Indiana Joynes and the Temple of Motherhood

How do you launch a space shuttle into space?

2010-06-10T15:54:00.002-04:00

Oh, so that's how you do it.

Teddy Bears and Gummy Worms...

2010-01-08T09:02:00.004-05:00

The holidays were rough... I'm just going to say it. I don't talk about my personal life that much on this blog for the simple reason that I'm usually up to my eyeballs at work. But it was time that work took a backseat for awhile.

While balancing the workload, the commute, the 2 1/2 year old and all other things... I was also trying to care for my mother who had ALS. 18 months ago, she was diagnosed after her foot was still giving her problems after her back surgery. Like a tube of toothpaste being pushed from the bottom, she slowly lost control of her feet, legs, arms, and eventually her breathing. She was doing fairly well, but about 3 weeks ago, things went downhill quickly. She eventually was dehydrated, and when gunk filled up in her lungs, she didn't have the strength to cough it out.

We had a great Christmas together, but the day after Christmas she went to the hospital, home again, and then back to the hospital after being unresponsive. She was ready to go. I contacted my brothers and we gave her the best passing we could. She didn't want to go on New Year's because she didn't want to have that stuck in our minds each holiday. On January 2nd, after having a few days of looking at photos, laughing and sharing, we took her air off and she passed quickly by 11am. She was so graceful about it all, and had such a sense of humor. She left without fear, which was inspiring and makes me so proud of her.

We are creating a Celebration of Life ceremony down the line. She didn't want us to rush, and she didn't want it to be sad and depressing. She wanted it to be a true celebration of her life.

The photo is of her in 20s, and she's just so darn pretty. So why title it Teddy Bears and Gummy Worms? My mom loved teddy bears, and held on to one when she passed. I'm eating gummy worms to cope.

Yep, we got a lot of snow....

2009-12-22T12:31:00.007-05:00

.... it was a lot worse than this photo of Pennsylvania Avenue in 1918, but back then they didn't have 4 wheel drive.

Washington, DC only gets a white Christmas about 13% of the time, so when it snows, all the photographers scramble to the National Mall to get their winter wonderland photos that you see on posters and postcards. In reality, it doesn't snow much here. But here's a photo of the National Museum of the American Indian post-snowfall. Around my neighborhood in the Baltimore area, we ended up with about 20 inches.

My hometown of Cleveland...

2009-12-10T12:04:00.007-05:00

... has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor. The C.L.E. Clothing Company comes up with the best t-shirts, and even loves to pick on the suburbs every now and then. But right now, this one is my favorite.

The Burning River Surf Club

Awesome.

I'm hiring...

2009-12-02T12:03:00.006-05:00

... an Elf for our shelf. I know the recession has hit everyone hard and elves are probably the first to get laid off. Santa is being ruthless this year. There are rumors that Rudolph might be let go, which is bad because then he won't have insurance to get that glowing tumor removed from his nose. Mrs. Claus is only giving sugar cookie bonuses this year, which is making everyone cranky.

But really, I do need to hire an Elf for the simple reason that the one at Nana and Poppy's house has been really useful in keeping Sadie in line. He keeps an eye on her, and she knows that the Elf will report back to Santa if she's naughty. It's a win-win situation. So, I'm taking resumes and there will likely be a lengthy interview process to make sure we get the right kind of Elf. Not like Buddy. Our house can't handle that kind of chaos.

Right now, I don't think I can even handle Sadie throwing the Baby Jesus across the room like last year.

This is laughable....

2009-11-06T10:45:00.011-05:00

This is an ad from the 1940's from an exhibit at the National Postal Museum called Victory Mail. Let's count all the things that are innaccurate (at least by today's standards) with this image. But while we have a laugh, remember those who are in the military both here and abroad, and are protecting our country at a great personal sacrifice.

The laughable parts of this ad are:

1. The baby is sleeping.
2. Heels! At Home. Really?
3. She's skinny. Like, right after having that baby. Makes me think she must adopted, or kidnapped the kid.
4. She's actually cooking. I don't have time to cook.
5. Her make-up looks good. If it's hot enough to have a fan, her make-up should be sliding off her face.
6. Nothing I own would fit in cupboards that size. Except maybe the pen she is writing with.
7. Nobody cooks in a cute dress like that. You'll get stuff on it. The apron just delays the inevitable.
8. Does anyone's hair shimmer in the light like that? If it does, please tell me what hair product you are using.
9. Things are running smoothly? You are so lying. Or sleeping with his best friend. This goes with the fact she's wearing a dress and heels. Who is she dressed to impress? Hmmmm.....after clicking on the image, you can read that the soldier's kid brother comes over and "helps her with the garden." No wonder the soldier's son (aka. NEPHEW) looks more like him every day.
10. She really wishes she had a air conditioner. But she won't write that in the letter.

Did I miss anything?

You want me to blog... like, for work?

2009-11-03T09:29:00.002-05:00

I work in a weird place. Yesterday, I was actually at the Museum Support Center which is mentioned in Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol. I had the opportunity to hang out in the wet pod, and I know what a thawing, frozen octopus smells like. It isn't pleasant.

But now you can follow some of my writing on the Smithsonian Journeys blog, every Tuesday and Thursday. This week, I wrote about Antarctica and about the people who actually LIVE there. But the video is way cool, so head over there and watch the whole thing. (And leave a comment about how much you love the blog post. I do have a boss to impress.)

And yes, Buzz Aldrin really will be on that tour to answer all of your questions. How awesome is that?

A Haunting Photo of the Day....

2009-10-21T12:33:00.004-04:00

I thought this was a cool one and worth sharing for the Holiday Season. Okay, it's not THE Holiday Season, but Halloween is pretty up there in my family. This is from Smithsonian Magazine's Photo Contest and this is the Photo of the Day for October 21st. It's called Some Kind of Alice by Stefan Andronache and was photographed in Romania.

Benjamin Bratt = Yumminess!

2009-10-09T16:04:00.004-04:00

One of the perks of working at a notable place is that you occassionally have moments where you meet really famous people. Today wasn't my day, but my friends Anya and Charlie met Benjamin Bratt at the National Museum of the American Indian. Benjamin is part Quechua and he and his mother were also active in the protests at the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz with the American Indian Movement. As part of NMAI's mission to bring Native film to the forefront, they are showing La Mission at the museum as well as a discussion with Peter Bratt (Director) and Benjamin.

Now that all of the technical stuff is out of the way. Let's just focus on Benjamin Bratt's general yumminess. (My friend Charlie is on the far right with some of the other employees at NMAI. But really, we are all looking at Ben.)

How Matt did it....

2009-10-07T12:35:00.006-04:00

Remember Where the Hell is Matt?

I sent it to my Dad, who loved it and he said, "HOW did he do that?" Here's how...

When I have down days, I watch his video of him dancing around the world and it always makes me feel better.

Here is the end result (and as of today there have been over 24 million views):

Anthropology at it's best!

2009-10-07T08:52:00.006-04:00

When I was a college student studying anthropology in the mid-1990's, there was a new view of Anthropology. Basically, it was to listen to the cultures and learn from them, rather than telling them whether or not they are civilized. Since the announcement of the 2016 Olympics will be in Rio de Janeiro, there have been a lot of people concerned about what will happen to the Indigenous communities in Brazil. This issues there are heated, and many tribes are facing extinction.

