That's A Wrap

Well all my earthly belongings have been packed into the U-Haul truck and my goodbyes have been said.  This morning we will head out caravan style to Pittsburgh and hopefully make it in one piece.  All in all, the Charm City has been pretty good to me over the last three years (survived school, started a new career, fell in love, pedaled some great trails) and I'm excited to see what awaits me in Pittsburgh. 

There are definitely several things left to check off my Bmore Bucket List, but I am sure I will be back in the future.  Want to see what new adventures lie ahead?  I am resurrecting my old PGH blog (how convenient) so make sure to check it out in the coming weeks!

Final Day on the Floor

After nearly a year working at the University of Maryland, today I walked into the hospital for the last time.  The floor has been particularly heavy over the past few weeks and the last three shifts I got worked HARD.  Thankfully the nursing gods were on my side and I would be working with one of the orientees on my last day. 

The new nurse learning curve is definitely a thing.  Throughout nursing school preceptors and nurses on the floor said it usually takes new nurses about six months to really get their feet under them (keep in mind my orientation to the floor was about ten weeks).  I have come a long way since I came off orientation and even further since I walked onto the floor for the first time.  There is no way I could have handled the four patients I had this past weekend as a new nurse off orientation. 

The crew even got me a going away cake.

Final picture with the 11 East Crew!!

Here's to a new adventure. 
I am sure there will be another learning curve in the PICU, but I am excited to see and learn a lot!

Just Hangin' With Some Wild Horses

Disclaimer: I lost all the pictures on my phone so these have been swiped from the interwebs.  
I tried to steal images close to the ones I took.

 

With things winding down here in Baltimore (big announcement coming soon) I am trying to finish off as many things on my Baltimore bucket list.  While a trip to Asseteague Island wasn't officially something which made the cut, it has been in the back of my mind and helps to chip away at the 30 Before 30. 

This national park, a two and a half hour drive from my apartment, is a 37 mile barrier island located off the Eastern shore of Maryland (the southern third of the island is actually in Virginia).  The national seashore was established in 1965, bus is also maintained by the Maryland State Parks and US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Thankfully you can buy one pass to get you in and it will be accepted at both entrance for a week.

One of the biggest draws for tourists is the wild horses.  There are two groups, one in Maryland and one in Virginia, and are claimed to be survivors of a Spanish ship wreck.  So technically not "wild" as their ancestors come from domestic horses, but they have been allowed to run loose over the island.  While the Maryland horses are owned by the National Park Service, those in Virginia are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department (strange I know).  In order to keep the populations from exploding the Maryland ponies have been placed under a federal contraceptive program while those in Virginia are put up for auction on Pony Penning Day.

The one picture I was able to salvage

While there is not much hiking (something you would expect when you hear National Park) the beaches, especially in the northern section are beautiful.  The first part of the day was spent on the northern part of Asseteauge.  I did get to spend some time wandering some of the smaller trails.

The Dunes trail gave a great deal of information about the park and how it had been formed over the years.  After a few hundred yards I was shocked to come across the Baltimore Boulevard.  This once paved road was part of a 15 mile development project.  A decade later much of the road and buildings were destroyed in a storm.  The properties were never rebuilt as the National Seashore was formed.

The final stop was to head back to the water in hopes of catching one last glance of some horses.  There were a couple off in the distance, but too far to get a good view.  When you get to the water there are signs saying you are allowed to catch crabs and muscles.  While I spotted some I decided to keep my feet on dry land. 

Seeing most of what I could (next time I am bringing a bike and seeing about a campsite) I got back in the car and headed an hour south to the Virginia side.  The first stop was the Lighthouse.  I'm a sucker for a good lighthouse; I blame all the summers on Cape Cod.

As the sun started to sink lower in the sky and the mosquitoes came out I decided it would be a good time to make the long journey home.  The final stop of the road trip before grabbing dinner in Annapolis was a country store attached to a gas station.  Stopping at random road side attractions and shops has become the norm since my SUS summer.  You never know what delicious home baked good and/or gag gift you may find.  This store did not disappoint and I found some great bird feeders.

National Park #11 crossed off the 30 Before 30 List.  

Only four more to go until I can cross another item off the list.

An Afternoon in Old Town

After learning Steph had yet to be to Old Town and it was on her DC bucket list, the two of us decided to spend the afternoon playing tourist.  The first item on the list was The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. 

