Smoked Salmon Flavoured Vodka. Eweeeee!!!

The distillery in Wasilla, Alaska is now producing smoked salmon flavoured vodka. EWE! You couldn't pay me to drink that! Hmmm...but maybe it would make a good marinade?

:(

This evening, I took the N2 back from Tenleytown, so I got off at Mass and Wisconsin. Across the road, I saw a little white dog with a few people around it and a cop car and cop. Once I crossed over, I waited to hear what happened. I saw that the dog didn't have a leash, but a collar. The police woman was trying to locate who the owners might be by the information on the doggie's collar. Two ladies were holding the dog, presumably so she wouldn't run. She was shivering :(. As I stood there a man ran over saying, "I don't know how she got out." It was his dog and it seemed like she ran away from the house. One of the ladies said that the doggie had been hit but she seemed okay. And that he should take her to the hospital. Then a girl came running, very upset, and sat by the dog. I think it was her dog. She, picked the dog up in a couple of minutes and, I guess, took her to the hospital. For all the while I was there and when the owners came too, the doggie didn't bark at all. It made me sad to see a lost, potentially hurt doggie.

SO many people were stopping to see what was happening and if doggie needed help.

Psychic Paul

Paul the octopus at the Oberhausen Sea Life Aquarium in Germany has some pretty incredible psychic powers. Not only has it predicted 80% of Germany's results in Euro 2008, he has got all its predictions right at this world cup! He picks a mussel from a jar that bears a flag - either of Germany or of the country Germany's upcoming match is againt. The country represented in the jar he picked has been winning the matches.

Olmsted Woods and Pilgrim Path

The bridge that led us to Pilgrim Path and Olmsted Woods

Vishal came over today to watch the Argentina-Mexico (3-1) round of 16 match. After the match got over and Argentina had won, we went out for a walk. I was too full of energy to stay at home. We went to the Cathedral grounds. We took V to Bishop's garden since he had never seen it before, sat in the gazebo (for the first time) for sometime before I got antsy again and wanted to go walking. We followed a road right off the cathedral grounds and went further than we have been before. We discovered a REALLLLLY cool bridge that lead to a path we didn't know existed. It was SOOO exciting to discover and explore. Saurabh went photo-happy with his camera phone. Vishal went about turning on taps that lead to sprinkler systems. After the boys were done with their madness we explored the path through the woods more and eventually came out at the other end on 35th street near some tennis courts. There we realised that we walked on Pilgrim Path through Olmsted Woods! I canNOT wait to go back there and explore it more! :) :) :) :)

It's a really pretty and serene path through the woods. Fantastic place for casual de-stressing walking. :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the area I live in. There are SOOOOO many cool things around! :D :D :D And I am IN Washington DC, not in some random suburb! Weeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Crime and Punishment Museum

Having bought 50% off tickets through Groupon, we finally made it to the Crime and Punishment museum this afternoon. I wasn't very impressed with it. There weren't too many exhibits until you come to the CSI section. It was a lot of stories and reading, which is interesting information but has one thinking that they could sit at home and read this online. The CSI exhibit was really good...but having done a degree in forensics it wasn't fascinating to me as it would be to the average person. At $18 entry charge, this museum is definitely not worth your money.



Funny Incidents:

1. The lie detector didn't respond to my touch AT ALL. Whether I was lying or not. However, Saurabh only had to touch it and not only would the readings go crazy but the detector would start beeping loudly, sounding like sirens went off. It happened EVERY time he touched it and ONLY when he did it, however he did it - touching it lightly, medium touch or pressing hard! It was TOO funny

2. We walked around in circles following the exit signs trying to get out of the museum!!! We had begun to think it was a conspiracy to keep us in! But...we made it out, eventually! :D

At least I got a cool photo out of the museum trip

Chop't

We went to Chop't for lunch today. This is my fourth time at Chop't and I absolutely LOVEEE it!!! I'm craving more. I have only tried the 5 spice Asian dressing and it is just so perfect I don't even feel like venturing and trying other dressings! Maybe on my 17th visit I will try another one! :)

I usually get the mesclun mix with cucumber, white mushrooms, Chinese noodles, corn/brocolli, edemame and grilled shrimp/angus steak with the 5 spice Asian dressing.

