Since I've already lost this once, I'm typing it on Notepad and then pasting it here -_-

But here goes nothing kids, be patient. But after 5000 miles of flying and 1600 miles of driving in our trusty, rented Subaru Forester, I have come full circle. And all I can say is, can I go back to NorCal yet? But nevertheless, I had nothing less than a perfect time. I have stayed at two of our country's five star resorts and eaten at some of our country's best restaurants. I have seen a ridiculous amount of Arizona and California and must say that I live in the most beautful country in the world. I can't tell you how thankful I am to my father for allowing me to have this experience but I am forever in his debt.

And now, post one of three cause otherwise it'll be way too much reading and pictures and links.

( PART ONE - ARIZONA )

( PART ONE SECTION TWO - ARIZONA PICS (only two) )

And so it comes full circle. Back in DC though I'd give literally anything not to be.

Details later. Tired and hungry now.

And the waiting is killing me.

I'm not sleeping at all between now and my departure. Then again, I NEVER sleep well the night before I go on vacation. My nerves make my stomach do somersaults. It's been that way since I handed in my midterm this morning.

I can't wait for warm weather, palm trees, hanging out with my dad, seeing my cousin, gambling LEGALLY, lots of good food, shopping sprees at Tommy Bahama, walking the Golden Gate again, and simply just exploring.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this could be the greatest vacation I've ever had. Although California in 1999 and the Bahamas in 1996 will be hard to top.

It's time for me to shut up now. Have fun without me kids.

Much <333

P.S. merfdawg and meadowsoprano, you better drunk dial/text me while you're living it up in Charlotte!

P.P.S. kitsune714, you better call me while I'm in San Francisco so we can hit up Ton Kiang or something.

T-minus 34 hours and counting until my departure. My shuttle (which has been confirmed) will get me at the front gates at 4:45 AM. Yeah. That's fucking early. But, it's worth it because I get to Phoenix at lunch time and I get to have lunch with my cousin (who is basically my big brother and now lives out there full time and I miss him lots) at my favorite taco shop and hang out with him all day Friday. So WOOT for that.

Rock midterm went fine. I kicked the essay's ass (Talk about Phil Spector, Berry Gordy and George Martin and then compare them). All-nighter tonight by choice/by work so I can work on my history midterm and my USFP paper proposal. I now have WAY too much shit due the week after I get back (Statesmen reflection, Congress paper, amendments and committee statements and the USFP proposal -_-).

So if anyone's up late tonight, feel free to text/IM/email me or whatever. I'll need some kind of entertainment.

Up all night. Turn in midterm tomorrow at 11AM. Class until 1. Sleep all afternoon. Dinner somewhere with John. Up all night again until the van picks me up. Fly to Memphis. Find some schlocky Elvis souveneir to prove I was there. Fly to Phoenix and then let the fun begin!

I don't know if I'll have internet access while I'm away but I'm gonna keep a photo/written journal so I can fill you all in when I get back. WOOT. I can't freaking wait!

P.S. The Queer Eye guys are making over Kevin MILLAH! And during Spring training no less. amy_c might wanna look out for that.

P.P.S. kitsune714...sadly there's been rumors lately that certain members of McFly are having certain relations with Lindsay Lohan as of late. Actually, she just did the drummer in a bathroom but yeah. Wrong.

Only 14 more days until I'm on a 7AM flight (with a 5AM SuperShuttle pickup -_-) to Phoenix for what will be the greatest. Spring. Break. EVAH!!!11one!1!!

Why I'm posting now is to ask if any of you want postcards/souveniers from Phoenix/Vegas/San Francisco and if so, leave a comment. I have most of your addresses already so if I need yours, I'll just let you know.

I cannot wait until March 4th.

Me. Woot. sarahrg will definitely back me up on the Grace/JA <3333.

Good weekend. Dad came down. Busy, but good.

FRIDAY: Dad arrived. Lunch at Union Station. Wine dealing at Schneiders. Dinner with John at Mendocino Grill. Drove around DC and Virginia a little. Crashed in the hotel.