For those of out of the loop, GW is a well known Freemason.  Dedicated in 1932, this 333 foot tall memorial is likened after the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt (Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). The idea to construct the memorial was proposed by the Fredericksburg Lodge and after fifty years the spot on Shooter's Hill was selected; it was once in the running to house the Capitol building.  In the early 1900s there was a strong desire to construct a fire proof building to house several items owned or used by Washington.  The building has an extensive history so if you want to learn more click here. 

After 45 minutes of seeing various rooms and historical pieces we finally headed to the top.  

From there you got a 360* view of Alexandria, DC and National Harbor. 

After an afternoon wandering around Old Town and the Torpedo Factory Art Center we grabbed Dan and headed over to Port City Brewing.  At the turn of the 20th Century, Alexandria was home to Portner Brewing Company, the largest brewery in the southern US.  Sadly, like many other breweries and distilleries, once Prohibition was enacted the brewery went out of business.  Fast forward one hundred years and Port City Brewing Company was started and has been winning local and national awards. 

The three of us were glad to enjoy some air conditioning and work our way through everything on tap.  While we did hop on the tour, the three of us were busy chatting and missed most of the information our tour guide was giving. 

All in all, a successful afternoon.

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day

In 1956, the League of American Bicyclists began Bike to Work Day which has now become part of National Bike Month.  Cities across the country are providing free coffee, t-shirts, breakfasts and tune ups.  Check out your local bike advocacy group to see what your area has planned!

Happy Birthday Florence

The last day of Nurses Week always falls on Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12th. 

Born to a wealth British family, Florence was expected to marry rich, entertain guests and partake in charming activities like playing the piano and embroidery.  She, however, felt like she had more to offer and after nine years of discussion with her family, she trained as a nurse in Germany. 

Nightingale was drafted by the Secretary of War during the Crimean War to take care of fallen soldiers.  Turns out more soldiers were dying from infection than they were from battle wounds.  Nightingale and the other volunteers soon cut infection by two thirds by cleaning the hospital and providing the wounded with healthy food (novel idea, right?).  At night she would complete her rounds by lamp light and soon earned the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp." 

After the war ended she became bed ridden, but that did not slow her down.  She helped to fund the Nightingale School for the training of nurses, brought sanitation and public health nursing to India and published hundreds of pamphlets and reports related to the field of nursing.

Have a couple of minutes to spare?  Head over to Bio.com where you can watch a mini biography on the woman who changed the face of nursing and public health forever.    

Nurses' Week

The Perfect Number of Bikes is X + 1

Where x = the number of bikes your currently own. 

Every year Bike and Build pairs up with Giant and BoKoo Bikes to provide free bikes to all of its participants.  Once riders hit a certain percentage of their fundraising goal, they receive a glorious email with directions to ordering said bike.  While I have had the box for a few days, this afternoon I finally had time to put it together and did so in record time, without directions.  It helps that last spring I built several hundred bikes for work.

I saw a couple of people put together a time-lapse video of the entire process last year, so I decided to do the same.  Make sure you stick around for the end of the video because I have a new incentive scheme going on for anyone who donates!  Click here to figure out how.

Sometimes it takes a while for a name to come to me and other times it will hit as soon as I see the bike.  This year's base model for the ladies is mostly black with some light blue accents.  Coming from the land of the Ravens, I decided to name my bike Edgar Allen Poe, Poe for short.  The next step will be to get pedals, a bike fitting and probably a new saddle. 

100 Days to Go Until I Drift West

So often when I think of Bike and Build, I think of the Holstee Manifesto.  According to their website, the founders wanted "to create something they could reflect back on if they ever felt stuck or found themselves living according to someone else’s definition of happiness."  The poster has been printed thousands of times and has even been turned into a video featuring a wide variety of NYC cyclists. 

Some of my favorite lines:

• Do what you love and do it often.
• If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
• When you eat, appreciate every last bite.
• Travel often.  Getting lost will help you find yourself. 
• Some opportunities only come once, seize them.

With that being said THERE ARE ONLY 100 DAYS UNTIL DRIFT WEST HITS THE ROAD.  My bike showed up today which means tomorrow it comes out of its box and we hit the road.  New name to be reveal tomorrow.  Head over to the bike blog to see how you can donate to my ride!!