Poster I like in Chop't restroom :)

70-68

The final score and the PHENOMENAL players

Isner's reaction after winning the final point

And so the longest match in tennis history concludes! It's been 3 days of incredible stamina, records being shattered and an awestruck tennising world! The match lasted a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes spread over 3 days. Both days that match was called off due to poor lighting. Isner, finally won the match. But, I don't think this match can have any true winner. Both of them played with incredible endurance and serve and I wish both were able to advance to the next round. But, one must win and he must move on... This was only their first round match. How Isner is going to fare for the rest of the championship we will have to wait and see.

Online commentry had some fun comments. I am going to list a few:

• Before day 3 of play began: Here's one for you, if Isner and Mahut play out another eight games in this set, they would have played enough games to have won the Championship. FACT."
  


• John Inverdale reports that the atmosphere is a little strange courtside because no one wants anyone to lose. Fair enough. Neither do I. A draw then?
  


• From Danny in Grimsby, via text: "Watching at work on my iPhone. 58% battery left. Fearing the worst!"
  


• From anon via text: "Is this for real? Or some Truman Show stunt? I really don't want to see either lose, all that effort for nothing! On the plus side, at least he won't have to play again!"
  


• Nicolas Mahut and John Isner's names are read out, but neither of them look like they have the energy to collect these momentos. Mahut looks devastated, and I'm not sure he needed to be lugging two massive present off court either.

At the end of the match:

Full details have arrived on those gifts given to marathon men John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. After 11 hours 5 minutes on court, they had to carry off a 10" Tipperary Crystal Bowl (to be engraved) and six Waterford Crystal Wimbledon champagne flutes. Swedish umpire Mohamed Lahyani received a bowl, a tie and some cufflinks. "I travel Economy," said Lahyani. "Seven hours sitting still on court is nothing. It has been quite amazing to be involved with such an extraordinary match. I can't imagine seeing another one like it in my lifetime. I didn't get a chance to feel tired, I was gripped by the amazing match and my concentration stayed good - I owed that to the players, their stamina was breath-taking and their behaviour exceptional. When you are so focussed and every point feels like a match point you just don't even think about eating or needing the bathroom."

Nicolas Mahut: "At this moment I'm just really thankful. It was amazing today. John deserved to win. He served unbelievable, he's a champion. It was really an honour to play the greatest match ever at the greatest place for tennis. It was very long but I think we both enjoyed it."

John Isner: "This crowd was fantastic. What more can you say? The guy's an absolute warrior. It stinks someone had to lose. To share this with him was an absolute honour. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere down the road and it won't be 70-68."

Other comments by Isner:

Isner on being involved in a record-breaking match: "Yeah, it's great. It's something Nic and I will share forever really. I don't think I ever said five words to him prior to the match - not that he's a bad guy, it's just the way it is. Now when I see him at other tournaments, we'll always share that."

Isner on whether Wimbledon should have a fifth-set tie-break: "I don't think so. This won't happen again, not even close. I think just keep it the same."

John Isner on what he was thinking last night: "Honestly, I really thought it was a dream. I didn't think it was possible. I went back, I didn't sleep great, probably about four hours. I talked to Nic [Mahut] and he said he slept about three. We're both running on fumes right now."

I wish I had been able to watch this match. But, I had to settle for following it online...which I guess was better than just hearing about the score in the news later. :)

Push Up on Med Ball

Something new that I did today.

LONGEST TENNIS MATCH EVER!

The day ended with the 5th set at 59-59, but I couldn't find a photo showing that :(

Today while in an email conversation with Noella she asked me if I was watching the Isner-Mahut match which was in the 5th set tie break at 46-47. I thought it was a typo and opened slam tracker to check. There was no typo there. I, then, started following the match forgetting all about the the world cup (that I was following earlier). Isner and Mahut had resumed their match today, from yesterday, to play the 5th set after being at 2 sets all. This turned out the be the longest match in tennis history and the day ended without a result. The 5th set in itself is longer than any tennis match ever played (6 hours and 35 minutes)The match will resume tomorrow. It is currently poised at a 5th set tie break at 59-59!!!!! After 10 hours of play time. It is insane. I was getting updates about what was going on in the match from Naj. Isner was winning on aces. He was too tired to bend to hit any of his shots. At one point, he tried to eat a banana, but decided against it because it was too much effort to peel it. Mahut on the other hand did not seem very tired and was jumping about, perhaps, more to rub it into Isner!

At 59-59 Mahut was having difficulties seeing the ball because of low light and asked for play to be suspended for the day. Isner wanted to continue playing. The match was called off and Isner wasn't happy. Tomorrow will be interesting, but I think it will end soon. The rest might make them sore and prevent them from bringing their A game to the court. They may not be able to serve as fantastically as they were today. Tomorrow, like today, they will resume play on Court 18.