SATURDAY: Lunch with Dad's college roommate at Mark's Duck House in Falls Church, went to the GTown/Lehigh football game, got a new jacket, went shopping at Tyson's Corner, was Dad's escort to his 25th medical school reunion dinner at the Ritz-Carlton.

TODAY: Drove around with Dad, got dropped off here, watched the Steelers pound the Eagles, watched the first (good) quarter of the Giants game, read a bunch, remodeled LJ.

Stupidest thing ever: Every time the Lehigh football team scores, the cheerleaders do as many pushups as Lehigh has points. LAME.

Must do more reading now that I've procrastinated enough to play with LJ. Peace out.

Georgetown Via Satellite: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=4&s=9&x=3200&y=43086&z=18&w=2

I live at the bottom of the screen where the crane base is. To the right is my freshman dorm. That parking lot is now gone and the football field on the left is in shambles.

Doylestown Via Satellite: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2439&y=22322&z=18&w=1

I live in the middle row of cul-de-sacs, second one up (the one with four buildings). In the cul-de-sac, I'm the second from the bottom next to a big white blob.

Quakertown Via Satellite: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2352&y=22382&z=18&w=1

The hospital I work at is the square at the bottom.

Coopersburg Via Satellite: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2324&y=22426&z=18&w=1

That big square is now a division between four houses. My dad's house is at the bottom point of that square. There's a house above ours, the house you can see and a house at the right point of the square.

Jupiter Via Satellite: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2878&y=14910&z=17&w=1

One of those houses is John's but I can't quite tell in proportion with the golf course.

About damn time.

1. Classes were relatively painless. Last Thursday seemed like it would never end. Public Diplomacy was especially good because besides our guest speaker we had an extra guest, the guy in charge of public affairs at the US Embassy in Baghdad. Definitely cool to hear about that.

2. I ordered some stuff off Amazon the other day with my birthday money. Their estimate for delivery was October 6-7. (I ordered Monday I think). And well, it came today. So I am the proud new owner of "Saving Grace", "Waking Ned Devine" and two Mitch Hedburg cds.

3. The College Republican party to watch the debates was cancelled, but my friend Mr. Tony Rock will be visiting from GW to share in our personal festivities.

4. My Spring Break vacation is in the works and is gonna ROCK! My dad and I used to go on a lot of road trips when I was younger and I told him how I missed it and how I couldn't go to Florida for Spring Training next year and really wanted to do something. Well, he came through. Basically, we're going on a large-scale road trip. We're gonna rendezvous in Phoenix (where he has a conference), visit my cousin, go hang in Vegas for a few days, hit Reno (if we do, Tchawa and Greggeh are getting pics for sure) or Tahoe on our way to San Francisco for a few days. I mean, this has just come up in the past few days but I'm already SOOOOOOOOOO pumped. Can it be March already?!? I can't wait.

Back from just over a week of running around. Went to Florida from the 2nd to the 9th and had a wonderful time as always. I've always wanted to eventually move to somewhere warm and sunny, usually leaning towards California or Arizona, but I think I've become secure in my decision to look towards Florida. It's not just because my boyfriend lives there or because I have friends there, it's because I've spent nearly a month cumulatively there and have really grown to love the area (northern Palm Beach County/southern Martin County). I know that I'm going to be in Washington for a long time but I've always wanted to have another place ot call home. OBX would be nice, as would the West Coast but Florida is just easier, faster and cheaper to get to than any of the others. It also leaves me a lot closer to DC and Pennsylvania than those other places would warrant.

Anyways...I mostly just hung out in Florida. Did a lot of shopping, went roller skating (FINALLY!) and bowling, went to the beach, went out to eat a few times and generally just had a good time. My dad wants to plan something for my Spring Break but if not, I'm definitely gonna look into going back to Florida.

