Hope it's not another 15 years...

So I haven't been to the zoo for like 10 or 15 years and have been itching to go, and since Sunday was looking like a great day, Christopher and I decided to head over. First, I went with the roomies
to "Adams Morgan Day," which might have been fun if we weren't totally preoccupied with how hot it was.

Afterwards I headed over to the zoo to meet Chris. Just when I was getting tired walking uphill from the metro and wondering when I would finally get there, I looked up and saw two giant lion sculptures. Oh yeah, it's zoo time...
The pandas were of course adorable. I wanted to cuddle with them, but Chris didn't think it was a good idea. Probably right...
The elephants were anti-climactic
They took my picture and didn't even ask me.Chris said that this monkey looked like it's having a mid-life crisis with this unnaturally looking blond hair.

Weirdest looking animal ever.
Fine don't talk to me.
But his tail was really cool.

A variegated squirrel.
A monkey just chillin like a villain.
A sloth living up to its name.
You can't tell, but these monkeys are tiiiii-ny. The one on the right is probably like 2 lbs.
"What's going on up there?"
So cute.
Mini Meerkat Manor.
Awwww! Can I take you home?
And this was a little creepy. He was staring right at me for a long time. fyi he is laying in this giant hammock.This one kept throwing up and eating his throw up. Gross.
An alligator caught in some elevator doors by the snout.
This figure was titled, "How to eat something that's bigger than your head." If you ever wanted to know.

This frog was really tiny. It was in this giant tank with grass and moss all around, and then these little frogs that were orange or yellow. It looked neat.
And a bright blue frog.

This one took advantage of the water. He ended up going all the way in; the mystery of why domestic cats hate water so much but wild cats like it. I guess it's out of necessity.
This bird was exhibiting attention-seeking behavior.
Some more wildlife. Watch as the homo sapien attempts to work his new camera phone.
A hot dog vending machine...I have no words besides awesome.
Afterwards we went to Tallula. They had really great food and wine. I also loved these stained-glass-ish windows made from wine bottle bottoms.


They had a really efficient way to serve the wine. It would be cool to have this in your house!

So that was my fun Sunday. Hope yours was fun too!

Old, new, and really old...

Old Business:

here are some pictures from the beach that my dad took that I really liked:
Hanna is messing up my hair.
"And then the wave went like THIS!"
Playing cards on a rainy day.
The sun is back and I really regretted not bringing a bathing suit! The water was perfect. I went in anyway.One of our favorite beach traditions: splitting a giant italian sub from Surf's Up.Then this past weekend I got some neato knitting stuff~

Debbie Bliss the magazine, premier issue. The patterns look so debbie: simple and sophisticated. I love a few of the cabled tops.
Then I got these two Patons booklets that show you how to do different sweater pieces and then combine them however you want. V-neck, crew neck, long sleeves, no sleeves, regular/short body length. I just wish that they had 3/4 length sleeves. I'll prob just try to figure it out on my own. The book on the left is pullovers and on the right cardigans.
And lastly, I'm in LOVE with this Noro scarf. Post Christmas you might see many a loved one of mine in scarves like this.

p.s. I just got a bunch of pics from my dad that he has had forever. If you were ever thinking, "what the hell is she talking about?" when I talked about my Gymkana days, here is a glimpse:

From Maryland Day; I'm the one doing the handstand and Ali is supporting me.

Please, no!

Here is an email I got from a friend. If you'd like, please read and take action!

Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,

We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since
the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for
the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has
surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce-on the
part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate-that has a
real possibility of becoming fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms.
Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for
ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is
against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform,
environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of
speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the
librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of
church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack
of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the
planet.

We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a
mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but
solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for
Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in
the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and
great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so
demonstrably benefited from.

First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not
demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed
that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over
women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.

Therefore, we invite you to reply here with a short, succinct message
about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this
candidate as second-in-command for our nation.

Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of
residence.

We will post your responses on a blog called "Women Against Sarah
Palin," which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please
send us your reply at your earliest convenience-the greater the volume
of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.

Thank you for your time and action.

VIVA!

Sincerely,

Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston
New York, NY

**PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY! If you send this to 20 women in the next
hour, you could be blessed with a country that takes your concerns
seriously. Stranger things have happened.

Yay Fall 2008 Knitty!!!

So, yeah, the Fall 2008 Knitty is out and I am SO EXCITED! For those of you who don't know it, Knitty is an online knitting magazine that comes out quarterly. Its readers submit the patterns and pros write articles. All the patterns are hip, practical, functional, and cute. So here are my top 5 faves from this issue:

I'm definitely making Hug, which is just too cute. It's also knit in my favorite yarn, Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky. I already decided at least one person I'm making it for for Christmas, but I'm not telling you who.Then there's Camden, a practical convertible sweater/top. The bobbles are growing on me.I love this sock's texture. They're called Interocking Leaves.
Versatility is another cool pattern. As the name infers, you can maneuver this shawl with its buttons into many different shapes.Then there is the exquisitely knitted Twist & Shout. You KNOW how I love cables. I don't think I'll ever have the guts to make this, though.
Speaking of impossibly complicated knitted coats/jackets, KnitPicks has one too that I absolutely adore. Presenting, the Thick Knit Car Coat.
This is the first knitted coat I've ever seen. Maybe I'll make it someday...

Other patterns from Knitty Fall 2008 that I'm planning on queuing are Slither, Hourglass, and Sidewinder, Maple (sans leaf), and L'illo.

Ahh, knitty, how I love you so...