But let's, for a moment, consider how anthropology is approached today. Embedding yourself into the culture you are studying is still believed to be much better than "armchair anthropology"- where college professors don't go anywhere, but ponitificate about the civilized and uncivilized peoples of planet Earth. Here, National Geographic created a show to be broadcasted in the U.K. based on Cultural Anthropology with people from the South Pacific ~ with a twist. Now... this is my kind of reality show.

I haven't posted lately about Harry Potter...

2009-10-02T16:05:00.005-04:00

... but this is cool. This was the concept art for the death of Dumbledore by Adam Brockbank, but it never made it into the film. I always wondered how the film would visualize such a scene.

But... they never did. This is one beautiful image though...

You can see more images created by Adam here.

That's one big tree. Is it a truffala tree?

2009-10-02T15:51:00.006-04:00

Nope... not a truffala tree. It's a Redwood.

According to National Geographic, this is the Biggest, Tallest Tree Photo ever.

I gotta say, it's pretty tall. At over 1,500 years old this Redwood has grown to over 300 feet. Somehow it survived weather, loggers, and a mulitude of other variables to survive this long. Clearly they had to piece several photos together just to get the full magnitude of this giant.

It involved three cameras, a team of scientists, a robotic dolly, a gyroscope, an 83-photo composite and a whole lotta of patience. Here's the video of how they did it:

In case you love The Lorax...

2009-09-29T09:24:00.003-04:00

... and love the Earth, check out the Smithsonian's Online Conference on Climate Change starting today! (You can access it later if you can't experience it LIVE.) If you are on Facebook, you can also become a fan of the Smithsonian. But the interesting part is that people are STILL debating Climate Change. There were "believers" and "non-believers" battling it out on Facebook. But I think everyone agreed that we should all turn off Fox News. Ponder that.

The Hope Diamond is NAKED!

2009-09-24T08:56:00.014-04:00

Lately, there's been a lot of hoo-ha at work mostly because we've really entered the realm of pop culture. First it was Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Then it was Dan Brown's book, The Lost Symbol.

Now... (we are a bit dramatic with these things)... I give you....

Wait for it. (Building drama.....)

The Hope Diamond. (Naked.)

Yep... we took it out of it's setting, studied it, and will put it in a new setting for a few months. Then return it to it's old setting (so don't freak out. We'll still return to Hope Diamond Classic.) You can read the story here. And if you love hearing little fun facts about the diamond, check out this blog post from Around the Mall. If you like it, put a ring on it.

This is Jeff Post, our curator (on the left) and Cristian Samper, who is the Director at the National Museum of Natural History. Just another day at a very unusual office.

I am so glad Facebook didn't exist when I was in college.

2009-09-18T15:37:00.003-04:00

This video is from the Onion, which will freak you out if you are under the age of 25. But you can equally be amused by Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook if your parents are over the age of 45.

Since I'm in my 30s, I'm amused by both.

Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

All the cool stuff is in San Francisco....

2009-09-18T12:19:00.006-04:00

Like this Vintage Fashion Expo that is this weekend. Okay, I know the undergarments weren't all that comfortable back in the day, but you can't deny they had style. The event features 85 dealers of vintage clothing, accessories and textiles with time periods ranging from 1850 to 1980. I would just gobble up all of the 1920's to 1940's stuff.

The event is perfect for costume designers, fashion hounds, and people like me... history nerds who just like to look at the clothes people wore on a regular basis back in the day.

Alas, I'm here on the East Coast.

*Sniff*

Hey, Dan Brown Fans!!!

2009-09-14T16:14:00.004-04:00

I know where that is. Heh. heh. heh....

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is coming out tomorrow...

Here's a little somethin' somethin' for the Dan Brown fans:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sigh

2009-09-14T10:15:00.002-04:00

Story of my life.

I'm bored.

2009-09-04T13:32:00.002-04:00

There's nobody here. It's the Friday before a holiday. And I'm certain no one is going to let us out early. So....(click your mouse and move the little ball.)

Weddings traumatize my husband...

2009-09-02T09:56:00.005-04:00

Not our wedding, of course. He was fine for that one. But last weekend he was Best Man for his longtime friend, Mindy. He looked great in his tuxedo, made sure Mindy had everything she needed, kept everyone sane and relaxed... but inside he was a mess. He had to make a speech at the reception.

The fact is, my husband is extremely shy in certain situations. It took me awhile to understand that some people are actually built this way. And so... my husband has earned the nickname "Turtle". When he gets into social situations, he hides his head into his shell until all the people go away.

He was nervous about the speech days before he needed to give it, and early on Friday morning I found him nervously searching the internet at 5AM. In the end, I wrote his speech, told him he would be great, and was just as nervous as he was when it came time for him to give it. He said that looking at everyone during the wedding wasn't so bad, but somehow during the reception, they all freakishly multiplied by 10. With his hand shaking uncontrollably, this is the speech he gave. I'm so proud of him... he got through it and didn't pass out.

Here's the speech:

I should start off by saying – I’m not very good at this. I’ve always been the shy one and Mindy has always been the outgoing one ever since we met. But I guess that’s what makes us such good compatible friends. But our common ground has always been history. We are both history fanatics and are constantly looking at the past for all of its quirky little bits that no one else knows.

This is why we are forbidden to be on the same team when we play Trivial Pursuit. It’s amazing we haven’t been banned from the game altogether.

But today is not about the past. It’s about a day in all of its future significance. Out of all of the days that are notable…. the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when the Ravens won the Super Bowl, the day the Grateful Dead first played together, this is the day that will stand out for Bob and Mindy’s family.

Someday, their great-grandchildren will come across an old picture of Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mindy. They will think back the good old days, when things were simple. Housing was affordable. Flying cars weren’t invented yet. Robots didn’t rule the world.

This is the day when Grandpa and Grandma brought all of their friends and family together to celebrate their new marriage.

This is the day when they exchanged rings and promised to be each other’s best friends for the rest of their lives.

This is a day that will be remembered for all the right reasons, because it was a day of a new beginning. The family tree was altered, and it extended to include more people, more possibilities, and definitely, more love.

Congratulations, Mindy and Bob!

I won't be making it to the Canfield Fair this year...

2009-08-25T12:05:00.004-04:00

... and I'm kinda bummed. Canfield, Ohio has a huge county fair and it's the one time of year I do my best to see the extended family for our annual Henry Hootenanny Hoe-down. But my mom is at the point in her ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) where traveling would be really difficult due to all of her equipment and day to day routine that simply makes life a bit more challenging. So, since we are missing the Canfield Fair this year, I'm bringing a happy photo to all of YOU! This is from a photo essay from Smithsonian Magazine, and this photo is by Dan Nelken.

And the best part... all the happiness and none of the smell. Enjoy!

TIME TO LEARN SOMETHING!!!

2009-08-24T12:04:00.006-04:00

This is what I used to do at the National Museum of American Indian. I could tell you a whole bunch of stuff about Winter Counts. Here's Emil Her Many Horses, a Lakota colleague of mine -- he and Candace Greene can tell you instead:

I like your shoes...

2009-08-18T08:54:00.012-04:00

Harper's Bazaar did a photo shoot with some of my favorite style icons... the Muppets from Sesame Street. I've been watching a lot of the old videos or "classics" as they say on the Sesame Street website with Sadie. She's a sucker for the Ray Charles videos. And she doesn't even notice the afros, bellbottoms or unusual mustard colored clothing. She just likes the songs.

For the record, here are some of the prices for the clothing in this photo shoot.

