365 Challenge, Day 86: My Life In Pictures

This morning I spent several hours combing through the files in an old computer of ours that I had brought back from Florida in July. Although I accidentally deleted all of our photos from our 2007 trip to Spain (and who knows what else), I was surprised at just how many photos we do have. Photos that show what a blessed life TJ and I have had together. A life that I could hardly imagine ever having while growing up in Texas. Come, walk with me down memory lane...

...as we meet in 2003 and spend

way too much time at Disney World...

...as we enjoy a Christmas

playing dress up with Sophie...

...as we adopt our first

puppy, Zelda...

...as we take our first trip to Paris

(and Disneyland Paris)...

...as we meet actor/comedian

Hal Sparks at the Hard Rock Live...

...as we adopt our second

puppy, Chloe...

...as we celebrate

TJ's graduation...

...as we buy our 1st home...

...as we go back to Paris

(and Disneyland Paris)...

...as we move to DC, and I

see my first heavy snowfall...

...as we watch as our babies grow up...

It's been a good life, and things will only continue to get better. There are a couple of things in the pipeline that we are very excited about.

I think now is a good time to let everyone know that the 365 Challenge is officially over. Not "over" like it was on Day 50, but really, really over. There was actually a soft closing of it on October 1st, when I decided to no longer number the individual days.

I was going to ride it out until we left for Guadalajara, but after finding some of the above photos today, it just seemed like this would be a good day to go out on.

Not every day has a story worth telling. Other days have stories that might be worth telling, but are inappropriate given that we represent the US Government abroad. Those are the days that frustrate me the most: when I have something fun or personal to share but instead resort to "stock footage." And if we're being honest, knowing that I "have" to post every day sorta makes me resent the process.

I will continue to write and post photos, but only when it feels right. Only when I have something to say or share. No more photos scavenged from the Internet. The words and stories will all be mine alone, or they won't be posted.

Which brings me to my next bit of news. "Adventures By Aaron" will be shutting down in a few weeks, to be replaced by a new blog...one that I think will better capture the essence of our lives abroad. I will continue posting here until then, and will of course leave a "forwarding address" when the time comes.

This has been a fun project for me, and definitely one of the things that have kept me sane while adjusting to our new Foreign Service Life.

Thanks to all of my readers, posters and lurkers alike. I hope you'll stick around for what's coming up next!

I Have A Cold

It's been brewing for a few days. Kings Dominion, while fun, gave it the boost it needed to hit me full force. So don't expect much writing out of me. 'K thanks.

One Last Adventure At Kings Dominion

Spent one last day at Kings Dominion today before our big move.

One last day filled with crazy roller coasters...

and one last night filled with crazy Halloween spooks...

And I STILL can't get a decent shot with pumpkin man.

This one would have turned out ok, I think, if he hadn''t started quacking like Donald Duck right as the flash went off. I was both startled and amused. Sigh.

I wonder if the third time would have been the charm?

Tired Yesterday, Cranky Today

Worn Out

Did you ever have one of those days that just completely drained you?

Yeah, me too.

I'd talk about it, but I won't really know how it turned out until November 4th. Hit me up then.

European Beard and Moustache Championship

I just love the Huffington Post. Sometimes you get useful news blurbs...and sometimes you get this...

"Hirsute men from eight countries curled, primped and even blow-dried their facial hair in preparation for the European Beard And Moustache Championship, held high in the Austrian Alps this weekend, the AFP reports."

"The event drew about 150 participants to the town of Leogang, not far from Salzburg. According to MSNBC, men competed in 17 eccentric categories, including "Freestyle Beard," "Natural Moustache" and "Verdi," with the winner of the latter category bearing a style akin to the famous 19th century Italian composer Giuseppi Verdi."

Click HERE for additional photos...

Welcome to the Foreign Service Life! Here's Your Apartment!

I wasn't particularly looking forward to posting this entry, but I sorta promised it HERE, so I figured I might as well pony up. I'm hesitant to do this for two reasons: One, photos of other people's apartments are rarely exciting, and two, this really feels like something I should have done seven months ago (WOW! Has it been that long?). That said, I do feel that visual aids are important in making housing decisions, and anyone that is about to join the foreign service may benefit from this post. Plus, I haven't taken ANY photos of Oakwood for myself, so this was a great opportunity. So, without further ado...

