Christmas Lights on crack?

I don't care if these videos are "old news." I love Christmas lights, and I love the music. It's a win win, in my book!

Zoo Lights - Holiday Spirit!

I've gotten distracted from blogging lately; getting home late due to metro delays, and migraines will do that to you. But, as I sit on my couch listening to my Glee Christmas music playlist on Grooveshark, thinking about how four days from now I'll be back in the Midwest and with  my family for Christmas Eve, I'm finally in the Christmas spirit. Lots of Christmas posts in the next few days :)

This past weekend, I really wanted to do something festive - I haven't seen any Christmas decorations (I'm missing my parents house right now!). So, I grabbed my good friend from college, and we headed off to ZooLights at the National Zoo after work this past Friday. It was free, and the weather wasn't too cold (I did layer up though). We had so much fun! The lights were gorgeous, and all of the indoor exhibits were open, which was nice. A lot of the lights went on and off with music. If you're in DC this week, I recommend you go, it was definitely worth the hike out there.

A few of my favorite pictures, below.

I need to try to make a trip out to the National Christmas Tree in the next few days! I miss my holiday traditions of drive through Christmas lights, decorating  my tree with my Mom, and Christmas cookies. It's time to make some new "pre-holiday" traditions.

What are some of your favorite things to do during the holidays?

DC Metro.. An ode to my hatred

I try to stay away from complaining on my blog. Why would I want to look back on my complaints and negativity later on? However, after legitimately experiencing what very well was my worst metro commute to work EVER, I've lost my patience and must let it all out. I have a bone to pick with the DC metro. Actually, I HATE the DC metro.

Let us begin with this morning. Usually takes me 30ish minutes to get to work via metro/my walk to the station. Not a huge deal. Got to metro early, to work early. Train is waiting at platform, overly crowded, per usual. I jump on. Aaannnd we wait. And wait. Train becomes more crowded. Fortunately a co-worker has joined me randomly and we chat. We're alerted that there's a fire at a station (like 10 stations up). By this point a good ten minutes have passed. Doors close, we move to next station. Where MORE people their way in and a woman tramples all over my feet and bag. We can barely move. So we wait, and WAIT SOME MORE. Another 10-15 minutes pass. Make it to the next stop. Where we wait for approx. THIRTY MINUTES. I understand there's a fire, but we're trying to get to a station before the fire. Now a switch malfunctions. Now no trains can go between the busiest stops in the city, including our stop.Shuttles hopefully (not yet) should function. By this point, we are late for work.. It's been almost an hour to go three stops. We get off, and it's chaos. People everywhere, bus lines like crazy. Everyone trying to hail cabs- we're still in Virginia and not even close to work yet. After walking in the frigid cold and finally catching a cab. We make it work an hour late, and two hours after I left my apartment.

Now you may respond to my rant with an, oh well, it's a fire, they can't control that. BUT my friend, this is the third time in 1 week that I've experience train malfunctions and horrible delays. LAST MONDAY it took me an hour to get to work when the train broke and they single tracked at my metro, leading again to people shoving into the train like sausages. Last THURSDAY people overcrowded the train and it offloaded at my stop, again forcing the train to be stuffed. 

I wish I could say these three incidents are the only thing. But nope, it's not. Its not the people who work the metro's fault- everyone I've met who works for transit has been extremely nice, helpful and sympathetic. Its the ACTUAL system I hate. I know every system has its problems... the DC metro is clean and relatively modern. I just wish it actually functioned! Some of these problems are caused by just plain people who aren't smart.. so I dont blame the metro for everything. But ugh. I wish I could walk or drive to work.

Reasons why I hate the DC Metro

• Constant delays, and train malfunctions during rush hour. Even when I double my travel time, I'm late for work!
• Closing stations on a work day (not everyone is a federal employee with holidays off!), and then your train going in the WRONG direction without them telling you until you're already at the wrong place.
• Blank screens that don't tell you when your train will come, sometimes making you wait 20-30 minutes with no idea when it will come.
• Single track "maintence" on weekends, so it takes triple the time to get where you need go to.
• Dumb people who jump on trains while doors are closing, and force us to offload because the "doors wouldn't close."
• Not preparing for major events: aka Rally for Sanity chaos, Cherry Blossom festival, tourist season, again causing MASSIVE crowds and chaos.
• Tourists who don't heed to our rule, stand on the right, walk on the left, and clog the escalators.
• People who bring giant backpacks and hit you in the face or pin you against pole.
• Last but not least, increasing fares for all of this "excellent" service.

