I think somewhere in the scriptures it says, “He who is not dirty let him become as a little piggy.” No? Well, I’m sure it’s going to make the next edition.
Jason and I did the Dirty last week with Abigail, Jeremy Rowley, my brother Drew, and his wife Simone. The Dirty Dish is a filth fest for runners. It’s really more about freeing yourself from acceptable hygiene practices than getting exercise. As you slosh your way through a 5 or 10K, whichever you’re tough enough for, you’ll find yourself in slimy pits, on top of muddy ramparts, or in the midst of a stinky lake.
I made duck feet and feathery tails for me and Jason. They went from pristinely clean to filthy in just five minutes.
Most members of our team were Dash veterans so they knew what we were in for. We expected muck in places where the sun don’t shine and being worn out beyond reckoning. We were surprised by one thing though: this year’s obstacles were a lot wetter. The water to dirt ratio was significantly higher than last time; there was less soggy soil and more pools of filth. We were in one of the first groups out the chute so the temps up in Soldier Hollow were still in the 40s and all those puddles were awfully cold. Most of us had numb hands and arms after our first dip but we kept moving to discourage our chilled extremities from giving ideas to the rest of our bodies.
You had to either go over or under these pipes. Under was a guaranteed mess but over was more precarious.The slop ‘n slide was sloppier this year, so naturally more fun.
Another change for me from last year was the condition of my ankle. Tearing my tendon 3 months ago meant that this time I had to contend with a testy foot. Thanks to my injury I couldn’t just jump into the murky depths, I had to carefully navigate my way through them so as not to damage my tendon any further. That caution and instability made me feel infinitely weaker, a bit like an old lady, a curious state for an unabashed mud seeker. But even with all that extra care my ankle was still pretty aggravated with me after the run. I guess there’s just no pleasing some tendons.
Simone bypassed quite a few obstacles so she didn’t look like she had fallen into the vat of Hershey’s extra chunky chocolate that had swallowed the rest of us.Jeremy, Drew, and Jason were giggly with delight throwing globs of mud at each other.
This year we continued our juvenile costuming tradition by naming our team MuckTales and dressing like ducks. Yes, MuckTales is a play on DuckTales, that Disney cartoon you watched incessantly when you were a kid. Jason and I came as two of the triplets. I believe we were Dewey and Louie but don’t quote me on that. However, you can quote me on this universal truth: sopping sweatpants make running really uncomfortable. The white sweatpants Jason and I wore to represent our duck feathers were a very bad idea. They absorbed all that muddy liquid like sponges and we came out of each trench about 15 pounds of gross sludge heavier. You don’t know chaffing until you’ve sprinted while sporting gritty dripping sweatpants. Although most of the other participants didn’t seem to recognize our characters, everyone caught on that we were ducks except for a delirious couple that thought we were piggies for some reason. (The feathers and beaks didn’t clue you in?) I guess with all our layers of goo we probably looked more like sewer treatment pond scrapings than anything else.
Our group, with the exception of Simone, looked like we had been dredged up from the bottom of a bog by the time we crossed the finish line.
We had a lovely grubby time running the Dirty Dash again. It was a bit chilly and I think our whole group was still cold hours later from that foul freezing water but it was all worth it for the chance to completely put aside cleanliness and see Jeremy get hit in his open mouth with a mud bomb. I will long treasure my mucky memories and the grime I keep digging out of my toenails. Dirt and fond recollections are the gifts that just keep on giving.
Just a few days after Jason and I got home from our weekend in Park City we left again. This time our destination was a little farther off but its abbreviation wasn’t.
I am a history junkie and I have an innate curiosity that few can match so Washington DC, home to numerous museums and an incredible past, has always been on the short list of places I’d like to visit. Thanks to a vacation stipend provided by Jason’s new employer I finally got to cross DC off my list.
The Lincoln Memorial looked especially stunning at night.The Reflecting Pool, meant to double the Washington Monument, was even more dazzling in the setting sun.