Went to Musikfest Pt. 1 last night and saw Crosby Stills and Nash. Great great great show. They played a lot of old stuff that I was totally jazzed to hear (ESPECIALLY "Marrakesh Express"!!!) as well as "Southern Cross", "Woodstock", "Helplessly Hoping" and AWESOME, bluesy, sing-along versions of "Love The One You're With" and "For What It's Worth". I saw Pierre Robert (legendary Philly DJ) there rocking out during FWIW as well as a guy I swear was George Thorogood. He looked like him and had a Destroyers t-shirt and all.

In other news, I may also be getting a radio show this fall at Georgetown with my friend Joe. If we do, it's going to be exclusively music from the British Isles. If we do end up with the show, I'll fill all of you in on the info and force you all to listen. Hehehe. Also *finally* got "Debate Camp" on tape - one of my all time favorite West Wing episodes. TEAM TOBY!

Off to go install some of these damn Windows updates.

I'm back from North Carolina. Good trip. Long, busy week. Sorry I didn't get in touch with you Meredith - too many places to be at once. Now I'm back and at work, but luckily the time has flown by. All this despite everyone being zombie-like today because of the gloomy weather. Only 1.5 weeks until I go to Hersheypark and 3 weeks until I go to Florida though thank goodness.

Easy week schedule wise and I got out of someone trying to get me to work a 10.5 hour shift Thursday. Pshaw and monkeys might fly out of my butt (random early 90's reference - I LOVE THE 90's TONIGHT!!!!!).

Also, if you <3 Chipotle like I do, sign this petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/chipotle/petition.html).

Missing BID :o(

That's all for now. Sorry for all the randomness.

6 days until the Outer Banks
36 days until Florida
44 days until Crosby Stills and Nash
49 days until Huey Lewis and the News
63 days until I go back to Georgetown

That's all this summer is to me. A series of numbers. All of which count down to events where I can be anywhere other than home or work. Out of all of those I guess I'm looking most forward to the 36. I would not have seen John for over two months by that point, and I also feel proud of the fact that it's a vacation that I've planned and paid for entirely by myself. It's only the second time I've ever done it and it feels good.

My sleep cycle has been really fucked up as of late. Last night, I fell asleep around 12:30, woke up at 3, fell in and out of sleep between then and about 5 while watching a movie ("Career Opportunities" <3333 that movie) and then slept from 5 to 9. It's also the first night in a few weeks I've been able to stay up late. Stupid work schedule is messing with my nightowlness. I'm even feeling a little sleepy just sitting here. Only 63 days until I'm back on the right schedule. Up by 10, in bed by 1. That's the way life should go.

Working 8-4:30 M-W, 7-5:30 Thursday and then I'm out of here...and not a moment too soon.

Just sold another 59 bucks worth of books back. I'm up to $113 on the semester with 6 left to sell after my final Wednesday morning. Go me.

Things are winding down. Only the Wednesday final is really worrying me. I'm almost done my take-home for IR due tomorrow and my exam tomorrow is open book, open note so I don't have to study.

Friday was Chevy's night <333. We hadn't had one in a long time. There are some good pictures from it but no really outrageous stories like there usually are. Since most of my boys are gonna be in DC next year (thank goodness) there are still many Chevy's nights to be had. Went to Chili's last night. Definitely my favorite of the moderately priced eateries (like TGI, Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, et al). I want more strawberry lemonade. The manager there looked exactly like that Billy guy from the Oxy-clean commercials. Freaky.

Played a lot of CatchPhrase this weekend. Why hadn't we discovered the wonders of that game earlier. Played some wiffle ball too.

Things are gonna get crazy for the rest of the month so let me outline where I'll be when, and for the summer as well:

Today-May 12th WASHINGTON
May 12th-May 19th DOYLESTOWN
May 20th-May 23rd WASHINGTON
May 23rd-May 27/28 OUTER BANKS (WOOT! I get to go to my house more than twice this year!)
May 28th-July 3rd DOYLESTOWN/QUAKERTOWN (for work)
July 3rd-July 10th OUTER BANKS again. :o)
July 10th-August ? DOYLESTOWN/QUAKERTOWN (possible trip to Washington at the end of July)
August ?-August ? WEST PALM BEACH
Rest of August DOYLESTOWN/QUAKERTOWN
August 29th or so WASHINGTON (Back to GTown baby)
Spring 2005? WASHINGTON? LONDON? SCOTLAND?