This was pretty much our first sight upon arriving at Oakwood. I almost cried. This was definitely NOT our cute little house on the lake. Our new 7 story building looked cold. Sterile. And the fact that it was buried under a couple of feet of snow didn't help matters. TJ did not speak to me as we checked in, obtained our keys, and took our first tour of what would be our apartment for the next nine months. We did not speak for almost an hour. There wasn't much to say. We were both disappointed and afraid of starting a fight.

I say none of this to discourage potential residents. I say it only to educate you. No matter what your living conditions were prior to joining the Foreign Service, they were (hopefully) conditions of your choosing. Leaving that for something chosen for you may be a bit jarring at first.

We got over our hang-ups with time, and came to realize that Oakwood isn't half bad. There are numerous amenities to choose from. One of the most convenient for State Department employees is the availability of shuttle service to and from the Foreign Service Institute, where the majority of your training will occur.

There are also shuttles servicing the closest Metro station, though it is a brisk 10-15 minute walk if you prefer to hoof it.

Oakwood offers a nice-sized pool and jacuzzi, though I don't think I ever saw an adult in the pool that wasn't accompanied by a toddler wearing arm floaties. The pool is so packed in the summertime that a common joke was that you could walk from one end of the pool to the other without getting wet.

Something of note to my southern friends...don't expect the pool to be open year-round. Pools up here are typically open Memorial Day - Labor Day only.

Behind the pool are a decent number of BBQ pits and tables.

The oddest amenity I have ever seen is located beside the pits. I've never seen an apartment complex with its own convenience store, but there you go. Good source of wine and frozen pizza. Only accepts cash though.

In addition to the gym (which I could not take photos of because it was occupied and I didn't want to look creepy), there are four tennis courts, a basketball hoop, and a sand volleyball court. The gym is merely adequate, containing old but working equipment. We haven't made much use of these amenities, as we bought a membership to the Planet Fitness next door. Of course, we haven't made much use of that, either...

As you can see, there's a playground for the little ones. We don't have children (yet), so I've yet to find much use for this...but I think one of the puppies did try to make poo here, once.

Which reminds me, pets are not allowed in the courtyard. Management's definition of what the courtyard is changes day-to-day, but there are puppy stations located throughout the property.

There's a Business Office equipped with two computers and a copy/fax machine. Brunch is served in the club house every Sunday (donuts and OJ). There are two conference rooms available if you need to host a meeting. There's an on-site dry cleaner, though off-site will be cheaper and faster. The staff lacks a certain charm but seems to be improving over time.

I'm gonna stop there, but I do invite your participation...

Have you/do you live at this, or one of the other Oakwood communities? Please feel free to post your thoughts here. Maybe your feedback will help a future Foreign Service family make a housing decision.

Ohhh...So THIS Is What A Change In Weather Feels Like

Something...unusual happened last night. You see, it was quite warm during the day, but when the sun went down, it got...cool? In early October? That doesn't make any sense.

And not only that, but the weather was drizzly the majority of last week. Despite being warm yesterday, today was kind of chilly. And now, it's drizzling again?

I'm so confused. I've spent 7 years living in Florida. I'm not accustomed to such things. It doesn't start cooling off until December, and even then, you won't need a jacket until January. And it only rains in the summertime between 4 and 4:15pm.

I mean, sure, it was snowing when we moved here in February, but that is a distant memory...like we were on vacation somewhere else. It's hard to believe that it will be snowing again soon.

And yet, not soon enough, I'm afraid. A bit of research has shown that snowfall in early-November is unlikely. Pity. I wanted to see Bernard before we left. And I did kinda enjoy slipping and falling on my butt in the snow. I thought it was funny, and laughed every time.

By mid-November we will be living in snow-free Guadalajara and frantically searching for frozen turkeys, green bean casseroles, and canned cranberry sauce. I'm actually looking forward to it. We spent an amazing Halloween in Paris last year, so I know it's possible to enjoy American holidays abroad.

Upside? American AND Mexican holidays will be part of my social calendar.

Downside? Any acclimation to seasons other than hot and hotter will quickly fade over the next two years of Florida-like weather.

Kings Dominion: Halloween Haunt

As any Central Floridian worth his salt knows, the best time to celebrate Halloween is the first weekend in October. The theme parks have had their Halloween events running for a week at this point, thus working out any kinks in the show, and the typical Halloween crowd won't show up for another couple of weeks, meaning shorter lines.

Halloween was always fun in Florida.

With that in mind, we sojourned 85 miles south of our temporary Falls Church home to find out how Virginia celebrates the holiday. I walked through the entrance of Kings Dominion this afternoon fully expecting to walk through the exit completely disappointed a few hours later. Halloween Haunt couldn't possibly hold a candle to Halloween Horror Nights or Howl-O-Scream, Right?

