The Emilee Crowder and D.C.

First, look at this picture.

I cut my thumbnail while chopping onions.

I thought it was pretty cool that I cut through the nail.  I guess it would've been more impressive if I took a picture while it was all bloody.

So as the title says, I drove to Washington D.C. to visit my BYU friend, Emilee Crowder.  I bet you're thinking that I was willing to drive five and a half hours to Maryland, because I don't have friends in Ohio.  Well you're only halfway right.  I also was willing to drive that far because I love her lots and she's totally worth it. 

I've never driven that far on my own, and I was only a little nervous.  I had our trusty GPS and was driving in our family minivan.  I left Ohio with a full tank of gas, an empty bladder, and the fourth Harry Potter audiobook.  Most of the drive was really pretty.  I miss the mountains in Utah, but that's about it.  Everything was so green the whole way.  At one point on I-70 it looked like Ireland.

OK I'll stop.  I sound like my mom.

Then I approached these tunnels.

Don't worry, I didn't take this picture.

When I was younger I used to hold my breath when I went through tunnels, so I decided to give it a try.  After about 30 seconds, I decided to start breathing again since this time I was driving, and I really could kill someone.  It's a good thing I gave up because it took 1:40 to drive all the way through.  I timed it on the drive home.

Everything was going well, and then it started to rain.  It was pouring and it was dark by then, so it was really hard to see.  I even had to do the unthinkable, and turned off Harry Potter because I couldn't hear over the drumming of the rain.  Then all of the sudden the car in front of my swerved over into the left lane.  I did too for precaution, and watched a torn tire fly by.  Then I had to swerve back into the right lane because the car had lost its tire and basically stopped in the middle of the highway.  Did I mention I nearly died?

Well, I didn't die, and I made it to Emilee's home safe and sound.  Without stopping for anything.  Both ways.  I'm very proud of my little bladder.

Emilee lives in a cute house with a cute family.  But really, I love her family.  I felt comfortable with them right away, and they were lots of fun. 

On Saturday we took the Metro to get to Washington D.C.  We also took our bikes with us.  That was an adventure.  Just combine an overcrowded train, three bikes, and automatic doors and that describes our situation.  We missed our original stop because we couldn't get off before the doors shut, so we had to get off the next one.  The same thing happened heading back.

We also had multiple problems with our tickets.

Yes, it's upside down, and yes, I know how to rotate pictures.  But it won't work.

This is the only picture we got on the metro.  We were whipped.

But don't get me wrong, bringing bikes was the best.  I'm the kind of person that doesn't mind museums if I can look really quick and move on.  The same goes for monuments, and with bikes that was exactly what we did.  We saw lots of the monuments while riding bikes and didn't have to kill ourselves walking everywhere.

Planking. 

I had a splitting headache.

More planking in front of Lincoln Memorial.

It was a beautiful and fun day.  Then we took it easy that night.  Emilee kept on apologizing for not doing much, but believe me, some of my favorite times were just chillin at her place on her couches.  That means I'm either very laid back, or really lazy.  

On Sunday we watched Stake Conference in the visitors center, so I got to go on temple grounds.

We love each other.

I'm kind of jealous that their temple is the D.C. temple.  It's awesome.

So I'd say it was a good weekend.  Emilee, now it's your turn :)