Phew. That's a lot there. Off to read.

But I REALLY don't want to be. This has been the one trip back to Washington that I have least looked forward to. In Florida, I was able to forget about everything...school, life, etc. and just live. It was a wonderful vacation and I'm definitely going to head back this summer.

If you care, or even if you don't, here's a blow-by-blow recap...except for part of Thursday that for some reason, I can't remember.

THURSDAY: Arrived. Got a snack on the way to the house. Watched Georgetown suck again. Ate big salads.

FRIDAY: CR Chicks. Saw the "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" bar. Went to the beach for the afternoon. Cooked dinner for the bf's parents. Went to CityPlace for dessert with Chris.

SATURDAY: Saw the Capitol Steps in West Palm Beach with the bf and his dad. Then met his mom for a late lunch/early dinner. Drove up to the bf's sister's place in Orlando for the night. (That's when I passed MOOCOW's hometown).

SUNDAY: Saw the Braves vs. the Devil Rays at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Hung out around Downtown Disney. Went to dinner with the bf, his sister, and his sister's bf. Drove back to Jupiter. Went to Denny's with a lot of people. Our waiter hadn't slept in 3 days and it showed.

MONDAY: Saw the Mets vs. the Cardinals in Port St. Lucie. Had Italian food for dinner. Luckily skipped out on going to see "Starsky and Hutch". Oh, and by the way, came down with the bad cold I had ALL FREAKING WEEK.

TUESDAY: Had lunch with our friend Jordan out in Wellington. Went to his house for awhile. Went to Clematis Street and the Tommy Bahama store in WPB. Had to leave for lack of funds (I wanted too many things there). Went to the Outback for dinner. Rented movies on the way home and watched "Cannonball Run".

WEDNESDAY: Stayed in. Watched the Big East tournament. Pepper steak fiasco at dinner leading to an 11PM McDonalds run.

THURSDAY: Hit CR Chicks again with Jordan and the bf. ::blacks out between then and 9PM:: Went bowling. Bowled my best game ever. Went to Dunkin Donuts with the bf, Chris and Steve.
FRIDAY: Went to La Salsa at CityPlace for burritos. Went to Nick's (Italian place where the bf's sister used to work) for dinner. Watched "Wet Hot American Summer".

SAUTRDAY: Ran errands. The bf broke the front spoiler off his mom's car. Had really good chicken and pasta for dinner. Ate too much bread. Watched tv all freaking night.

SUNDAY: I'm here. Longest landing of an airplane ever. Wish I were still in Florida. MUST GO THIS SUMMER. I've really come to love it there. I love California but 1) there's earthquakes and 2) it's kind of far. Florida has a lot of things that I love about California. Also 1) it's warm year round, 2) the beaches are a lot nice and swimable and 3) it's a lot faster, cheaper and easier to get to.

I don't want to go back to school :o(

And now I turn on the Honda Classic (being played in the next town over from where I was staying) to depress myself further...

Drove up to Orlando last night. And, do you know whose town I passed along the way? One word for y'all, MOO. Our lovely cow's town. I luckily did not stop, for fear of what I might do to her. I did flip off the town though.

And, to answer Marissa's question as to whether or not the town is fucked up like her, it's cow country, so it's *PERFECT* for her.

Off to hang out around Disney for the day. Have fun without me kids.

Ali :o)

I went to the Burt Reynolds and Friends museum today and well, it changed my life. That is all.

I will be in Florida in 16 hours. I cannot wait.

Have fun without me everyone. I'll try to update.

<3 to all.

Ali :o)