Urban Gardening: Season 3

Well it's that time of year again when cherry blossoms start to bloom around the city and bulbs start to pop up in public and private gardens.  While some people are trying to figure out which basketball teams will make it to the final four, urban gardeners are trying to narrow down the final fruit and vegetable which will make it into their gardens. 

This spring I vowed to start on the garden before the weeds took over.  While I was a few weeks earlier than last year, the water was still turned off and the weeds were over a foot high.  On the upside, it rained the night before so the weeds were a bit easier to pull up. 

Two hours and four wheelbarrow loads later I could finally see the dirt, Frank was found and so were the rest of my gardening tools.  There were still a lot of weeds in the ground, but after a quick till most of them came loose.

This year eighteen different kinds of flowers and vegetables will be planted at the community garden and bunch of herbs have already made it into planters at home.  A few plants will be taken out and replaced as the summer wares on and I get a jump on the fall harvest.   

All of the plants went in with out a hitch and there was no room to spare!  It doesn't look like much right now, but give it a few weeks and things will, hopefully, be sprouting away.  Gardening, a lesson in patience.  

 

Arden Comes to Baltimore

One of the good things about a non-traditional work schedules if friends can come visit you during the week.  Arden hopped on the train and 50 minutes later she arrived in the Charm City.  Baltimore is filled with activities so we had to make today count.  As a result, we hopped in the car and decided to channel our best take on the NYT's 36 hours (oddly enough we found a copy later in the day).

First stop the American Visionary Art Museum to check out some of the crazy mosaics and sculptures. 

Next on the list, Fort McHenry, so we could get our history and America on.  

Disclaimer this is a picture stolen from an earlier trip.  The rain was not helping the situation.

Also who doesn't love a good cannon?

After we grabbed coffee at my favorite coffee shop, we headed over to the Avenue in Hampden to check out some of the boutiques and the infamous pink flamingo.  Seriously, this thing can brighten up any rainy day (and boy had we seen some rain today). 

A few years ago when Arden visited it was Pi(e) Day and we struck out on the pie front.  This trip I made good and we swung by Dangerously Delicious Pies.  While there is also a shop in DC, this one is the original.  There is nothing more Baltimore than enjoying a slice of the Baltimore Bomb which is filled with Berger Cookies.  Here we have Arden contemplating he pie:

There is nothing like that first bite!  

Sadly I got no reactionary photo, but I am pretty sure it was two thumbs up. 

And with that we were back at Penn Station. 
Until the next visit!!!

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday! 
Now go and get your dance on!

Trip to the National Arboretum

One of my most favorite things to visit and bring people to is the National Arboretum.  This 446 acre park in the middle of NE DC is a tucked away gem which many tourists and locals never see.  Each season brings something different.  The spring has the azaleas, the summer has wild flowers and her gardens and the fall has great autumn foliage.  Unfortunately there is not much going on during the winter, but we did see the original US Capitol columns.

The columns were built in 1828 to support the original dome of the East Portico.  When the new dome was completed in 1864 the columns looked too small to support the new dome; they were not replaced until 1958.  Long story, short the columns made it to the arboretum in 1984.  Head over to the National Arboretum website to learn more about their history.  

My mother has gotten very into selfie photos.  The unfortunate part is the three of us have short arms and the person taking the picture ends up having a smooshed face.  This time it was my turn.  

While most of the arboretum was still dormant, the Bonsai & Penjing Museum was in full bloom.  In fact it is home to one of the largest bonsai and penjing collections in North America.  Upon entering, visitors are reminded that this art form was created over a thousand years ago by artists who were inspired to recreate mountains, trees and horizons. 

Here is one bonsai tree we saw in the collection.  Interestingly enough plants are left out in the winter weather and are only protected by a roof from snow and ice which can damage the branches. 

Here is a good example of a penjing or tray landscapes. 

 And of course we have Elise pondering a bonsai tree which has been in training since 1795.

After about 15 minutes we walked through the entire exhibit and got one last photo from the trip.

Recovery Day

With sore muscles and the promise of MUCH better weather, we hobbled over to Eastern Market.  Not only would we be able to wander around the bazaar, but would  be able to get one of the best breakfasts in town at Market Lunch; seriously their pancakes are something to write home about.  Elise was very impressed with her breakfast sandwich and blueberry buckwheat pancake - just look at that face!! 

