fun time!

W So thankful for my WEDNESDAY night small group. It's me and a small group of ladies from my church who get together every Wednesday night for a weekly bible study/prayer time. Has really made a great impact on my life.

X I know that just because my EX is not acting like he's hurting doesn't mean he is not. I know his lack of contact and refusal to express sadness doesn't mean he doesn't care, or that our relationship meant nothing to him, it's just how he deals with his emotions.

Y I'm really loving the color YELLOW...Think I'm gonna wear it out this summer. Always looks great against sun-kissed skin.

Z Who the heck careZ...there is nothing that starts with Z and if there is it requires too much thought. So that's the end. Definitely feeling a little happier after that...at least for now anywayZ.


Quote of the day: "The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. " ~ Ivy Baker Priest

Let the Madness Begin!

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple weeks then you probably know that it's March. But what you might not know is that I LOVE the month of March!

Yes, it would be slightly better if it fell in the summer (because everyone knows summer makes everything better) but I still love March nonetheless. Besides the most obvious reason...that I was given the gift of life in the month of March (25th to be exact...don't forget it!), March also means COLLEGE BASKETBALL...ALL DAY....EVERYDAY. And for a b-ball junkie like myself that pretty much makes the next three weeks HEAVEN ON EARTH.

Although we are still a couple days away from the much anticipated "Selection Sunday", the conference tourneys are underway, so already, at any given time, you can most certainly find me glued to a television set somewhere.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that I'm not the only one though. I'm pretty sure that overall office productivity will be making a sharp nosedive over the next few weeks as employees nationwide call in sick, reschedule appointments, and ignore phone calls in an effort to sneak a peak at some of the games or obsessively scour the Internet for score updates.

I LOVE that even people who don't like sports or keep up with college basketball at all will be sucked in... filling out their brackets and chipping in a few bucks to compete in the office pool. The madness is contagious.

Last night after work my girlfriends and I met up at a local sports bar to root on our Terps, who played (and beat) the NC State Wolfpack in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. I put on my best Terp fan facade, but tonight is when Duke plays and everyone knows that's my REAL TEAM!

So Let's Go Blue Devils!

March...I love you <3 So glad you're here!

Quote of the day: "Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is." ~ Vince Lombardi

Never a Dull Moment

Since our murder mystery party started at 5:30pm on Saturday, we were done by around 9 and weren't ready to call it a night just yet. So we decided to head down to Dave & Busters for a little post-party game playing action.

A beautiful young lady from my church was tragically murdered last year, so in honor of what would have been her 30th birthday, a bunch of us planned to meet there for a celebration of her life type thing. Being that we were already quite a bit late for the event, rather than waste more time running all the way home to change, we thought it would be okay just to show up in our costumes...

Boy was that a bad idea! Dave & Busters on a Saturday night = teenager central. I've never been stared at, talked about, and made fun of more in my life. I just wanted to scream "YO, I just came from a murder mystery party! This is not how I normally dress, especially not for a night out at D&B's, and especially not in the winter!"

But whatev...I tried not to let it ruin the night. Took off my bling, hid myself...as best I could...under my winter coat (sweating the entire time) and went about my business.

Stopping to pose for a pic before heading into the game room

Riding along on the back of the stationary jet ski

And being extremely angry because I just lost...to a girl!
Do I even have to tell you how much I hate losing?

So despite the outfit fiasco, Dave & Busters turned out to be a fun ending to a VERY fun Saturday night!

Quote of the day: “Without passion you don't have energy, and without energy you have nothing.”~ Donald Trump