Wrong. I had an amazing time.

A Halloween-themed outing to Kings Dominion couldn't begin without a stop at Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. Boo Blasters used to be called Scooby Doo and the Haunted Mansion back when the park had a contract with Hanna-Barbera. Like Disney's Haunted Mansion, the exterior is an old scary house with funny tombstones in the yard. Inside, it's a shoot-'em-up similar to Universal's Men in Black and Disney's Toy Story Mania.

Later, TJ discovered a car full of dead clowns and

I made nice with the biggest Jack in the Box ever.

My second-favorite haunt of the night, mainly because

of TJ's astute observation that the "a" looks like a "u."

I'll let you sound it out for yourselves...

I wish this particular photo had turned out better, but the camera was on a weird setting at the time. I am including it anyway, because it reminds me of a recurring dream I used to have as a child. I would be riding in the backseat of the Mystery Machine. The Scooby Gang and I were fleeing from a pumpkin-headed creature that bore a striking resemblance to this fellow. The back door of the van would unexpectedly open and I would tumble out, finding myself at the mercy of the pumpkin man. I would always wake up just as he grabbed me.

The most terrifying haunted house that I have ever experienced didn't even take the form of a house. The typically kid-centric fair offered by the Blue Ridge Tollway, which allows for a leisurely drive through a forest in antique gas-powered cars, becomes the Blue Ridge Bloodbath at night..a leisurely drive through a forest inhabited by chainsaw and shovel-wielding maniacs that jump out and smack the roof, hood, and trunk of your car as you try not to pee your pants and drive off the track.

Fortunately, we had noticed that a licensed professional

that could help with post traumatic stress had set up

a booth earlier in the day.

Homeward Bound: The Incredibly Ridiculous Journey

Today is October 1st. For most of you, that means 30 more days until Halloween, 55 days until Thanksgiving, etc, etc.

For us, October 1st means that we have exactly one month until pack-out. It means that we will be leaving Falls Church in 34 days. It means that we are expected to arrive in Guadalajara in 38 days and that TJ starts working in 39 days.

And we still don't have any earthly idea where we will be living...which means we don't know if we will be able to bring all, or any, of our pets with us. The Department of State offers a couple of different housing options for it's diplomats and their families to choose from, but final say on the matter does go to the housing board. We are at their mercy. Without a response from them, we do not know if we should find long-term pet sitters or make arrangements for international travel. Given the fact that we have to fly the pets into the country, it's not like we can decide to hide them as we have often done in the past.

Oh, and to top it all off, we recently found out that we may not be able to take my Jeep Compass with us. The first sign of trouble was the disclaimer stating that we must provide a marriage license to show cause for transporting any vehicle not in the employee's name. Great. If someone can hurry up and legalize same-sex marriage at the federal level, we'll get right on that. We decided to feign ignorance on the matter and hope that someone possessing either actual ignorance or a kind heart would let the paperwork pass through.

That's when we discovered problem number two: anyone wishing to ship a vehicle overseas must present a title of ownership. Unexpected, but it made sense. Trouble is, we think the title is in our Household Effects shipment that has been out of reach since February. No big deal. Titles are easily replaced.

This brings us to the mother of all problems: Any vehicle not paid in full requires a letter from the lien-holder granting permission to export the vehicle. And so it was with very little hope that I contacted Wells Fargo this afternoon to request just such a letter. The first young lady I spoke to was very friendly and advised me to contact a special 1-800 number that handles military and miscellaneous government exports. And so it came to pass that I spoke with Christina, my "Account Manager," who in no uncertain terms advised me that I cannot export the vehicle. I politely informed Christina that we would be leaving the country for the express purpose of performing a diplomatic mission for the US Government, and that I had been given her phone number with the understanding that she handles such matters. Her response? "Well, are you the diplomat, or is it your partner?" I decided that this was a good time to remind Christina that I am not allowed to marry my partner of 7 years, and asked if she would be so kind as to not further discriminate based on an archaic law.

I was placed on hold for 15 minutes.

When the elevator music stopped, I found myself speaking to Cesar, Christina's supervisor. Cesar informed me that my request had been escalated to the legal department and that I would have a response withing 48-72 business hours. Wednesday. By our calculations, we only have until Friday to get the paperwork turned in to guarantee that the car can be shipped at all. I don't know what bothers me more: the small margin for error this has given us, or the sneaking feeling that Cesar's Spanish accent was supposed to evoke some sense of understanding in my Mexico-bound heart.

