Monday, April 20, 2009

Coming up for air

Yes, Glo, here I am - I read the late comments on my last post!

Omigosh!  It's raining cats, dogs and a few horses out there!  It started just as I typed the last sentence.  This evening walking home the air was heavy, warm and moist, like a primordial soup, with a few silent flashes of lightning.  Like the rebirth of life was about to happen.

Anyway, you want to hear about the job.  The image of the cherry blossoms above are from the two trees flanking the office entrance in Arlington.  Everyone is so nice and friendly there.  It's a quiet and studious environment, which is perfect for me.  When it's a hectic week, you can hear a pin drop.  When there's not enough work, it gets noisy.

So far, I've edited documents in Latvian, Portuguese, French, and - get this - Azeri (from Azerbaijan) for things I shouldn't tell you about.  But I now know how to say gamma and neutron in more than one language.

I'm a tri-stater now:  live in DC, work in VA, hang out in MD.  I've never crossed state lines so much in my life.


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This weekend with J was wonderful!  Saturday was hot - nearly 80F/27C - so we absolutely had to stay outdoors.  We went to Great Falls national park which sprawls across both Virginia and Maryland.  We were in the Md. part of course, on a part known as the Billy Goat Trail.  Being a native Marylander, J knows all that there is to do in that state.


Some rapids where we spotted a few kayakers going sideways


After about a mile hike, resting on the rocks at a small inlet beach


Leaving the inlet and heading back the way we came, we stalked a blue heron.  This is 5x zoom.


At a quiet pond we spotted another heron - can you see it?



There he is - being all still and zen waiting for a meal

Roots of a log that spans the stream



Pretty blue flowers (any of you expert floraphiles know?)


Gritty, sweaty, and icky, we freshened up (good thing he only lives 10 minutes from my place), I got picked up again and crossed back into Maryland where we went to dinner at a very swanky Vietnamese place in Bethesda.  It was some of the nicest decor I've ever seen in an Asian restaurant down to the details - very homey despite the soaring ceilings, the fancy aquarium and the waterfall behind the bar.

As a result of all the clambering and climbing, I was very sore today.  My quadriceps and even my deltoids are feeling it because I used my arms a lot to climb up and down.  It's funny because J feels it in his calves, but mine are fine.


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Sunday was very Sunday-ish.  J picked me up and we went to lunch and then Macy's.  My mission failed in that they were out of my shade of makeup.  J's mission was accomplished in that I helped him pick out a new shirt and tie for a client event on Tuesday.  If it doesn't work I accept the blame.  Even though I used to buy ties for Dad, I haven't had that much practice matching them with shirts and suits.  Then we went to DSW Shoe Warehouse where I made up for the lack of makeup by buying two pairs of shoes for work.

We rambled around downtown Bethesda for a while and enjoyed the band playing Led Zeppelin outside Barnes & Noble.  When it tried to rain, we retreated inside to share a big cookie and sat together reading magazines until it got dark and chilly outside.  Finally, we went to Austin Grill for a dinner of starters, enough for two small people.  I think we stayed out much later than I had expected for a Sunday night!

Two interesting cakes in the window of a cupcake bakery:




I shall call this one
Wedgwood


19 comments:

beginninghere said...

Liv dear, what a delightful post. I am so glad to see you doing well. Your pics are great as usual. Your comment about the basically quiet office made me smile as I for one appreciate low noise levels. Hugs.

The Moody Minstrel said...

It's great that you have a place like Great Falls Park so close by. Now you see the city, now you don't!

I couldn't help noticing an identical glint in your collective eyes in the second pic.

I'm sorry your Sunday shopping mission was only half successful, but at least it was a cakewalk. (*cough*)

Hmm... Gamma? Neutrons? Hmm...
(Quickly looks over should

Anonymous said...

your job sounds interesting...how do you get to do it? you can't possibly speak ALL those languages, can you? glad it went well xx

nikkipolani said...

You look and sound really happy and I'm so pleased. I like the quiet feel of your excursion on the Billy Goat Trail. That shot of the heron by the still pond is gorgeous.

Flighty said...

I agree with Nikki's comment wholeheartedly!
Have a good week. xx

michelle G said...

you know the name you picked for the last cake is very suiting.

and you and J are a cute couple, you look great, happy.

and the pictures, amazing.

Miss Dallas said...

Dear Livvy! Your pictures are great and your job sounds really fascinating! And you and J look so happy!

I really love the outdoors so I think it's great that you have a fantastic park nearby. Hiking really is a full-body workout, too.

That "crab cake" (har har) was made by Charm City Cakes of Baltimore, I think.

steve on the slow train said...

My wife says the flowers are Virginia bluebells. Beautiful pictures as usual. Really nice photo of you and Jeff.

We're better off with you and people like you rendering these documents into readable English.

Don't worry about responding to comments right now--you've got a new job and fine young man to be concerned about.

Glo said...

So glad to know your job is a good fit, Liv :) It sounds intriguingly interesting, and I'm not at all surprised you got the job ~ who else in the world could even do it!

What a wonderful hike in the outdoors ~ good, healthy fun. Of course, the choices of places you eat are fantastic. Those cakes are truly amazing. Got a kick out of the crab cake one ~ whoa ~ what a feat! They both look too good to eat ~

I've left a little sonnet written just for you and J on my site ~

Rick Rockhill said...

I always like the idea of being a tri-state person when I had similar situations as well.

nice pic of you and your friend, oh and the pond pics are AMAZING!

Anonymous said...

All hail the beauty od wedgewood! Glad your weekend was so much fun, and so glad you're enjoying the new position! I haven't gotten mine yet. But, I'm hoping.

P.S
I really like that picutre of you and J! Keep'em coming. :)

Tea N. Crumpet said...

When I was at Rick's blog and he had the Faberge eggs, I KNEW the Wedgwood one was his. Why do we love it so much? I bought a Wedgwood thimble online just so I could touch it and hold it. I love it!

These pictures are beautiful. I like how the world looks though your eyes.

We just had our first rain in Wasilla, AK last evening and it was followed by a terrible cold today. Spring always comes, but one of my daughters says that Old Man winter is coughing the cold back into our lives!

Christopher said...

What lovely photos! You're inspiring me to want to get a better camera and devote my life to documenting the world!

Um Naief said...

first, congratulations on the new job my dear! glad to know you feel good in the environment and are happy.

second... i'm so happy to hear about the new love in your life. sounds like you guys are having a wonderful time... and you both look happy... which is really nice to see.

love to you my friend.

Allison said...

Just perusing your blog...Carol sent me (from The Tuckers)...because my husband and I are moving to the DC area at the end of the summer, so I'm trying to get as much info as possible :) Enjoyed looking at your pictures!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

The wonderful outdoors! Everything is infinitely better when you go into the open. I miss that kind of hiking, here it's all flat.

I like you enthusiasm, it comes across in every post!

And yeah, how do you translate all those languages? You know them all? Wow. A job using words in any way is my favourite.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

*your enthusiasm*

Nabeel said...

Lovely pictures, seems like you two had a relaxing and peaceful time. I love the sound of such lakes and rock formations. Great smiles @ you two :)

Nabeel said...

I call it 'teal blue curtains'