Williams-Sonoma lust

Williams-Sonoma is an amazing store. I dream about the day when I am getting married and can create a bridal registry, and shoot my scan gun at half the store. I'd buy everything, if I could. My parents share their love of this store with me, because they are the best cooks I know; and love to cook. My parents used their credit card reward points once for a significant amount of W-S giftcards and I went with them to the store. We went to town, and it was the most fun ever! Every gadget and gizmo you could want for cooking, baking, hosting.

Just this weekend, my guy friend called me while I was Christmas shopping online. He didn't believe me that Williams-Sonoma sold food as well; and thought I was crazy when I told him I wished I could buy all my gifts from this store. I don't think my friends have reached that age, yet. Maybe in a few years when more of my friends are getting married/having kids/hosting parties, then I can order my heart out! And, when I have more money, of course :)

Until then, I just lust over the items, that could make my cooking dreams come true.

Interior Design Envy

(via)

Missing Madrid

Back in college, I spent a semester studying in Madrid. I was a political science and Spanish major, and able to take politics classes in Spanish, so it made sense for me. It was my first time leaving the country (not counting Mexico/Canada) and leaving my family for 5 months. I was nervous and excited, but looking back, I am so glad I took the opportunity. I was able to explore a significant chunk of Spain, experience new cultures, and travel to other countries as well. I met one of my best friends in Madrid. I tried new foods, practiced my Spanish and went outside of my comfort zone; I knew not one person when I got there. I saw flamenco dancing, ate paella, witnessed a bull fight, and came home never wanting to see ham ever again. I explored, churches, castles, and hundreds of museums. I could talk about my time abroad for hours. In the spirit of my reminiscing, here are a few things I'm missing about Madrid.

I miss the delicious paella (my roomies and I made this one!)… and the gorgeous Retiro park.... 

 The crazy festivals they had for Holy Week (Yes, this woman is strumming a ham!).... 

The amazing architecture and the beautiful flowers and nature...

 The incredible museums and the fun night life in Sol… 

and the beautiful architecture/sculptures/fountains everywhere (Madrid parties in this fountain if their football team wins!)

There are hundreds of other things I miss about Madrid; these are just a few (I have misplaced my pictures of Plaza Mayor my most favorite spot in Madrid). I'd love to go back someday, and take my parents or someone special, and show them the places I loved during my six months there. One of the best decisions I've ever made was to study abroad. I'm so glad I did it!

More travel posts to come; looking at my photos from my time abroad in all the different cities is one of my favorite things to do.

Christmas Wish list

"Make my wish come true, Baby all I want for Christmas is... You"

I love the holidays, and shopping for others. But, I'd be lying if I didn't fess up to making my own "wishlist" of things I'd love to get/buy myself. Some are more realistic than others, but thats why it's a wish list! What are you wishing for this year?

I really want a crockpot, but I'm just not sure I'd use it too much. I would get scared to leave it on all day.

Love the Tory Burch shoes, but can't justify the price!

I always try to steal my Mom's, but she catches me!

I've used my longchamp back to the extreme- its starting to tear in the corners. I would love one in purple or red.

I know, I'm pathetic, but I really want to read this. So much, that for the family secret Santa's, I'm asking my cousin to buy me this. Go ahead, make fun of me!

I know that this would make me laugh. Lots. 

My ultimate Christmas wish? An iPad- this thing is amazing!

Michigan's Bowling for Gators!

I couldn't resist a celebratory post; The Wolverine's are going bowling on January 1st! I'm still in shock that after a pretty dismal season, we made it for a New Years Day game. But, I'm ready to see Denard Robinson and the rest of the team take on Mississippi State.  Until then, I'm counting the days until Christmas, and then ready for watching my team in action (for what is hopefully Rich Rodriguez's last game, but that it is an entirely different story.). GO BLUE!

Book #20 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

"Friendship is probably the most common form of love." — Stieg Larsson (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)

What: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest
By: Steig Larson
My thoughts: I started this immediately after finishing The Girl who Played with Fire (my thoughts), and this one was by FAR my favorite out of the series. It picked up right where The Girl who Played with Fire left off, wasting no time getting into the thick of the plot. It was fascinating to have this struggle between the government and the legal system, and the consistent theme of how far someone will go to protect themselves, even if it means breaking the law. It made me think of the power of a government, and what they truly are capable of doing, without anyone ever knowing they're doing it. 


Again, this book was violent and dark at times, so if that's not your thing, you may  not want to read. The book was unpredictable, in that you never knew what would happen next, and if Lisbeth, Blomkvist, or any of the other characters were going to find themselves in danger yet again. The character of Lisbeth is so well-done, she has so many layers to her and she's definitely not a cookie-cutter character. Even when the book ends, you still don't know how to feel about her. You feel bad for her for all she's been through, but she can hold her own. She's tough, unique, insanely smart but socially awkward, hard to understand and to love, but you love her all the same- which is exactly how Blomkvist and others feel.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Perhaps its the political science major dork in me, but I was extremely interested in the book and highly recommend it. I'm starting to want to read more books in the mystery genre; I've never liked them before but these books are making me question that!