Sure is Hot and Muggy out there!

Mouse in Ball

Tennis ball homes are being used at a wildlife center in Gloucestershire, England to boost the numbers of Harvest mice living there.

CATS and Wolf Trap

This afternoon we headed to Wolf Trap for the a 2:00PM show of CATS. I have been wanting to go for this broadway for a very long time. It finally came to the area. We had excellent seats (10th row from the stage). The performance was absolutely fantastic. I think this is probably one of the better broadway performances I have been for. The dancing, the singing was just so well done.

This show was like Les Miserables in that one song lead into the next. There was very very little dialogue. If there was, it was just a couple of lines that were a prelude to the song coming. Fantastic cast! I am really glad we made the long trip out to Wolf Trap for it.

Wolf Trap is a beautiful location. The Filene Center stage and seating is covered, but the entire unit is still open to the outside. There is also lawn seating at the back. This makes for a very interesting and fun setting. It was incredibly hot today, but even without any air conditioning it was very cool inside! :)

Wolf Trap is part of a national park...and looks like it is a farm. Very very pretty. I am glad I finally made it out there to see such a pretty location.

Wolf Trap Grounds

Filene Center

Filene Center Stage (hard to make out 'coz it is dark)

Not Your Typical Checkout Counter, huh?

That's Seasoned Squid, if you can't see/read.

In the evening Adri took us to Grand Mart (Korean Grocery store). There, after buying a lot of fresh produce and Indian groceries (the place has a lot of international items), while checking out we encountered this. Adri also said it looked like a flattened penis. haha!

Home Cooked Brazilian Bbq and Football

Adri and Fabio (and little Lucas) had us over today for the Denmark-Cameroon game (2-1) and lunch. They are Brazilian, so ALL the fare was Brazilian. From the chips initially, to the cheese balls, to the drinks and finally to the delicious delicious bbq meats!

Adri made us Caipirinha which is made with cachaça, sugar, lime and ice. So delicious! and potent! The cheese balls were delicious and served as a fantastic appetizer to the meats that were being griiled. First she brought out the Brazilian sausages. They are dipped in yuca powder and eaten. I tried one bite and it was good. The others really really really enjoyed it! This was followed by skewers of chicken heart. Typically, I am not a fan of heart, but this was GOOD! And finally, she brought out the steak and ribs. All the meats are seasoned only with rock salt. It's amazing how with such little seasoning the meats can be so incredibly delicious. Brazilian cuts are different from cuts we typically get and that is what makes Brazilian bbq different. The cut the cow differently. The ribs were incredible! They had a higher fat content and that made the meat so incredibly juicy...mmmmmmm!!! They were my favourite at the lunch.

Brazilian bbq that I have had at restaurants cannot hold a matchstick to what was served for lunch today! :)

Caipirinha

Chicken Hearts, Chips and Brazilian Sausage along with Caipirinha

Ribs, Steak and Chicken Hearts

Toe Wrestling

Apparently there is a sport called Toe Wrestling. I only learnt of it today. Ewe!! I would not ever want to participate in such a sport! *shudder*

Yummy Tummy

Yesterday, I took Saurabh out for his birthday lunch to Black Salt Restaurant and Market, otherwise known by us as Yummy Tummy. They have a limited menu. There are about 10 appetizers, 4-5 sandwiches and 4 entrées. However, they have another option, the reason I wanted to take him here. You can go to the market, pick a fish and then the chef does whatever he thinks best to do with the fish you picked.

I ordered a Mai Tai and Saurabh got a Lemon Drop. We both liked our own drinks and didn't like the other's. That worked out quite well. The bread plate here has corn bread! Yum!!! For our appetizer we ordered Addie's Mussels - steamed with garlic, shallot tomato lemon, it was served in a soup to us. They split the appetizer so we each had our own plate of the mussels, about 10 each. This dish was simply incredible. As Saurabh said, "one of the best appetizers I have ever had". I am not a huge fan of mussels and I thoroughly enjoyed it, to the point where I would crave for it in the future. After relishing the mussels we went to the Market to pick our fish. We picked the Wahoo 'ono' (like Mahi Mahi) and the Sockeye Salmon (It is a deeper red compared to regular salmon). Unfortunately, I don't remember the preparations the chef made, but they were absolutely delicious! I enjoyed the Wahoo more than the Salmon, and Saurabh the other way around. But, both were fantastic! And I'd order either again! :)