When we announced to our friends that we were going to DC many of them were perplexed by this choice of vacation. How could we choose DC over countless exotic options? And how could we spend nearly a week there without running out of things to do? Well, not to worry folks, we could have stayed twice as long in our nation’s capitol without a shortage of entertainment. In fact, we left without seeing many things we would have liked to even though our days were completely packed, perhaps a little too packed for my vacation preferences. No, I was never concerned about being bored on this trip but I was a little worried about the weather. We read conflicting accounts of the climate in September. Some travelers indicated that it was a very wet month and that they got nothing but rain when they came. Others claimed DC was still way too muggy and hot in September. Considering normal weather patterns and tourists’ comments we expected temperatures in the 80s and a fair amount of humidity. What we got was perfection. Temperatures stayed in the 70s for most of our trip and we only got showers, although admittedly torrential showers, one day. Either we lucked out or all those complaining people are a bunch of whiners.
The Jefferson Memorial was classically picturesque and fun to paddle around.Jason looked like a wee thing next to Jefferson's immense pillars.
Yes, the weather in DC was good and the sites were also good. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National World War II Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. You’d think that once you’ve seen one oversized statue of some long-gone important person that you’ve seen them all but I beg the contrary. We loved the memorials. Jason’s favorite Washington spots were the Lincoln and Jefferson and not just because we toured the Tidal Basin surrounding the Jefferson in a paddleboat, a tiring and sticky affair, before hitting the shore. Jason liked the classic architecture of these two buildings and seeing their famous structures firsthand. I, on the other hand, enjoyed them primarily because they celebrate hope in the progress of mankind and our ability to transcend affliction. I guess we know which of us is the sentimental one.
The FDR Memorial was one of my favorites. This breadline of weary men was just part of the segment representing FDR's leadership through the Great Depression.The Iwo Jima Memorial, a replica of the famous photo, was enormous, much larger than I had imagined it.
DC is home to the Smithsonian and their 18 free museums. We only found time to peruse a couple of these, the National Museum of American History and the National Air and Space Museum, but what we did see was impressive. We were awed by the flag that inspired “The Star Spangled Banner” and intrigued by George Washington’s uniform, Kermit the Frog, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, a Revolutionary War gunboat, exquisite ball gowns from many of the first ladies, the 1903 Wright Flyer, Skylab, spacesuits worn on the moon, and on and on and on. I don’t move through museums too fast; I like to savor each piece of fascinating information and these galleries offered much to relish.
The marble markers of Arlington stretched as far as the eye could see: an endless field of sacrifice.The Vietnam War Memorial was a reflection on the personal cost of war.
We also went to a not-free not-Smithsonian museum: The International Spy Museum. This was an interactive and fun place. Along with seeing the world’s largest collection of real spyware, like the lipstick pistol, we were taught the ways of the ninja: lock picking, bugging, disguising, and dead dropping. They had exhibits on spying through the ages plus you got to crawl inside the ducts and observe the people on the floor below you covertly. Kids would love this museum and me and Jason, just a couple of big kids, did too.
The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns was an impeccably-timed display of reverence and respect.The cosmos, long a source of mystery and wonderment, have a fitting place in the National Cathedral. The Space Window commemorates our explorations into the unknown.
If you go to DC you have to check out where all the government action happens. We gawked at the White House through its unimposing metal fence (No luck getting into a tour there.) and strolled through the Capitol. (Better luck this time.) I enjoyed the striking design and historical significance of the Capitol but man, that place was crazy with tourists. Our guide did a great job and the tour was interesting but it still seemed like a bit of a cattle chute. I guess that’s what happens when so many people are enthralled by one structure. The Library of Congress was much less crowded and the building was an intricately stunning shrine to knowledge and science rather than government. Now that’s my kind of place.
The Capitol's dome looked like a monstrous and spectacular eye watching over the cause of liberty.The Capitol is no small shack. We could probably fit our whole neighborhood in it.
Speaking of beautiful buildings, the National Cathedral definitely has beautiful covered. It’s the sixth largest cathedral in the world and has been used for many state funerals, including Neil Armstrong’s just a couple of weeks ago. But its uniqueness, not its massiveness or importance, was what made it endearing to me. Its unusual elements, like a Darth Vader gargoyle (Really!) and a stain glass window containing lunar rock, are proof that churches don’t have to be so stuffy. And, for that matter, neither do our journeys to them. We got to the cathedral by way of a scenic trolley ride, which was a nice change from the dark tunnels of the Metro.
On the steps of the Library of Congress I paused to offer a cheer for knowledge.The Library of Congress was a colorful celebration of learning.