Left: Cape, $1,990, blazer, blouse, $690, skirt, $3,790, and shoes, $890, Derek Lam. 212-966-1616. Bracelet, $4,375, Dean Harris for Derek Lam. Right: Coat, $2,190, blouse, $1,090, and pants, $790, Thakoon. Stanley Korshak, Dallas; 214-871-3600. Earrings, $450, Fenton for Thakoon. barneys.com. Gloves, Portolano. portolano.com. Shoes, $1,195, Giuseppe Zanotti for Thakoon. net-a-porter.com.

As much as I appreciate Harper's Bazaar for slummin' it down to the Street, I am a little shocked at almost $2000 for a cape. The Count wouldn't pay that much for a flimsy piece of fabric.

What's the Word on the Street? Pretentious.

Meanwhile, Bert has been rockin' the same white turtleneck and striped sweater for over 40 years... which is more environmentally friendly. You can see Cookie, Grover, Abby Cadabby and their take on fashion here.

Paris.... sigh....

2009-08-07T12:45:00.012-04:00

The Smithsonian started a new site on Cafe Press with some pretty cool images to put on t-shirts, tote bags, posters...

I thought this was a nice little piece of eye candy. It's in the new stages, but they'll be adding more images over time. The most recent adds are from the Smithsonian Folkways collection and is great for music fans. This is from their Book Art section that is just getting started.

L' Exposition de Paris (1900)

They also have some old seed catalog art that are great for anyone interested in the Victorian style or wants to have a more garden floral look in their house. Here's a sample of their framed posters:

I need to go on an IKEA run...

2009-07-30T13:06:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've been to IKEA, and we are desperate to find new ways to make our junk fit in our house until we can actually put it on the market. This may take awhile as the housing market slowly begins breathing again. Who knew a toddler came with so much stuff? Or a husband for that matter? So, until then, I decided to explore my Swedish Furniture Name, which you can use here at Blogadilla.

I want this to be my birthday cake...

2009-07-29T08:49:00.011-04:00

I live in the Baltimore area, so I'm lucky to have Ace of Cakes (AKA: Charm City Cakes) in my backyard and all of the incredibly talented people who work there. We were watching one day when Charlie yelled at the television, "Hey, I know her! We went to college together!"

But this.... this is truly amazing:

HOGWARTS! (A Cake Interpretation)

Ace of Cakes made this for the opening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. You can see the making of the cake here on the Leaky Cauldron site.

Yes, I'm still a Potterhead. But for very good reason. There are so many ways to interpret these books that the fans continually find new ways to approach these books from different perspectives. One of my favorite Harry Potter scholars (and yes, I do mean scholar) is John Granger, also a University of Chicago alumn. He's written a few books on the literary theory of the Harry Potter series. He's written:

The Deathly Hallows Lectures: The Hogwarts Professor Explains the Final Harry Potter Adventure

How Harry Cast His Spell: The Meaning Behind the Mania for J. K. Rowling's Bestselling Books

and most recently: Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures
To get a taste of his style (And how Chaucer and Jane Austen relate to the Potterverse), you can check out the article he wrote for our alumni magazine here.

Then I was at our little work luncheon get together and learned that my older colleagues haven't read the whole series. *Shock* Then I shamefully explained to my boss how all the books come together in Deathly Hallows and why Dumbledore HAD to die in the 6th book. (I mean, how else was Harry going to face Voldemort as a man without anyone protecting him? It's the classic hero's tragedy and tale.) Then there's the representations of Hermione and Ginny as both modern and postmodern feminists. I think I freaked him out a bit.

Mindy is getting married soon....

2009-07-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

... and my husband is her "Best Man". They've been friends since college and she served as his Best Girl at our wedding, while my friend Dave was my Best Guy. This weekend is the wedding shower, but I wonder if she would even consider doing this.... I mean, Charlie really loves to dance, and this might be the perfect venue to show off his mad skills.

Someday my daughter will be in 7th and 8th grade...

2009-07-22T12:11:00.003-04:00

...And I find this absolutely terrifying. Charlie is already excited about getting Sadiebug a backpack for preschool for this fall, and I'm already worried about Middle School. But then I found this quote on Mommy Track'd and it seemed so appropriate:

“The seventh and eighth grades were for me, and for every single good and interesting person I’ve ever known, what the writers of the Bible meant when they used the words hell and the pit. It was Lord of the Flies. Springtime for Hitler, and Germany. So how on earth can I bring a child into the world, knowing that such sorrow lies ahead?” ~ Anne Lamott

We thought Sadie was going to be a boy because there had been a steady stream for 18 generations. Yes, 18 generations. Charlie is one of THOSE families that actually took a boat to Virginia in the 1600's, looked around and said, "Well, this is nice." They have only ventured as far as Maryland, where we live today.

But no, during the ultrasound, the doctor said, "Boys are usually very active like your little one here.... wait... it's girl." Charlie asked her to check several times just to make sure. Yep, it was a girl. That was when I started to panic about 7th grade. Even though she was only 20 weeks old, I was worried about her walking into Middle School and facing 7th grade, (which according to my sources... 5th grade is the new 7th grade, and that just terrifies me even more.)

So, here's hoping preschool goes well. Sadie has already taken to saying, "Oh MY GOD!" all the time. That's my fault.

I have to give my husband kudos...

2009-07-15T13:51:00.007-04:00

He thinks I don't appreciate all that he does as the "Primary Caregiver" of our family. Yes, we are a little unusual. I go to work each day and have a long commute from Baltimore to Washington, DC. That means I put a lot of trust into my husband that he take excellent care of our daughter. A lot of women downplay their husband's fathering skills, but Charlie has always been good to our little girl, even when she throws herself on the floor and screams for 30 minutes (like she did Monday night.)

When I meet people and tell them what I do for a living, they always wonder and say outloud, "Who takes care of your daughter?" And people are always surprised when I say, "Her father." That really shouldn't be such a rare thing.

But then I see videos like this one, and I think, "Oh. That's why." (For the record, I was equally mortified by the mother who didn't drop the camera and slap her husband for being an idiot.)

Seriously, some fathers really need to get it together and have some common sense. For the good fathers... we love you. As always, thanks Thingamababy -- another "Primary Caregiver" who has it together.

Updated Note: Apparently YouTube thought this video was as horrifying as I did and removed it. It was basically two men tossing a toddler back and forth. Then they put him down and he runs away (probably terrified and needing therapy for hating his father). Then the father picks up the daughter and holds her up by her legs, and well... you get the idea.

If your cross a Harry Potter Fan and a Museum Nerd...

2009-07-14T15:30:00.011-04:00

... you would get me. I have to wait until Saturday to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due to babysitting issues. But if you want to get all nerdy before then, check out this online exhibit from the National Library of Medicine -- Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine. There's even some lesson plans if you are teacher. C'mon.... make learning fun... y'know you want to...

Personally, I think this exhibit is way more interesting than the Harry Potter: The Exhibition at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry (right down the street from my alma mater, University of Chicago). It got a lot of criticism for promoting the movies, not actually being an educational exhibition. Most of the objects are authentic from the movie productions, but when there are cool books like the Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works and Harry Potter and International Relations, it seems a shame to pass up an opportunity to do a really cool show AND still learning something.

I always try to explain that going to the University of Chicago is the closest thing you can get to going to Hogwarts without leaving the country.

This is the cafeteria.

This is near The Pub where you have a pint and study.

And there are Gargoyles everywhere. Even our mascot is a phoenix.

Hey, is that Emil?