Spring had definitely sprung in Eastern Market.
Who wouldn't love to bring some of these bright colors home with them?

The wind started to pick up and the sun was hiding behind the clouds so we decided it would be best to find some indoor activities for the rest of the afternoon.  The obvious choice was to head to the National Mall and pop into the American History Museum.

Obligatory Washington Monument tourist photo!!

Man we could have used this one for a Christmas card!

After a serious afternoon power nap, we introduced my mother to Uber and headed over to Ben's Chili Bowl (another quintessential DC haunt neither had never visited).  We met Christine and somehow managed to find a table despite the large school group already there.  The evening wrapped up with a quick history from a family friend who was addressing another group in the same room; it's definitely a great example of the American Dream.  

Confessions of a Soggy Half Marathon Runner

The three of us were up bright and early and unfortunately, greeted by a lot of rain.  Thankfully, I had called down the night before and gotten garbage bags for me and Elise to wear for the start of the race.  Look at how happy Elise is to be heading to the start line.

We got in a quick picture before we split into our separate corrals.  It might have been raining, but spirits were still bright at this point (the radar showed the rain would stop by 8am). 

So without a camera to take pictures along the way, I thought I would give a quick run down of what I was thinking over the course of the race.  Below is a map for some reference.

Mile 0:  Whose idea was this anyway?  Well I am glad I thought of wearing this garbage bag.

Mile 0.75:  Oh hey GW, long time no see!  Man this race is lacking the usual crazy color shirts and shorts.  I guess that's what happens when everyone is wearing black garbage bags. 

Mile 1.75:  Okay time to ditch this garbage bag.  The rain should be ending soon, right?

Mile 2:  Oh hey I see some SUS '12 bikers.  I'm going to run over and say hello. 

Mile 5:  WAHOO!!  I have officially run more today than I did during training.  Seriously one day I will actually train for one of these runs. 

Mile 5.5:  Okay the runner's high has kicked in ... oh that man has a great sign for Pi Day ... what kinds of pie am I going to eat when I'm done?  

Mile 5.8:  The killer hill.  Yup I am walking up this bad boy.  I could get a latte at Open City.  I have five dollars in my pocket.  Nope bad idea.  You would see that latte again in a few shot steps.

Mile 7.1:  Oh I have a friend who lives in that building.  Man, should I throw in the towel and go crawl into her shower and some sweats.  No ... must keep running.  

Mile 8:  Mother Nature you are killing me.  The rain is picking up and now there is a head wind.  what gives.  

Mile 9:  Weeee a down hill.  I wish I had my camera so I could take a picture with the presidents.  

Mile 9.75: Oh hey there's Alex ... I should go over and say hi!  (Alex runs the next few blocks with me coffee in one hand and umbrella in the other)

Mile 10.5: I HAVE HIT THE WALL.  WHY IS IT ALWAYS AFTER MILE 10 MY LEGS ARE DONE?  I probably should have trained better for this.  Story of my life. 

Mile 11: Yeah lets slow this thing down to a walk.  Man there are so many new restaurants on H Street.  I have to make a mental note about some of these. 

Mile 12:  That man just gave me a pretty good motivational speech.  Okay back to a slow jog.  At least that means I will get to the finish line sooner. 

Mile 12.5: I SEE THE FINISH LINE.  Just put one foot in front of the other.  Just keep running.

Mile 13.1:  Oh thank god I am done.  Why is it still raining?  How long am I going to have to wait until I find he rest of my family and can get into a warm shower and dry clothes?

Official time: 2:40
Unofficial time (official time - some hugs and hellos - a quick stretch break): 2:34

Elise and I waited about 45 minutes for Mom to show up, but the rain kept coming and the wind started to pick up.  Neither of us had a phone so a very nice stranger let us send a text telling her we were heading back to the hotel and ordering a pizza.  

Happy Pi Day

I was first introduced to Pi Day during a 7th grade math class when my teacher brought in an apple pie for us to eat (and her other five classes of the day).  Well this year there is cause for the celebration as the year 2015 works perfectly into the digits of pi.  See left!

So what are you waiting for?  Go get yourself a piece (or two) for yourself!