There are many spots in Washington that move you. Places that whisper optimistically of the ability of our nation, and all of mankind, to overcome, to persevere, to grow. But nothing provides quite as poignant of a reminder of the cost of that progression as the white speckled hills of Arlington Cemetery. Here over 330,000 military servicemen have found their final rest along with John F. Kennedy. It’s a sobering, humbling, and peaceful place that will leave you with a lump in your throat. I know it left one in mine.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was a favorite of mine. Something about the larger-than-life quality of the soldiers' worn faces touched me.In DC one can find breathtaking beauty in the often overlooked details.
We didn’t find a whole lot of time for shopping in DC and, honestly, after shopping in NYC the options elsewhere aren’t that impressive. But we did find one great spot: the Lou Lou Boutique. Lou Lou is nothing but wall to wall jewelry, scarves, purses, hair accessories, and belts. Everything in that place is not only darling but nicely priced. I was practically salivating over all the cheap girly gear. I didn’t empty out the whole store but let’s just say I came away with a rather large sack of goodies. How many pairs of earrings can you fit in a big bag? A lot.
George Mason and I go way back. Jason thought this picture was uncommonly funny for some reason so he insisted on it being in this post.We went to a couple of scrumptious cupcake joints including Georgetown Cupcakes of TLC's DC Cupcakes fame.
The shopping in DC may not have been super thrilling but the food was super tasty. Ethnic diversity = culinary diversity = yumminess. We dined at amazing French, Turkish, and Peruvian restaurants along with hitting the Old Ebbitt Grill, which apparently has practically fed more presidents than the White House kitchen.
How did we cram countless monuments, 3 museums, some shopping, and many architectural delights into 5 days? We walked, walked, walked, walked to the Metro, rode the Metro, walked, walked, and rode the Metro. When we got tired we walked some more or jumped on the Metro again and hit something else. I can’t say that it was the most relaxing of trips; it’s not like we spent a day lounging on the beach or even saw much of our hotel room. No, it wasn’t quite Hawaii but I think all U.S. citizens should make a trip to their capitol at some point to remind themselves of our nation’s roots and aspirations. Something about seeing all those places in person makes our history seem more human and our future nobler.
Most people think of Park City as a winter wonderland, and rightly so, but I have to say that Park City is also a pretty fantastic place to visit in the summer. Coming from a boarding junkie that’s saying a lot. You’ll find the Alpine Slides, Alpine Coaster, zip lines, mountain biking, and Olympic Park quite diverting plus the offseason offers the same great restaurants as chill time minus the outrageous waits. Although Jason and I were in Park City not long ago for my nerd golfing, some passes to the summer activities at the Park City Mountain Resort, a birthday present from Jason’s parents, brought us up again. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)
Jason and I are fans of fast. We slid down the mountain quicker than a kid in a sleeping bag.The condo we rented for the night looked a little outdated on the exterior but it had recently been remodeled and was quite stylish inside.
Our sweet tickets gave us unlimited access to the resort’s Alpine Slides and Alpine Coaster so we hit those slopes something fierce. But we didn’t want to just come up for a day of winding around the mountain, we wanted to unwind too. Hence, we got a room right at the resort in the Lodge at the Mountain Village. Our condo was very conveniently located and conveniently priced. Park City in the summer is cheap! All the more reason for you tightwads to visit this time of year.
Riding the Alpine Coaster as a pair was pretty uncomfortable but it was worth it. Our trip downhill was quick and crazy.
After an afternoon of loops and sunlight Jason and I wandered down Main Street and into Wahso, an Asian bistro, for a delicious dinner. Park City’s many tasty meal choices make me very happy and hungry. The rest of the night we lounged and read; we could do that at home but we don’t.
Jason ordered the Grilled Lamb Vindaloo with mint raita, coconut eggplant, and green lentil-cucumber salad at Wahso. It was tasty but I think I liked my Miso Black Cod better.We procured a private booth room at Wahso. Apparently these are impossible to get during the ski season. Hooray for the tourists going bye-bye!
We loved our great little weekend getaway. Park City is mellow during the summer. It’s not packed but it’s still pretty. You too can take advantage of the sunny days and elevation-enhanced brisk nights of Park City’s lolling season. Refreshing! As for us, one of these weekends we’ll actually stay at home but not quite yet.
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