Finally, for dessert we got the Butterscotch Pot de Crème. Again excellent! This is how the menu describes it: Milk Chocolate, Almond Brittle, Scotched Milkshake, Butter Shortbread. The server remembered to give us 2 little shortbreads since we were sharing the dessert :)

Red: Mai Tai. Light Gold: Lemon Drop

Bread Plate

Addie's Mussels

Wahoo ' Ono'

Sockeye Salmon

Butterscotch Pot de Crème

Fireflies

I saw my first fireflies of the season today. I was just entering Chancery and I saw them in the bushes. They always make me happy.

I remember the first time I saw fireflies. It was in Khandala. I was sitting on a swing on the back verandah of a large bungalow in the evening. I was happily swinging and suddenly I noticed a momentary speck of electric blue-green outside the bungalow. At first I thought I had just imagined it. Then, upon seeing it a few times more, I realised what they were. I became very excited. Until then I had only read about them in books. The fireflies fulfilled a childish desire in me, then. Today, too, my excitement remains childlike. :)

Pearls Before Swine - 4 and 5

♥ pigggg!!!

Life...

About a month or two back I was in Giant at the check out counter. In front of me was a girl with a FULL back pack paying for a couple of cans of food and one or two other things. I wouldn't have paid too much attention to her had I not noticed her cart. Her cart was filled with bins (of her stuff, I presume). That is when I realised that she was homeless. Looking at her or her clothes I would never have guessed so. I remember thinking then that she probably was recently rendered homeless, perhaps due to the economy.

Today, I was walking to the building from the N2 bus stop and I saw a homeless girl with her cart. When I looked closer, it was the same girl I had seen in Giant a month or so back. However, now, her clothes were disheveled, her hair was matted and she looked exhausted. :(

Situations like these, slap you with the reality of life. It reminds you to be thankful for what you have, to appreciate everything you are able to do, because you just never know when everything you know can just slip away from you.

It's Raining Gifts...& It Isn't Even My Birthday!

I woke up this morning and found a gift voucher in my email from Houda for a fish pedicure and a manicure. I got to work and on my desk was a mug and spoon from Chris B. from his vacation in the Outer Banks! I love both!!! I know they do an excellent job at the fish pedicure place and I have wanted a mug+spoon set for sometime now. It is a perfect blue too! Yay! :)

Blue Skies and Rain! :-o

View from my window a little while back

Just a little while ago my apartment had gotten gloomy, and it was only 2:00PM. I looked out of the window, there were white clouds and blue skies, however it was POURINGGGG!!! Heavyyyyy rains were falling and tourists at the National Cathedral were scrambling for shelter. You gotta love nature and the unbelievable things it does!

Jiu Jitsu - To Celebrate Rachel's Gold at the Worlds!

Dupont Circle Football!!!!

Two large screens have been set up in Dupont Circle to showcase the world cup on weekends!!!!! We went this weekend for the Argentina-Nigeria game (1-0 in favour of Arg)! So much fun!!! Even though it was hot. The concept is fantastic and the atmosphere is electric! DEFINITELY a BRILLIANT IDEA!!! I like it better than going to bars.

ps: It is called "Soccer in the Circle". Since I refuse to call the game that...this is the only acknowledgment the name will get :-p

World Cup 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The football world cup commenced today! With Mexico playing South Africa (1-1) and then Uruguay playing France (0-0). A day of ties, but the world cup has begunnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!

Burpees were invented by Satan

We had to do them during bootcamp on Tuesday (Marcus was subing). DEATHHHHHHH!!!!

Geekyness!!!! :) :)

Post Hunt - 2010

About two months back we decided and committed ourselves to an afternoon of confounding puzzles. Then, we proceeded to send a plethora of amusing and confusing emails to each other. Finally, on June 6th we headed out to Freedom Plaza for the 2010 post hunt!!!! We included Saurabh, Vishal, Smita, Sandhya and me. Saurabh suggested team colour red, Smita said she was going with green...Vishal, Saurabh and I turn up in green only to find that Smita had come in orange-pink!! And Sandhya in blue...so much for our team communication rocking! :D

Anyway, on to Freedom Plaza, armed with four copies of the post magazine, cell phones, knowledge that all answers to the clues have to be a number and 5 wonderful problem solving brains we awaited noon to get our clues to start. Before then, we were to solve the 5 multiple choice questions in the magazine. Those answers coupled with the clues they would give us at noon would tell us where the 5 puzzles were. At noon they announced 5 numbers. Those numbers along with the alphabet answers to the multiple choice questions gave us the coordinates on the post hunt map indicating where the puzzles were.