2009-07-08T13:55:00.003-04:00

Every now and then I watch Smithsonian Channel clips to see what would be appropriate for my Smithsonian Student Travel students. Even after over 6 years of working at Smithsonian, I find it amusing when I find someone I know being interviewed or there a photo shoots where I work. This is the Sneak Peak of the Smithsonian Channel's Stories from the Vaults: Season 2. My friend Beth interviewed Tom Cavanagh yesterday for her Around the Mall blog, and when you watch this video you'll see Emil Her Many Horses near the end. He's a curator at the National Museum of the American Indian, and one really cool Lakota.

Don't worry, I'll go back to writing about my odd mothering moments. Sadie is still doing crazy things. The other morning I found her wearing a "Grandpa got me this shirt in Jamaica" with a smiley face with dreds. But that wasn't the t-shirt she was wearing when I put her to bed the night before. Weird.

A few words about Michael Jackson...

2009-07-08T10:13:00.006-04:00

I know there has been so much coverage of this topic that it's a bit excessive. But since this is kind of like my own journal, I feel like I have to share my own little Michael Jackson story.

About two years ago, Michael visited the National Museum of the American Indian with his children. It was one of those days at my job where I came to work with one purpose, and ended up witnessing something I never thought I would see. We were supposed to have a meeting about promoting our Smithsonian Memberships, and then I noticed there was way more security than usual in the hallway outside our Resource Center. So I asked our security guard, "Okay, who is the famous person visiting today?" He looked straight ahead and muttered, "Michael Jackson".

Wha? Really? No waaaaaaayyyy....

But then my friend Sharyl walked in front of me with Michael and his children, and showed them our Windows on Collection exhibit. I only saw the back of Michael, who was about 20 feet away from me, as he looked at our beautiful beadwork exhibit. I didn't want to interrupt their museum experience, and over the years I've realized that famous people want to check out our museums just like everyone else. Angelina Jolie came to Air and Space with her kids, First Lady Laura Bush had her birthday party at NMAI, and even Pearl Jam stopped by during the opening of the museum. I even met the Chancellor of Austria once. He emailed his kids from the Resource Center.

Later, Sharyl told me she taught Michael how to dance Yup'ik style, while one of our membership people hoped Michael would donate a lot of money to the museum.

It must not have been easy being Michael Jackson. Everyone wants your money, your time, and your attention. But what I remember most about looking at that family on that day, was his daughter Paris. She was about 9 at the time, had long brown hair, and was wearing a pink shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She looked like a regular kid. She could've gotten lost in the crowd of the thousands of visitors we had every day.

Just a regular kid.

Of course, I immediately emailed and texted everyone I knew. And the response was the same. Yep, he's an oddity.... but he's also an icon.

So here's my favorite Michael Jackson song... this one never gets old for me.

I work in a place with lots of these...

2009-06-24T09:19:00.006-04:00

The Bitter Oldtimer
What they do: Around since the company was founded (or maybe it just seems that way), The Bitter Oldtimer has definitely seen it all, and they’re not scared to tell you all about it. One has to wonder why they’re still at the job. In the long run, though, they can turn your optimism and can-do spirit into the same bitter regrets that they sport, killing your own enjoyment of your job. Attitudes can be contagious.

Yes, this is the problem where I work. People are as old as some (or most) of the objects in our collection. They hate technology, they hate young eager people, and most of all... they hate change. But the fact is, in order to be relevant in this day and age, we need to change. We know it. But I am so tired of going into meetings where there is always a Debbie Downer who puts down every idea and never has a positive alternative. Next time I go to one of the meetings, I really want to take a water pistol with me. Whenever there is a negative commentary that goes on for over 3 minutes, I'm shootin'.

Of all of the poses someone could be in...

2009-06-22T12:31:00.004-04:00

Bill Clinton agreed to this one for his official portrait? Really? The psychoanalysis of this is just too easy. This is from the digitized collection at the National Portrait Gallery.

I have been working my fanny off lately...

2009-06-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

... and it's been pretty non-stop since the Inauguration. I think everyone has "Cameron Moments" like this one. Mine was yesterday. Okay, and this morning. Yesterday I gave up, called in sick, and went back to bed and slept for 6 more hours. Today, I forced myself to get out of bed, take a shower, and get in my car to get to the train station. But this was what was going on in my head:

It's official... the 15 year high school reunion is coming....

2009-06-15T10:01:00.010-04:00

I didn't bother going to the 5 year reunion because I felt like I had just left high school. I didn't go to the 10 year reunion because I was getting married a week after the event in a completely different state. I don't think I have an excuse for the 15 year reunion. And why would I want to avoid it anyway?

My mom has said that by the time you hit your 25th reunion and over, you are just happy to see each other alive and happy. And I think with the 15th, you are finally pretty set in who you are, what your priorities are, and at least a little more secure about yourself than you were on Graduation Day. But right now I'm in a bit of a whirlwind professionally and personally, and my old hometown loves to gossip. So I know by going back I'll have to have a full-on ready explanation of where the hell I've been, what I'm doing, and how my family is. With a town in Ohio with only 6000 people, and a graduation class of 64, there is no avoiding the how is your family hoo-ha. Luckily, I think Facebook has helped me with the transition. But still, do I look better than I did in high school? I certainly feel better.

When I graduated, my parents were divorcing, they put the big house up for sale, and I was quickly running off to Syracuse University and then abroad to London. Yep, I ran. I won't deny it. And I studied my fanny off. I pretty much cut myself off from a lot of my old friends that I had known since Kindergarten. And I haven't talked to them since... except for a few on Facebook.

Now it's been 15 years, and I have a graduate degree from the University of Chicago and work for the Smithsonian. I work at a place where I see guards with guns, and some with very large guns, on a daily basis. Just last week, I was dealing with an emergency at the Holocaust Museum and hoping none of the students in my program were hurt. On a good day, I am summoned to a Castle. On a bad day, I'm dealing with lawyers. My mom has ALS, my brother is in the military, and I'm married with a kid. I have a lot on my plate right now and manage to still get through the day.

But for some reason, when I think about going back to a high school reunion, I am struck with a certain nervousness that can only be experienced by a neurotic, low self-esteemed 17 year old. And the first thing I think is, "What am I going to wear?" I haven't even talked to my husband about making the trek back to Ohio to actually go to this reunion and I'm already wondering if my butt will look big when I get there. I'm sure this will not be last blog entry about this event.

Oh, Ohio.... when I think of you... I think of this version of this song...
I need a drink.

Dear Sheldon....

2009-06-03T08:41:00.001-04:00

I Love You....

I'm one of Abe's Babes...

2009-06-02T08:53:00.002-04:00

I've been working on Smithsonian Connections for awhile, and our first project is about Abraham Lincoln. The Bicentennial of his birth is this year so there's been a lot of hoopla around the country at museums and historical Civil War locations. It sounds boring, but you end of finding lots of cool stuff. Like portraits of Lincoln made out of cupcakes and stuff like this:

I just wanted a reason to post this photo...

2009-05-28T16:10:00.002-04:00

... but you can read the history of gnomes here. And I am tempted to join the Garden Gnome Liberation Front. (The French are crazy.) Here's the English Version.

Free the Gnomes!!!

Have you seen the movie yet?

2009-05-26T13:36:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the interviews from the premiere from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Another one of those days....

2009-05-26T12:17:00.003-04:00

"Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction." You can get it here.

We Want to Hear From You!!!