Fortunately, I was able to obtain my Medical Clearance, Travel Orders, and Diplomatic Passport without difficulty. My visa is pending review but looks to be processing without incident. Prior to the Obama administration, same-sex partners were granted fewer rights than household pets. Given the difficulty we are having with animals and inanimate objects, I cannot begin to fathom how many hoops we would have had to jump through in order for me to accompany TJ to post just two years ago. I guess there are some things we can be thankful for.

As for our existing problems, I think we can kill two birds with one stone. We aren't allowed to drive across the border, but nobody said anything about them...

In the dead of night, dos perros bravos

attempt to cross the Mexican border

in un coche prohibida

365 Challenge, Day 75: What the Hell is Wrong With You People?

No fewer than four teenagers have committed suicide in the past month as a result of anti-gay bullying.

18-year-old Tyler Clementi (New Brunswick, NJ) ended his own life by jumping off of the George Washington Bridge after his Rutgers University roommate Dharun Ravi and accomplice Molly Wei posted images of Clementi being intimate with another male on the internet. Twice. Clementi was a gifted violinist.

15-year-old Billy Lucas (Greensburg, IN) was bullied and tormented constantly during his time at Greensburg High School. Billy ended his life after being suspended for cursing at his tormentors. Billy loved animals. He spent his last remaining hours on earth with his horses. He ended his suffering via hanging. He used one of his horse's leads.

13-year-old Asher Brown (Houston, TX) ended his life by self-inflicted gunshot wound after officials at Hamilton Middle school ignored family pleas to end two year's worth of bullying. Unlike many states, Texas has no law that prohibits bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation.

13-year-old Seth Walsh (Tehachapi, CA) attempted suicide via hanging. He died after nine days of life support. Despite claims of having an anti-bullying program in place, staff members at Jacobsen Middle School have been accused of offering no protection or guidance by Walsh's schoolmates.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It breaks my heart to know that these four young men thought that life couldn't get any better for them.

I was bullied in high school. Not to the point that I thought I had no options, but definitely to the extent that I was emotionally hurt. Embarrassed. Ashamed. Fortunately, I was able to look beyond all of that and envision a day that I would be free of the restraints of high school.

That day comes sooner than you think. You just have to hang in there.

But what I want to know, is what the HELL is wrong with the parents of today's teenagers? Where are these kids learning these behaviors from? At 13, 15, and 18, their parents can't be THAT much older than I am. I have apparently been living under the misconception that my generation was going to be the one that changed EVERYTHING. But these kids aren't learning these behaviors on their own. Somebody's teaching this hatred.

Meanwhile, other parents aren't telling their children that they love them no matter what. That there is no problem that a family can't overcome together. That they are proud of them. That it's okay to be different.

Tyler Clementi's death angers me the most. At 18, he was on the cusp of greatness. He was at a point in his life that he could have escaped the hatred, ignorance, and bigotry that surrounded him. He could have sought help from campus counselors. He could have transferred to another school. But he chose suicide.

But it's Asher Brown that terrifies me. Asher grew up in Texas, just like me. I was seldom bullied, often teased, but never tormented. Are things getting worse? Of course they are. four suicides in the span of 30 days tells me that. The question is...why?

Here is my personal plea to all of you out there that are raising children:

You don't have to approve of homosexuality, but please teach your children to be tolerant of others. And please tell them that you love them, no matter what. Because they could be gay, too.

365 Challenge, Day 74: Gliese 581g

Have you heard about the Goldilocks planet? Not too hot, not too cold. Not too far from, or close to, its sun. Astronomers may have found a planet that contains life.

In a day and age where Pluto is no longer a planet, and half of the cast of "The Land Before Time" has been exposed as frauds, it's comforting to know that the thrill of discovery is alive and well.

365 Challenge, Day 73: Chains, Chains, Shackles and Chains

I checked the balance in my bank account this morning, and the missing $1,098 let me know that after 3 years, 7 months, and $13,385, I had finally taken control of my life and absolved myself of any and all credit card debt.

I would like to thank the Foreign Service for its part in this heroic endeavor. Without the luxuries provided by a lack of utility bills, this process would have taken another 17 months. Beaucoup love to TJ for saying "You take care of that. I'll buy the Pop-Tarts."

I think a song is in order.

365 Challenge, Day 72: The Sweetest Thing

DISCLAIMER: If you currently or previously lived in Oakwood during my residency here, fear not, for this is the one and only time I have followed anyone out into the parking lot to take their picture.