I wont be seeing the movies, however. They're bound to be violent and dark, and thats definitely not my type of movie!

What's next: Currently reading (dont judge) Decision Points by George Bush.. I kind of want to start reading a book about every President.. stay tuned!

December Tunes

"So don't go higher for desire, Put it in your head, Baby Hollywood is dead you can find it in yourself."  - Michael Buble

I've been listening to Pandora  lot lately (leaving your iPod back at your parents home will do that to you and make you very sad). I still love my own personal tunes, because I (usually) never have to give anything a thumbs down or "ban" it. Above's my current set of favorite songs to listen to- I know that it's a bit hard to see. A mixture of old and new (Also, a LOT of my songs in rotation right now come from my friend over at The Cheetah Chronicles - she has awesome taste in music and makes awesome playlists). 

A few highlights from this playlist

• Michael Buble's Hollywood
• anything from Carrie Underwood's Play On album
• Tim McGraw's Felt Good on my Lips
• Joshua Radin's Sky
• lots of Taylor Swift's Speak Now album
• and Bruno Mar's Grenade

Of course, none of my playlists would be complete without some Glee thrown in. Sometimes I think I'm a 12-year-old pretending to be in her twenties.

What are you listening to?

Quotation Station

I always have one eye peeled for inspirational quotes. When I was going through a rough patch my senior year of college, my roommate suggested I keep a quote book. I spent hours those first few weeks, pouring my heart into this book. It was cathartic, because it made me realize I wasn't alone in the world. There is someone out there who can relate to how you feel in a specific moment time, and has been there. It's comforting.  I wrote quotes from famous people, authors, TV shows, movies, or even something a friend said. I still write in it from time to time, when something hits me a certain way. Whats amazing, is to read those quotes from 2 years ago, and have the emotions I felt when I wrote it down just resurface. I was recently looking through my "book," and wanted to share just a few of my favorites.

"We don't wish for the easy stuff. We wish for big things, out of reach. We wish because we need help and we're scared and we know we may be asking too much. We still wish though, because sometimes they come true." - Grey's Anatomy


"When people walk away from you, let them walk. Don't try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring for you, coming to see you, or staying attached to you. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. What is hardest to accept about the passage of time is that the people who once mattered the  most to us are wrapped in parentheses."


"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple" -Dr. Seuss


"When a really great dreams shows up, grab it!" - Larry Page (He spoke at my UMich graduation, and this is one of things he said).

"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere." - Tim McGraw


What are some of your favorite quotes? Do they have any special meanings for you?

12 days of Christmas

The month of December is one of my favorite months, and I have a feeling the posts on the holidays will be a major trend here in La Caffeinista. I loved a post over at the fabulous Polished Chaos discussing 25 Christmas to-dos. It made me excited for the holiday season and gave me inspiration to write this post; my top holiday to-dos; the 12 days of Christmas, to give it a name.

1. Donate to a food bank - I love working for a company that takes community service/giving back to others seriously, so I plan on donating food to a local food bank. We've having an inter-office competition and its so much fun, but all for a good cause!
2. Play in the snow - I'm hoping by the time I'm back at my parent's house for Christmas there will be snow; there's nothing better than a white Christmas.
3. Find my parent's the ultimate Christmas gift - My brother and I are working hard to find our parents something amazing to show them just how much we appreciate all they've done for us. They're hard to buy for, so I've been scouring the internet. No luck yet!
4. Bake holiday cookies
5. Watch Elf, Love Actually, the Santa Clause and Home Alone. Also, watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve- it's a family tradition!
6. Decorate your tree; reminisce about the ornament/where they came from.
7. Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Back at my parents home, there's an amazing drive through Christmas light show. It's beautiful. 
8. Go look at the White House Christmas tree - I think when my brother visits in a few weeks, we'll go check it out!
9. Make a Gingerbread House - I'm thinking of inviting some friends over to make them. It's so much fun.
10. Be thankful for what you have, and spend time with family  and friends- I have close to 50 family members who will be at my house on Christmas eve. Its the best day the year, and it's not about the presents. Its about all of us being together (and of course the delicious food!)
11. Listen to Christmas music until you can't take it anymore - I've been jamming to my Glee Holiday music Pandora playlist at work; it really cheers me up!
12. Get at least one drink in Starbuck's holiday cup- already achieved this a long time ago, but it equals the holidays are here!

Okay, so technically this makes it 13, but I feel like this is a separate one all on its own.

1. Remember what the holidays are about - family, friends, and giving back to others. Such a special time of the year to be thankful for everything you have.