2009-05-22T15:27:00.003-04:00

Yeah, this is my personal blog, but I spend a lot of time at work here at the Smithsonian. And when family visits, I spend my days off at Smithsonian. I really love my job, and Smithsonian has been going through some growing pains. We have some curators who don't use email and want to play with their taxidermied birds all day, and then we have our techie museum people who want to make everything digital. But really, we want to hear from everyone to tell us what you expect from museums. Really! We do! So much we made a video about it. Send your response to our little corner of the world on YouTube.

Interviews from the Castle...

2009-05-22T11:09:00.006-04:00

Go see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian this weekend!!!

You can see interviews from the Smithsonian Castle here.

It's not whether you win or lose...

2009-05-22T10:24:00.002-04:00

... it's how you play the game. And remember, "Adam Lambert was created by God and left in a basket at the theater backdoor of Wicked." And we were lucky God did that.

Dear Cleveland, Ohio....

2009-05-21T15:54:00.009-04:00

I grew up in your town. I was there at the last game in Cleveland Stadium before it was torn down. I watched Hollywood make fun of our team with the movie Major League. And I'll admit that being from Cleveland isn't the easiest thing in the world with our sports teams. But I have to say one little thing about our mascot.

Apparently, there is controvery regarding the American flag being put on Cleveland Indians baseball hats. It's considered to have the American flag used in this fashion for profit. This special edition is coming out specifically for Memorial Day.

This is the problem people have with the hat. The American flag being used for profit. I'll admit, that's not the best idea. But Tommy Hillfiger made a career out of it. Here's what bothers me:

Nobody made a big deal over the completely racist and innappropriate caricature of a Native American on the hat.

I mean, really?

I know people are going to defend this mascot because of the first Native baseball player, Louis Sockalexis (a Penobscot from Maine), played for the Cleveland Spiders back in the day. But I can assure you, after working at the National Museum of the American Indian and knowing much about this subject, this was not an honor. He was treated like dirt when he played for Cleveland.

So please, Cleveland, keep your priorities straight. If you are offended by the American flag being used in this way, you should definitely re-evaulate where you stand on this mascot.

And you can learn about Codetalkers here, since it is Memorial Day weekend and we should be honoring all veterans for their service, regardless of their racial or cultural background.

Google gives archaeologists a shout-out...

2009-05-20T14:13:00.006-04:00

... in their own special way.
Joke of the Day: What do most pirates want to be when they grow up?

ARRRRRRGGhaeologists!
*snicker*

Night at the Museum Cast at the Smithsonian!

2009-05-19T11:36:00.007-04:00

The cast was here last Thursday and Friday for all the press that you'll probably be seeing this week. You can read more about the premiere from my friend Beth here. This is a great shot of them in the garden behind the Castle... about a block from my office. But motherhood calls... and I was actually with my husband and daughter checking out her preschool for next fall. We all have priorities.

That's Ben Stiller, Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson and director Shawn Levy. (Both Photos by Ken Rahaim)

Go see the movie this weekend!!!

We did WHAT????

2009-05-19T10:11:00.011-04:00

In the spirit of pulling out the old black and white photos, I figured this is one everyone should see. Since I do a lot of research at the Smithsonian, I come across images and objects that are really incredible. We're digitizing the collection as quickly as we possibly can with limited funding.

Our big exhibit at the National Museum of American History was the unveiling of the Star-Spangled Banner. The museum had a huge renovation and painstakingly restored the original flag. It's been through a lot between the war, people cutting out chunks for keepsakes, and when we tried to conserve it the first time by sewing a backing, to realizing that was a bad idea and having to remove the backing (one stitch at a time). Now it is housed in a climate controlled area, with just enough light for visitors to view it through glass. It even sits on a flat surface that can be moved inches so it can lay flat and release some of the pressure on the stitches. In it's current condition without any adjustments to our system, it could last another 500-1000 years.

But before we started conserving it, we actually thought it would be a GREAT idea to hang it outside the Smithsonian Castle in 1914. *sigh*

Oops.

My uncle is known for throwing away everything.

2009-05-18T12:02:00.005-04:00

If he has no use for it or his kids haven't claimed it, they are tossed out of the house. So I was a bit surprised when he sent me this photo a few days ago. I'm starting to wonder what kind of photos he has stocked away that we've never seen. This is of my Grandpa Francis (but we called him Grampa Fat... I forget why he was called that, he's pretty skinny.) He's the guy on the right. But we aren't sure who they guy is next to him on the left.

I really wish I had an audio recording. He was from Scotland, and from I've heard from my mom, had a pretty cool accent. Unfortunately, I never met him. He passed away before my mom was married to my dad. But I gotta say, he's pretty handsome. Grandma had good taste.

Ummm... Donald Duck and Taxes

2009-05-18T10:53:00.003-04:00

My taxes were never this easy. Maybe it was easier during World War II.

This is a documentary short done by Disney for the Department of the Treasury to encourage people to pay the "Victory Tax". A year after the United States entered the Second World War the federal government needed additional revenues to pay for the war effort, but at the time most people didn't pay income tax. Considering we all pay taxes out the nose (unless you are a congressperson, and then you pay only if you get caught), it's interesting to see this video today. We are at war, we are in a recession, but is it propaganda to ask people to pay their taxes or is it a patriotic duty? Hmmm....

Today is the 19th anniversary of Jim Henson's death...

2009-05-16T10:27:00.005-04:00

... and I consider him a hero for what he's done for children's education and informal learning. Not to mention reminding us all about following our childlike moral compass. Be good to each other, be good to yourself, and remember: Simple is good.

In honor of Jim Henson, enjoy this classic about being alive:

Space Crap.

2009-05-13T13:23:00.003-04:00

Is there anywhere that we don't dump our junk? I guess our next strategic move is to shoot our garbage out into space by using a massive slingshot.

Here's the info about the image:

This computer generated image, supplied by NASA, shows objects that are currently being tracked in Earth orbit. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites. The dots represent each item. The orbital debris dots are scaled according to the image size of the graphic to optimize their visibility and are not scaled to Earth. This image provide a good visualization of where the greatest orbital debris populations exist. The space shuttle Atlantis is flying at about 350 miles above Earth, an area littered with more dangerous space junk than the lower orbits where shuttles normally park at the international space station.(AP Photo/NASA)

I work with really, really smart people...

2009-05-13T11:19:00.003-04:00

... but sometimes I wonder....

Yeah, I still love my Cabbage Patch Kid....

2009-05-13T10:07:00.005-04:00

Dixie Loren lives with my mom, and Sadie plays with her when she visits. I'll admit, Dixie is a bit dirty, but only because I took her everywhere... including the Grand Canyon when I was 10 years old. And I have to say, hearing about those poor abandoned kids kind of tugs at my heart. My mom found Dixie before all the hoopla and bought her for my 6th birthday. I don't follow trends, I make them. You can see other videos at the Smithsonian Channel.

More cool Smithsonian stuff that only I would find....

2009-05-07T15:56:00.005-04:00

Thank you to the awesome reader who suggested this website! HistoGrafica has some really great images from around the world. If you have old photos to share, this is a great place to share them. You can check out photos based on Google Maps. This is one that I found from 1898. My office is about a block from the Castle. But I have meetings in there every now and then. Here's some more history on the Smithsonian Castle.

Bert, Ernie and Egyptian Archaeology...

2009-05-07T09:06:00.002-04:00

Okay, this is a little creepy for the younger crowd, and I don't remember seeing this when I was a kid. If I had, I probably would have reconsidered my career path. But this looks like old school Sesame Street and sometimes they get a little weird.