Stage at Freedom Plaza

Initial Questions to Solve

The Hunt Map

The first puzzle was the Feet puzzle. We reached there and saw hundreds of casts of feet. Some of us started counting how many there were. There were 555 full feet and there was one half foot. In the magazine there was an illustration of the area around the Washington Monument. One of the bubbles on the page indicated that the monument is 555½ feet long. So, having figured that out, we headed toward the Washington monument.

The Feet Puzzle

Half Foot

The Illustration!

On the way there we got side tracked and stopped at the Abstract Shapes puzzle. What it was, was a number spelled out in giant alphabets and buried halfway into the ground. We figured out that the number was 500.

500 Puzzle

Having solved that puzzle we resumed our direction to the monument. There we thought it might have to do with the flags since one of the bubbles on the same page that indicated the monument is 555½ feet tall said something about the flags representing the states of America. That wasn’t the answer. After walking around the monument, we noticed a man standing with a Dodgers jersey and a pink umbrella. This man was also shown in the cartoon. At the back of his jersey, he had they number 74. 74 was the answer to this puzzle.

Pink Umbrella Man

Then we headed to the Credentials puzzle. Once there, post hunt volunteers handed us a cardboard credential with a string that said "HUNT BAR" and "Admit One" with the instructions to wear it around our necks. There was also a bar code on it. Once worn, if you looked at the bar code, it read "Nineteen plus". The second part of this clue involved going to the "bar" indicated on the map. Over there, volunteers handed us a flyer that said "You MUST be wearing shoes. Please check to make sure you are wearing shoes! How many are you wearing?". The answer was 2 and so we had to add 19 + 2 = 21. Which was the answer to this puzzle.

Credential

Flyer given at Hunt Bar

Then we headed to the Interpreter puzzle. There one of the organizers was giving a very "important" speech. He also had an interpreter with him. She was dressed in a referee outfit and was making gestures through the speech. Most of them seemed nonsensical. However, each time he said "The solution is clear" the interpreter would raise both her hands straight up. It indicated a touchdown. We eventually figured that out, and that it might represent the number 6. However, we didn't eventually reach the conclusion that it was signaling to the number 66. 66 was the answer to this puzzle.

Interpreter Puzzle

The last clue, Comic Strip Puzzle clue, was a comic strip with each panel labeled with a number. However, the numbers weren't in numerical order. The comic didn't make sense when read in the order the panels were or if the panels were arranged in numerical order. We had to arrange the panels so that the comic made sense. This order was obtained as 7 8 3 4 5 6 2. It represented a phone number. We did think it might be a phone number with the area code 202, so we googled it, but nothing came up! We weren't able to solve this clue. As it turns out, it was a phone number that you had to call. I have NO idea why we didn't think to call the number. Upon calling the number, there was a recording that to you to count the number of cats. There were 13 cats and that was the answer to this puzzle.

Comic Strip Puzzle

All these numbers corresponded to answers on the clue page. The clues corresponding to the numbers would help solve the final clue given at 3:00PM.

The final puzzle COMPLETELYYYYY stumped us! At 3:00 PM on the stage in Freedom Plaza, one of the sponsors had an ear, a nut and a star on placards. Then, he juggled the three placards. The juggling was done to indicated the juggling of the alphabets in the 3 words. If one did that, the alphabets spelt out "Restaurant". In the post hunt map, there was a 'restaurant". We had to head there, where volunteers handed us a menu and some advice. They recommended the sea food. The prices along all the menu items that were seafood gave a string of 7 digits. Again, a phone number with the area code 202. Upon calling it, the recorded voice told the caller that they didn't solce the clue out right and that it was C-food that was recommended. All items with the alphabet "C" had to used to solve the rest of it. Which can be viewed here.

Menu - Front

Menu - Inside/Back

The hunt was SO much fun. Definitely something we all want to do again. We solved 3 puzzles and were SOOOO close to solving the other 2. I think if it hadn't rained and made us a little lethargic and disinterested we would have solved those 2 as well. However, the last final puzzle given to us at 3PM definitely left us stumped. Realising this, instead of running around in the rain, we decided to go to Gorden Biersch and indulge in the goodness of garlic fries!

THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!