Anyway, this sweet old couple lives next door to us. Every so often we will see the wife walking down the hall, and say hello. She always looks down and shuffles away as quickly as possible. I wonder if she's afraid of us, or the world in general? Maybe she's afraid of the paparazzi.

Less often, but on occasions such as this one, I will see her walking with her husband, hand-in-hand. I think it's beautiful. I shared an elevator with them this afternoon. They talked about the chicken and rice they were having for dinner, then seemed to struggle for topics of conversation, like any good couple that has been together for far too long but will be ripped apart by nature long before they are ready.

Out in the parking lot, he opened the car door for her before slowly walking to the driver's side. At that point, my stalking ended, as I had errands to run.

As for our dinner, well, our fish and rice wasn't too far off from our neighbor's menu. We struggled for things to talk about, too.

365 Challenge, Day 71: Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

We finished Veronica Mars today. Despite promises to the contrary from our friend Joey, the show DID end on a cliffhanger. Stupid Joey.

Veronica Mars joins Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, and Dirty, Sexy, Money as great television shows from recent memory that were cancelled far too soon and denied the right to properly wrap up their plot lines. There should be a law against such travesties.

Coincidentally, VM star Kristen Bell said this very day that she has hopes to reprise her role in the near future.

Here's hoping.

365 Challenge, Day 70: Star and Shamrock

What do you get when you combine a New York-style Jewish deli with a good ol' fashioned Irish pub?

Star and Shamrock, which

opened its doors on April 16, 2010.

365 Challenge, Day 69: These Cupcakes Bring All The Boys To The Yard

Sixty-nine days later, and I finally got my cupcakes. As I have previously stated,Georgetown Cupcake was one of our earliest discoveries in DC but has been practically unattainable since the premiere of their reality show, DC Cupcake. Personally, I've never seen the show, but I find myself completely inconvenienced by it. Lines are typically out the door and around the corner now because if something was on television, it MUST be superior to similar products, right?

Ok, so I haven't tried the similar products, so maybe TV cupcakes are better. And yeah, I once drove all the way to Savannah to eat at The Lady and Sons, so maybe I shouldn't be throwing rocks from the front porch of my glass house.

I only had my iPhone with me, so I took a couple of pics of the shop but made TJ wait until we got home to eat them so I could take pictures of our beautiful yum yums with the Nikon. Obviously, I could have been a little more tender with the box. Anyway, what you are looking at is two Red Velvets, one Lemon Blossom, one Caramel Apple, one Chocolate Ganache, and one more Chocolate Ganache that was supposed to be Cinnamon. Sigh. I guess in today's Tabloid-driven society, I should expect celebrities to make mistakes.

And now that I have made myself feel like a total piggy, I will bid you all a good night.

365 Challenge, Day 68: Gleeks

Finally finished watching Glee: The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray this evening, and was able to watch S2E1 on Fox.com. This came as quite a relief, as I had actually finished watching Season One last spring when the finale aired, but TJ was stagulating and hadn't seen the last five episodes. Sorry for the urbandictionary grammar there, folks.

Anyway, we're all up-to-date now, and ready to watch Glee at its regularly scheduled time...at least for the next month or so until our move.

...and....is Finn gay now, or what?

365 Challenge, Day 67: NMAI

I visited the National Museum of the American Indian this afternoon with a fellow EFM in the hopes of seeing a short film about a Mexican artist that was inexplicably not playing when it should have been. Pity... it would have been a great conversation piece for Guadalajara (Note to self: Film is called Migrants: A Journey... remember to try again another day). Anyway, as I exited the Metro at L'Enfant Plaza and walked toward the museum, I was struck by the symbolism (irony?) of where the building is located.

Located between the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum and the US Capitol Building, the NMAI pretty much sits in the shadow of our nation's Capitol. To be fair, building regulations in the District of Columbia guarantee that all buildings stand in the shadow of our nation's Capitol. Nothing is allowed to stand taller than freedom here.

The museum opened in September 2004 and is the first national museum in the country to be dedicated exclusively to the indigenous people of our great land. The building's design is meant to evoke the appearance of natural rock formations that have been shaped by wind and water over the millennia. Whenever possible, American Indians have filled leadership roles both in the design and operation of the museum. The Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe is divided by Native region and offers a wide variety of Native American delicacies.

At first glance, the museum location appeared to be chosen in poor taste. Further reflection and research into the matter reveals an endeavor that was undertaken with love, respect, and admiration for what came before.

Thoughts?