Trick or Treat

"Foxfield: Halloween for preppy kids." -Mike tells it like it is.

Woof

Spotted in the Great Falls Village Center parking lot. Kinda random.

Dumb and Dumber

"A lot of people from Georgia have been moving to Florida recently. We don't mind because it raises the IQs of both states." -a Georgia alum speaking at the UGA meet-and-greet last night (unfortunately this wasn't funny enough to convince Jackson to become a Bulldog...).

Baby Love

"He is taking his sweet time. He might even be a May baby by now. We will give you a call when he finally shows up." -Elizabeth gives me the Ethan update (he was due April 22). Silly boy.

p.s. Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Times Have Changed

Brian (random guy): Have you ever been married?
Me: Um, no
Brian: How many kids do you have?

Ctrl+C

"It looks like he copied and pasted his head onto my body again." -Jackson's (slightly jealous?) reaction to Beau's newest Facebook photo.

No Thanks

"If he even thinks about getting anything for me from Victoria's Secret I will first scream and then kick his ass and then never speak to him again! You don't think that's too harsh do you?! Hope not." -Some girls just aren't the Victoria's Secret type...

Jackson Junior?

"I'm going to be the first to have kids. Why? Because you're a little behind the eight-ball, Tom's not the father-type and I live life in the fast lane." -Jackson (17) maps out our futures. Scary.

Lost

"If this was K-Mart, I'd just get on the loud speaker and tell them to meet me at the front desk." -man looking for his family after the marathon.

Runner Woes

"I'm sorry you have to look at my cellulite." -woman in front of me at this morning's marathon. I told her not to worry, we all have it...

The Gun Show

WJS: "If she said 'tattoo my name across your bicep,' would you do it?"
BL: "I'd have to get a bicep first."

Wow

"At least it would be good to have a little fling." -my grandmother (yeah, I couldn't believe it either). What kind of girl does she think I am?!!

It's A Guy Thing

I knew there was a reason I never fell for any Rutland Runners...

Hungry?

"Don't make me eat out of the trashcan tonight." -the best dressed homeless man I've ever seen. Corner of N and 19th if you want to check him out for yourself.

Olympic Hopeful

"My favorite race distance is the marathon. I enjoy doing the long runs in training, and I love the challenge of racing 26.2 miles." -Great Falls resident Susannah Kvasnicka will compete in the women's Olympic marathon trials in Boston on Sunday (see my Washingtonian interview with her here). Too bad I'm more excited about her race than my own this weekend...

Blast from the Past

"I just asked you-know-who if he wanted to be my friend on Facebook. This will possibly be my greatest Facebook victory ever, even if he's not as cute as he was when I was a freshman in high school and in love with him..." -a message from my favorite architect-to-be. Oh Facebook, reuniting high school crushes since 2004.

Spellcheck

"I'm Bill. That's Bill with two l's." -Bill, a very drunk, very friendly guy who felt the need to introduce himself to me and Meg over the weekend. He must have known that I am a bad speller...

Facebook Folly?

"I deactivated facebook to reduce my distractions." -Trish gets studious (and reminds me why I'm not in law school).

Not Just For Kids...

... Adults at the Newseum's Opening Gala were loving the design-your-own-e-card exhibit (I thought the woman on the right was quite appropriate for this blog).

Also acquired at the museum last night: Any guesses which one of my conservative friends will be receiving this trendy refrigerator magnet??

Hairy Barry

Here's hoping Carbon Leaf comes back to DC soon...

Peanuts

Recently I was walking behind a woman pushing a little boy in a stroller. We passed a homeless man sitting on a bench, who called out to the toddler "you look like Charlie Brown!" The mother continued walking, but the child's confused face caused her to pause for a moment and she whispered in his ear "Don't worry honey, you don't look like Charlie Brown."

But I always thought Charlie Brown was kinda cute...

Live at the Newseum

"Is online journalism driving print journalism in this campaign? Or vice versa?" -me, on NPR's Talk of the Nation yesterday (!). Listen here (fast forward to 26:30).

A Little Smile...

I must have been scowling as I walked up Connecticut Avenue yesterday (I was probably thinking about the weather). Out of nowhere a big, scary police man approached me and commanded: "Smile." When my grimace turned to a look of confused surprise, he explained "Smile - that's the only thing missing!" So I did :)

Shakespeare In Love

"Are you a Shakespeare person? I don't mean do you read Macbeth on the Metro or spout King Lear in the shower, I mean do you enjoy the plays, the language, the tapestry?" -Emmett questions my literary tastes. My answer, of course, is yes (countless summers at Barboursville and two years in England will turn anyone into a fan). In fact, my last Shakespeare experience was Othello at the Globe in London (so comparatively the Metro or the shower might be as good as it's going to get stateside).

The Big Question

"Who am I? What should I be doing with my life? Why do I find myself constantly unsatisfied? Blah, Blah, Blah. Let me solve it for you. You are a product of the choices you make ... You are the cause of your own happiness or dissatisfaction." -a serious observation by my often funny friend Mike (check out the rest of this thoughts here). I think he hit the nail on the head...(must be that good UVA education ;-) ).

Patiently Waiting

A Zambian journalist applied to NPF's HIV/AIDS program in Mexico City. I sent him an email confirming his application materials had arrived. His response:

Dear Spivey,
Thanks for your prompt reply, I equally would like to confirm receipt of your mail date April 2, 2008.
Allow me to register that I feel comforted to learn that my application reached your office and that it is one of many being processed.
As per your advise, I will try to be patient.
Kind regards
SM

Sweet, isn't it?!

Live Passionately

Image courtesy of the Rare Book School (speaking of which, remember this?). Original quote by Helen Keller. Love it.

Ego Boost?

"You look just like Michael Douglas." -the woman who cuts my dad's hair. Totally made his day until I told him there are a lot of people out there who think Michael Douglas is a creepy old man.

Cherry Blossoms

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - poet Anne Bradstreet. Go see the cherry blossoms - they are gorgeous!

Global Gladness

"You should learn the art of being happy. It is up to you to draw your lines. The technique is up to you." -an Indian journalist bestows his wisdom on other international journalists during a lunchtime conversation at NPF.