As for real-life creepiness, Egyptian pyramids are really bad for claustrophobics. Trust me. You have to do a duck walk up a plank to get into the main chamber in the Great Pyramid. I was 16 when we went to Egypt, and the tight spaces didn't bother me too much. But the people staring at me because I had red hair did.

BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!!!

2009-05-05T08:41:00.004-04:00

I love these things (in this order):
1. How I Met Your Mother
2. Les Miserables
3. Doogie Howser, MD

And here is a glorious mash-up of all three in one glorious tv moment:

Today's Shorpy Picture...

2009-05-04T13:18:00.003-04:00

looks like it was right out of a classic mystery movie. I can hear dramatic music in the distance.

Gotham: 1931

New York. December 15, 1931. "River House, 52nd Street and East River. Cloud study, noon, looking south from 27th floor."

This weekend...

2009-05-01T16:24:00.002-04:00

... you should go visit a museum. Here's why:

My friend Shari met Hugh Jackman...

2009-04-30T14:56:00.005-04:00

and doesn't she look happy?!... This is exactly why Facebook was created! So you can meet famous people, post the picture and share it with all your envious friends from college!

She was interviewing him for BET Radio. Her comments thus far on Facebook are that:

A. He looked her straight in the eye.

B. He complimented her on her "Barack to the Future" t-shirt.

C. And of course, they talked about Wolverine.

And I don't think she gave him her phone number... he's married anyway. We all thought he should lay off the tanning though. But still... he's mighty handsome. And talented. But really handsome.

We had a contest at the National Museum of American History...

2009-04-24T14:47:00.018-04:00

... and people could upload their YouTube videos for our Sing the National Anthem Contest. Well, Sadie has her favorite, and I have mine. This is Alex Fischbach (age 14) and......

He. Is. Awesome!

Here is why I like him: He's just standin' there like a little punk teenager you would see at the mall. Like, "What's up? I'm Alex, and I probably egged your car last Halloween." Then he starts singing. And... Wow. Awesomeness.

Here's what they win: The Grand Prize winner will be invited to perform the national anthem at the Museum in Washington, D.C. and at the Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves game, both on Flag Day (June 14, 2009). The prize, made possible by Grand Blanc Travel, includes a trip for two to Washington, D.C., including airfare; tickets and transportation to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game; and $400 in spending money. Three nights lodging will be provided by JW Marriott Washington, D.C., a luxury hotel located on Pennsylvania Avenue within walking distance to the White House, the National Mall, the National Museum of American History, and a myriad of dining and shopping destinations.

Judges for this round include: pop singer-songwriter, DeLyn; international, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer, José Feliciano; jazz keyboardist, composer, and producer, Marcus Johnson; and pop singer-songwriter and winner of the sixth season of TV’s "American Idol," Jordin Sparks. They'll announce the winner on May 19th!

Happy Earth Day!!!

2009-04-22T08:38:00.003-04:00

I love it when Google does these:

And if you enjoy following all of the great ways to improve the environment, check out my dad's business- PureSpectrum. There's a lot of techie talk, but in a nutshell: they create technology to make your lightbulbs burn brighter, last longer, use less energy, keep your bills low, AND make your carbon footprint a whole lot smaller.

It's pretty cool.

Hermione Granger is my hero...

2009-04-17T13:07:00.004-04:00

And here is the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Yay!

Our next Smithsonian Museum......

2009-04-15T12:54:00.002-04:00

... will be the National Museum of African American of History and Culture which currently has a great website... but no building yet. We'll be raising around, well, $500 million dollars. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 and will open in 2015, but I've been through this with the National Museum of the American Indian. Let's just say, it will hopefully open in 2015.

But there was a decision this week in the design of the museum, which is just one part of getting this museum created. It was decided the stately, bronze structure submitted by architects Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup won the hearts of the official jury. AND I can give you a little sneak peak... 'cuz I know people.

If you hate your job...

2009-04-12T15:02:00.001-04:00

...make the best of it. Like this guy.

Ah, Shorpy.com... you never disappoint...

2009-04-07T13:21:00.008-04:00

Here is the U.S. Patent Office on July 16, 1925. Even they had clutter on their desks. Thanks Shorpy!

And here is the building today, now known as the Luce Foundation Center for American Art—the first visible art storage and study center in Washington, which features 3,500 objects from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection in secured glass cases.

LEGO's interpretation of President Obama's Inauguration

2009-04-07T11:43:00.004-04:00

You can also check out LEGO's Great Moments in History to see the Taj Mahal and LEGO executive's business cards as only they can do it.

I know we eat too much fast food...

2009-04-05T11:15:00.005-04:00

... but I think the breaking point was when Sadie pointed at the Wendy's girl, not once but 3 times, and yelled, "MOMMY!!" I am a redhead, I am female... but I do not look like Wendy.

As a result, and as an effort to save some money, Charlie and I are really, really going to try cooking at home more. Our kitchen is never used and we eat mostly junk. But Sadie is getting older and I don't want to raise her on fast food. Plus... I think Charlie and I have gotten a little softer in places (okay, a lot of places.) so this might be really good for us. Our only problem is that both of us hate cooking and love eating. We'll see how this goes.

Sometimes you need a meditative break....

2009-04-03T20:53:00.002-04:00

Just draw on the page...and wait...

Ahhh... isn't that better?

You can get it here.

sigh

2009-04-03T20:39:00.004-04:00

Yeah, you know who you are.

You are now officially banished.
I don't have time for your dramatic hoo-ha.

Google- Eric Carle-style...

2009-03-20T09:13:00.006-04:00

It's the 40th Anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar so in celebration Google did a little adjustment to their logo. I have to admit, Sadie didn't really take to the book. She actually found it more fun to rip it apart than to read it. I guess she's more of a Curious George kind of kid. But if YOU are an Eric Carle fan, you should check out the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Or you can see it in person in Amherst, Massachusetts. I've mentioned it before on this blog, but there aren't many museums devoted specifically for Children's Books or their fantastic artwork. It doesn't focus just on Eric Carle, but has the artwork of many of the children's illustrators that you remember from your childhood. Personally, I just love looking around their Online Shop.

It's easy bein' green....

2009-03-18T08:30:00.009-04:00

Of course the O'Bamas would do something fun for St. Patrick's Day! These are people from a city that turns the whole river green in Chicago just for the holiday.

A little info on the fountain... The AP reports that First Lady Michelle Obama has ordered the fountains on the north and south lawns of the White House dyed green in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. According to the First Lady's office this is the first time the fountain has ever been dyed for the holiday. Let's be honest, Washington, DC isn't really into the Irish holiday like Chicago, Boston, or Savannah. There are other holidays we are much more excited to celebrate (like when half a million people show up to watch fireworks on the lawn on the 4th of July.)

It's a shame because I really wish there were more Irish pubs around here. The Dubliner is nice, but there simply aren't enough authentically Irish pubs around. I can think of only 3 in the area that I like (and that includes Baltimore, Annapolis and D.C.)

Being a mommy hasn't changed much over the years...

2009-03-16T09:49:00.006-04:00

I love Shorpy.com
They have some of the best historical photographs that show what regular American life is like in the early 1900's and into the 1960's.

The everyday stuff. Average people. I like that.

You get better insight that life isn't all that different from our Great-Grandparents. This is a photo from 1905 and was taken in Washington, DC.

Shorpy has these high quality photos that allow you to really see details you wouldn't normally notice in other photographs, like the pattern on the rug or the chair in the background. (Which is useful for interior designers and historical preservationists). But really, I love this photo because it's a mom giving her baby a bath, and I realize my life isn't that different from the mommies before me. And that's a nice thought. I like being connected to other women that way.

