A Couple of Weeks in Arlington

Hey everyone!  Sorry I haven't been able to post in a while.  As a result, here is a week in review to go over some of the stuff we have been up to here in Arlington.  A Peterson potpurri, if you will.  Also, be sure to check out Sarah's travelogue of her adventures further below.

 

First off, it's become a tradition in our household for me to make some sort of baked good whenever Sarah comes home from a work trip.  This time it was chocolate coca-cola cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.  Sounds odd, but they were pretty tasty.

A week after Sarah's trip to the high altitudes of Bolivia, she was still able to run with me in the Lawyers Have Heart 10K Race in Georgetown.  Sorry I don't have better pictures than these shots in the parking garage.  You'll just have to take my word for it that we actually ran in the race.

We finished in 1 hour, 4 minutes, which isn't too shabby for 6.2 miles.

We also had a Mexican food night last week, where we made roasted corn, guacamole, and deep-fried chicken flautas.

They actually weren't as complicated as I thought, and frying stuff is always an adventure.  

For dessert, we whipped up a tres leches cake.  Look at how moist and delicious it is.  I assure you that Sarah and I stick to a pretty rigorous no-carb diet during the week, so we manage to eat this stuff on the weekends without getting (too) fat. 

Speaking of carbs, a few nights ago we also made our way to a D.C. favorite, Amsterdam Falafel.  Falafel is essentially fried chickpea balls stuffed in a pita with all sorts of toppings.  It's exactly as amazing as it sounds. 

Pictured above: awesomeness.

Finally, the garden I planted on the balcony a few weeks ago, is looking pretty good.  I've got rosemary, parsley, basil, and cilantro, along with some flowers.  So there you have it, a random sampling of our quaint little lives.  Hope you're all doing well.

Sarah's Goes Tripping !?!

Hey everyone!  We interrupt our regularly scheduled boring blog post by Ryan to bring you a special report from the front lines.  This is Sarah Peterson reporting, with more of her amazing adventures around the globe.  First stop, the majestic City by the Bay, San Francisco.

  

I had a great time in San Francisco even though I had to be there for a work conference.  This was my first time to San Fran and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. 

I spent part of my time hanging out with the sea lions at Pier 39.  I am not ashamed to say that this picture is one of about thirty that I took of these cute little guys.

My friend and I decided the best way to see the bay was to bike from Fisherman's Wharf across the bridge and back.  I know I look particularly fetching in my awesome bike helmet. I am proud to have done my part to demonstrate that bike helmets are a necessary and vital accessory that one should always wear when riding a bike. 

 Back at the Wharf we decided to try some of the city's famous sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery.  I can always appreciate a bakery that decides to make loaves that look like crocodiles, bears, and crabs (?).

During the weekend I got to head over to Treasure Island for a flea market.  The market was awesome and the view of the city from the 'island' was fantastic.  My friend joked that she could never lose me while I was wearing my canary yellow pea coat. 

If you thought to yourself "What is that? That does not look like San Francisco", then you would be right.  I got a rare opportunity to head down to La Paz, Bolivia immediately after I got home from San Francisco.  La Paz was a fascinating city.  It has the rare distinction of being above 13000 ft!  I had to take some awful medicine (called Diamox) to help adjust to the altitude but it was such an awesome experience.  This picture (I apologize for the blurriness) is of a traditional Bolivian 'Chola,' a Bolivian woman wearing a bowler hat, shawl, and full length skirt.

I got to spend a day up on Tiahuanaco, an ancient Incan ruin about two hours outside of La Paz.  The site is above 14000 ft!  The sky at the ruins was so bright and so close it felt like I was on top of the world.

One of the strangest parts of the ruins was a giant pit that was surrounded by a wall full of these carved faces.  It kind of reminded me of the plot of that latest Indiana Jones movie....

This guy definitely looks like an alien....

No trip to the Andes would be complete without a llama sighting!  My companions and I were most enthralled to find these guys up on the Altiplano.  They were a bit startled by our enthusiasm and I admit I was concerned that they would love an excuse to spit at us. (Yes, llamas, like camels, love to spit at people.)

During our excursion we also got the opportunity to make it up to Lake Titicaca   The lake is absolutely beautiful.  I am sad to report that I did not see any of the famous straw boats, or the floating village islands of straw, but I was happy enough to see the lake.

So after many adventures, many fun treats, and way too much shopping (sorry Ryan!) I finally came home.