Bon Voyage Maman!

Maman's in town this weekend to drop Max off for his summer vacation in DC while she visits her family.

Sohail & Maman came to cheer us on for the Lawyers Have Heart 10k Saturday morning.

After the race / before brunch with Rebecca and Sarah.

A picnic at the Duke Ellington jazz festival on the mall

At the jazz festival

And, I have a new accessory in my life!
I just got my ears pierced after receiving these beautiful earrings as a gift.

picnic

Finally I did something blogworthy! Acutally, I've been doing a lot of blogworthy things (a picnic on the Capitol lawn with Sarah and Barney, weekends with Sohail's family, and several birthday parites) but first my camera battery died and then I got out of the habit of taking pictures. But today we had a wonderful picnic with lots of friends and I remembered to take a few photos at the very last minute. Enjoy...

With Rebecca and Ian

Leaving the park. Shirin - do you recognize this dress?

Sophie's visit etc...

At the end of my week in Charleston, my cousin Sophie, who's studying abroad in the US, came to visit us in Charleston. I think I learned as much about America and Americans through her stories of her host family as she did! Now I'm back in DC and ready to start my new job... Happy mothers' day!

With Derek and Dad at CofC

A stressed Max and a happy Addy - This was a typical scene at our house this week.

Sophie arriving

Cousins Walking along the battery
At waterfront park

Shaddows on the steps of the dungeon

Horse and carriage

Persian breakfast in Washington

Charleston in May

As most of you know, I'm between jobs so I'm in Charleston for the week enjoying family and friends and the nice weather. Sunday we went to the beach with the dogs. It was great.

Flying a kite

Kite boarders

Max and Addy

A very happy Max

Maman

another relaxing weekend....

I must admit that I have rarely felt as relaxed and happy in life as a I do now. It's not that I've had such a hard life up until this point but rather that law school & the bar exam really put things into perspective. I just didn't know how good I had it before law school. So what have I been doing with all my new found free time? Friday: DC United soccer game with some friends. Saturday: Pick-up soccer in Georgetown with friends, reading / napping on the national mall, aperetif in Chinatown and watching Milk (great film!). Sunday: girls' day with Anne (see Albany post) who's in town for a conference and then a crepe dinner with Anne and Sohail. I hope you're all enjoying life as well. For those of you in school or under other pressures, don't despair! All that schooling is going to make your life better than ever before once you're done.

Napping on the National Mall

View from the blanket.

I really liked the look of this tree...

Joyeuses Paques!

Happy Easter! Sohail and I didn't have big plans for today (other than eating chocolate) but we did dye eggs and get out the enjoy the cool but still spring weather at the zoo and then on a terrace.

Dyed

DC is in bloom.

A cheetah at the National Zoo

Having aperitif in Woodley Park after a stroll at the zoo

Sohail enjoying the sun

Sworn in

I just got back from a wonderful weekend visiting my friends and former roommates Anne & Ben Ben was my roommate in Costa Rica, then Anne and I lived together in DC and then we all lived together in DC. But I also went to Albany to get sworn in to the bar. I didn't realize I was signing up for two trips to upstate NY when I signed up to take the NY bar but it's been great seeing Anne & Ben on a regular basis. Plus we got lucky with wonderful weather.

Getting sworn in. The main swearing in is in January so this was the more intimate (30 second) version andI really enjoyed it. It's a great feeling to have all that behind me.

One of many dinners with Anne and Ben. These were fish tacos.

Anne & Ben!

Anne & Ben are running a marathon in a few months so this was their preparation for a 17 mile run!!! I joined them for the last 2 miles...

On a girls day of shopping and chatting in Saratoga springs.

And HAPPY NAWROOZ! Last week was Persian New Year (it's always on the first day of spring) and a few weekends before we went to a Nawrooz event at the Freer and Sackler (Asian Art) Galleries. Here are the photos from that day.

Enjoying the spring weather with our friends Kwame and Kim

Police on the National Mall

A Persian guy celebrating Nawrooz

Sohail brushing up on his history

Snow

Monday was the biggest snow DC's gotten this winter and it was wonderful!

I woke up to this view from my window and hoped for a snow day but didn't get one...

But I did see this guy on his skis on my way to work.

And this beautiful view

And the guy with his skis again. Apparently he must work with me since he took off the skis just before crossing to my building.

All day I looked forward to getting home to make a snowman or possibly even go sledding (something I've never done) but by the time I left work it was so cold outside and I wimped out.

Dad & Joanne are in town!

My Dad & Joanne are in town for their spring break (I miss those!) and it's been wonderful. Yesterday we spent the day walking around with Joanne's cousin from Buffalo (who now lives in Baltimore) and her family. Mostly they talked about their childhood growing up Italian American in NY which included great stories about the chickens and goats in the basement, the macaroni making uncle, and the fact that one of their cousins makes her pasta with no eggs - just flour and water. I felt like I was transported to another world. Today it was snowing - much to Dad & Joanne's delight - so we spent the day at the American history museum. It just reopened after being closed for several years but, aside from one exhibit, I really don't see much difference... you're taxpayer dollars at work. At least it was good before it closed and it's still good now. Other than that we've just been catching up (usually over a good meal). I can't believe the weekend's already over.

Joanne & her cousin

Dad looking over this guy's shoulder

Joanne taking a picture of Dorthy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz

Dad & Joanne lamenting that everything they had as kids is now in the museum!

Dad & Joanne having afternoon tea

friends & family... my favorite!

Sohail and I just got back from spending the weekend in New York. We went to see Shirin who was there to help her childhood friend Lisa move but we also managed to make a pitstop in Princeton to see a good friend of mine from law school and some of Sohail's family.

Sohail with his cute little cousin (who knows all the Blue's Clues moves by heart!)

Sohail & his uncle

With Tara, a good friend from law school. Notice how much healthier and happier we look compared to the post on taking the bar...

Sohail and his aunt and cousins

Lady liberty.

Getting to NY. I love this city.

Lisa and Dan who just bought a new condo.

With Shirin in NY. Since graduating, I think we've seen each other far more often in cities / countries where neither of us lives than in our own towns.

Sohail & his sister Sara. He's apparently telling her something of the utmost importance (probably about the eggs benedict...)