Here's the direct link to this photo. They are constantly updating.
About the Photos: Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Most were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by the webmaster for contrast and color before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.

The winner of Smithsonian's photo caption contest...

2009-03-12T11:23:00.004-04:00

... is a lady named Christine. Her caption:

“After the success of the Horse, the Greeks decided to try the Trojan Hippo”

Check out the Around the Mall blog.

Sadie is turning two years old on March 27th

2009-03-12T10:22:00.005-04:00

Sadie Angelica Joynes was born at the right place at the right time. And Charlie and I are the luckiest people in the world to have her choose us as her parents to show her around this place called Earth. We are finishing getting things ready to celebrate her 2nd birthday, with lots of family coming to visit her. Since she went through another growth spurt, I'm sure everyone will be shocked by how big she is and how easily she's singing her ABC's.

She is incredibly curious, ridiculously brave, and brings so much joy to everyone she meets. In a nutshell: She's Awesome!

A new way to look at Mario Brothers...

2009-03-10T14:38:00.002-04:00

Sure, it's a fun game to play. But what if you really were Luigi?

Pretty creepy, huh?

Kermit, you really GET me.

2009-03-10T10:06:00.003-04:00

My friend Eliza posted this on her Facebook page, and I had forgotten about this since the early '90s. So, when are the Muppets going to come back and do a regular show? I miss them. I'm currently 5 episodes into my Fraggle Rock collection. That means I am done with 1 DVD and have 19 more to go.

Support your local drama club...

2009-03-09T11:22:00.001-04:00

... they'll just DIE if you don't. (Click on it to see it bigger.)

Eye Candy...

2009-03-06T20:35:00.010-05:00

... for history nerds. This is Vintageous, a wonderful little site with lots of gorgeous vintage clothes. You can look at formal wear, blouses, purses, accessories, and even little dresses like this green and white prom dress from the 1950's that could pass as a wedding dress today. Yummy!

*Sigh* So pretty.... I swear I played with this site for an hour.

I work with teenagers...

2009-03-05T09:51:00.004-05:00

So I have to Facebook, Twitter, FlickR, MySpace, and do whatever other do-dad that comes up next. It's exhausting. At first I though, "I'm so glad I'm married and don't have to date in this kind of culture." Then I thought, "I can't even imagine being a teenager in this kind of constant techno-bombardment." I have no idea what the world will be like when Sadie is a teenager, especially since most technology is obsolete every two years. Then I saw this video while I was doing some research for work. Every teacher should take a look at this. I've got a lot of work to do to make sure these students really get the education they need:

Santa, Santa, Santa....

2009-03-01T10:16:00.017-05:00

Sadie didn't know who Santa was for her 1st Christmas. By the second one, she was still a little confused. I now have a photo of my daughter with a perfect frowny face with a man in a big red suit on our refrigerator from the church bazaar. Santa completely freaked her out on every level in every experience she had with him. But then something happened. Santa brought her the most amazing pink stroller and baby for Christmas... and now she loves Santa.

However, in her realization of the pure awesomeness of Santa, she now thinks that anyone with a white beard is THE SANTA. We can live with the fact that she thinks Noah from her Little People's Noah's Ark is now Santa. And she now points out all of the "Santas" in her nursery rhyme books and storybooks.

Then came the Lincoln/Darwin Bicentennial. A lot of people don't know that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were actually born on the same day. Since I work for the Smithsonian this was a major event for us. I brought home my newly published Smithsonian Magazine... and Sadie thought Darwin was Santa. And to be honest he does kinda look like Santa.

But I don't think it's worth all of the effort to correct her.

I love short animated films...

2009-02-27T20:35:00.007-05:00

Yes, I love cartoons. They are goofy and silly and often have a good moral lesson. But I love animated films that say something deeper about the human condition. When I saw this one, I thought of Sadie. She's energetic, creative, she never sits still, and she is constantly exploring. When people ask me how she's doing, I have to explain that she is either going non-stop or she's asleep. There's never any mellow time. With that in mind, enjoy this little 8 minute film called Ex-ET. I'll admit, I'm a little worried that when Sadie starts school her spirit might be a little tarnished. This movie really celebrates those little kids that burst with energy and excitement. Sadie may be the most exhausting kid I've ever met, but she's the most perfect kid to me.

There are things that you forget from your own childhood...

2009-02-26T21:27:00.014-05:00

... and somehow you stumble on them again. I've been "stumbling" with StumbleUpon a lot lately. Tonight, I came across one of my favorite childhood games. Merlin.

This guy listed all of his favorite toys that he's kept over the years and put them up on this site.

I was scrolling through (and found the Candy Cigarette Machine Bank amusing since I used to LOVE those little candies.) Then I noticed "Merlin" and I thought, "Well, that sounds familiar... but what game was that?" Then when I clicked it and saw it's red plastic and little black buttons with blinky lights, I thought, "Oh MY GOD, I loved this game." I used to sit with it for hours playing Tic Tac Toe. Now, it's considered a 1978 vintage piece. And I feel awfully old.

Amazon has a new and updated version... but it's not the same.

I'm 5'8"...

2009-02-23T11:49:00.004-05:00

...but my kid is quickly catching up on me. Sadie has been in the 95% for height since her first growth spurt. Usually, this isn't a big deal. Yeah, she's tall and we buy her bigger clothes. But she is about to turn two on March 27th and she's wearing at least a 3T. Again, no biggie. Our problem lies with the fact that she can reach practically anything in the house. We try to put things out of her reach on the kitchen counter, but then she goes on her tippy toes and snatches it. We'll put things on the bookshelf, but she can reach it when we aren't looking. She's the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of toddlers. We'll think our stuff is safe, until we notice she is holding the exact thing we thought we hid away.

She can move furniture, turn on the computer, and she even figured out how the the portable DVD player works... which is amazing since we just got it for Christmas and monitor her time with it very closely. We used to try to contain her in the pack n' play, but then she would bounce from side to side like a professional wrestler and we thought she was going to tip it over. She was also reaching the point where she could swing one leg over and almost leverage herself outta there. And to think... our problems were only starting when she figured out how to do this:

Even I know not to mess with a Queen....

2009-02-21T13:37:00.005-05:00

Joke of the Day:

(And this is Lady Chablis, of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fame. She's fabulous --and also goes by the name Frank.)

Don't Argue With The Gay Flight Attendant
My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks.

As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."

On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed an extremely well-dressed and exotic young woman hadn't moved a muscle. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."

She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."

To which the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray up, Bitch."

It was bound to happen someday...

2009-02-17T13:03:00.016-05:00

Usually when I ask Sadie if she wants to sing the Alphabet Song, she eagerly begins, "A, B, C, D...." And usually, she's smiling.

This morning I asked her if she wanted to sing the Alphabet Song, and she looked me straight in the eye and said,

"No."

Then I asked her if she was ready for the day.

"No."

Then she walked away from me in a huff.

I understand. She wasn't feeling well and had a bit of a tummy ache the past two days. But it was the first verbal "Mom, shut it and bugger off" from my adorable daughter. I'm sure it is the first of many.

Two of my many favorite things in life are...

2009-02-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

Books and cartoons. This one puts the two together.

I've been summoned to the Castle again...

2009-02-09T12:12:00.009-05:00

... and I always feel honored to go peeking into the places only employees can go. Here's your educational moment of the day... You can also buy Richard Kurin's book Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem

He interviewed me for my job. And he gave me a nice piece of chocolate. He's cool like that.

Yes, we'll miss Bush....

2009-01-22T14:13:00.009-05:00

Stuff you didn't see on TV....

2009-01-21T18:32:00.031-05:00

These were taken by my friends who were down in DC. They had access to stuff most people would never see. Charlie and I avoided the cold since Sadie isn't even two yet. So, thanks Cathy, Anya and Jane for the great pictures!!!

This is the crowd down by the Washington Monument:

I'm a little worried that Blackman is one word on that t-shirt. But the way it looks, it kinda seems like Educated Blackman is a superhero....

This is the inside of the National Museum of the American Indian. People came in to stay warm, and stayed to watch on the big screen.

These are shots from the roof of the NMAI.

This is the leftover trash. A LOT of leftover trash.

People think I'm kidding when I say there a sharpshooters on top of the buildings. Trust me, they are there. Hey, there they are on top of the National Gallery of Art.

If you were watching ABC's coverage, they were broadcasting from here: The Newseum.

Some things don't need an explanation.

Barak Obama ~ He Completes Us

2009-01-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Barack Obama: He Completes Us

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

I don't think this is the "official" Barack biography video, but whatever...

Before, During....

2009-01-20T10:25:00.012-05:00

This is my photo of the National Mall on Thursday, January 15, 2009:

This was at dawn, January 20, 2009:

When I took my picture on Thursday, I was right next to that statue. Sweet Jesus....I really don't think there will be enough Porta-Potties.

The calm before the storm...

2009-01-19T19:55:00.008-05:00

I took this photo while running around from museum to museum last Thursday, January 15, 2009. It was 12 degrees outside, but had a gorgeous blue sky. This is as close as I could get to everything.

And here is my self-portrait... just to prove it was me that took the picture. (Note the hat and check out the Smithsonian Channel here.)

Holy Mother of God is it cold!!!

2009-01-17T20:29:00.010-05:00

For some stupid reason, Charlie and I decided it would be a great idea to go see if we could see Obama on his Whistle Stop tour running from Philadelphia to DC. Well, he went from Philadelphia to Baltimore, and did a brief stop in Edgewood, as you can see here:

We thought, "Hey, maybe they'll slow down at my stop that I take every day going into the city to Union Station. So, we bundled up, and tried to bundle up Sadie and walked to the train station, thinking that this would be a quick 30 minutes outside. Say hi to Obama and leave. We thought there would be big crowds, so we could avoid the traffic by walking there. Well, we waited, with a bunch of other people. And we waited. And Sadie started crying. And a woman offered her warm car to warm her up. She kept crying. And we waited. Finally, Charlie took Sadie home. Then rumor was they were having dinner and then going to DC. They finally left Baltimore at about 5:30, a full 60 minutes of when we thought they would be there (and all of us waiting were popsicles.) And after a couple of helicopters overhead, lots of police cars. and freezing outside in 12 degree weather for 2 hours.... the train flew right by. It was so dark, I don't even have a picture. And I think Sadie is really mad at us for making her go out in the cold. The only thing I could do was let her watch her Abby Cadabby DVD and give her some applesauce and crunchies. She eventually came around and gave me a big kiss.

Have fun kids!!!

2009-01-16T11:20:00.007-05:00

All the kids traveling on Smithsonian Student Travel tours for the Inauguration are leaving soon. Even the rehearsal for the event got a lot of attention from the locals:

It's 23 degrees outside.

2009-01-15T10:16:00.014-05:00

Why do we do this Inauguration thing in January? I was sure there's some sort historical reason why. They used to have it in March (which really wasn't much better.) But why JANUARY?

Here's why... Congress decided there was too much wait time between November's Election Day and March's actual Inauguration. This wasn't a big deal in the early years, but it was a big problem for Lincoln (Civil War) and FDR (Great Depression) who were dealing with a huge crisis and had to wait 4 months to be sworn into office. So they modified it to January in 1933. But logistically, it's cold in DC in January.

What will I find on tomorrow's commute?

2009-01-15T08:47:00.009-05:00

If you want the little official ballot necklace, you can get it at Uncommon Goods for $38.

This morning's commute involved bomb-sniffing dogs and Secret Service. I come in through Union Station, which is also the arrival place of the President-Elect as he does his whistle-stop tour on Saturday. I have come to accept the bizarre things I come across while doing my daily routine.

These are my favorites:
1. Rerouting due to a bomb scare.
2. Delays on the Metro due to a bomb scare or a broken train creating a mass block-up in the commuting routine. I had to yell at people once because I was 8 months pregnant and they were pushing.
3. Secret Service looking inconspicuous while wearing all black suits and little buds in their ears.
4. Famous people. You find them here there and everywhere. If you are friends with security, you can ask them who is the big cheese in the museum. This is how I found out about Michael Jackson w/unveiled kids, Angelina Jolie w/kids, Pearl Jam, Tom Brokaw (he's much taller than I thought), Laura Bush's birthday party, Dick Cheney, and the Chancellor of Austria all visiting our museums. You notice the earbuds, the suits (most people where jeans and t-shirts when they visit) and the hovering. That's the funny thing. The hovering. That's when you know SOMETHING is up.
5. The new Army recruits jogging around the National Mall at 8AM in their little Army green shorts in the summertime. I didn't realize 18 years old was so young, until I was about 30.
6. Accidentally running into the filming of a movie or tv show. That's happening more and more.

Today I'll be running around the National Mall checking on last minute stuff, and hopefully take a few pictures to document the pre-event vibe.

Nice Bomb-Sniffing Doggie....

2009-01-14T08:40:00.014-05:00

I have to switch gears every morning from surburban beltway Mommy-mode into Washington, DC commuter mode. But it's getting more interesting as the Inauguration is only 6 days away. This morning I faced 5 security guards, 1 bomb-sniffing dog, overstuffed metro cars, and my standard security sweeps just to get to work this morning. Now I have to work on media coverage, safety plans, and making sure the stars are aligned (or at least the weather will be decent) for the 6000 students my program is hosting for the Presidential Inauguration. Sure, my kid can't say her own name, but she can say "Obama". I can't wait for all of this to be over.

This is how I usually see the U.S. Capitol on my way to work (when they started construction on September 22, 2008):

This is what it looked like for the 2005 Presidential Inauguration:

We've heard estimates from 1 million to 4 million people planning on attending the Inauguration, and it keeps changing. Check out this commentary showing DC's take on this. It comes off as "Uh, we have no idea what is going to happen with this Inauguration thing." The fact is: we don't. No idea. I love the part where they say this is not like putting your family in a van and going to Air & Space. Even that can be a pain in the butt on a regular day in Washington, DC. In case you want to attend, here's the Senate site with all the info (plus some fun historical facts). But I plan on watching all of this at home, away from the city.

That's Hysterical!

2009-01-09T11:45:00.003-05:00

I have to follow the Inauguration for my job, so I have to check the Washington Post religiously for new Inauguration info on a daily basis. Thanks to my little widget, I found this unintentionally funny song clip. Apparently this guy is hoping it will be THE Obama Theme Song. I agree with the bloggers, we already had a good one with will.i.am's "Yes, We Can".

And yes, it does sound like the Perfect Strangers theme from the 1980's. To be honest, I kinda like the Perfect Strangers theme better this icky song.

But if they start blasting this song through the streets of Washington, DC, the 1.4 million people that are anticipated to be on the National Mall during the Inauguration will quickly dwindle to about 150. They will either run from DC in sheer desperation or their heads will simply explode from the horrendousness of this song.