Today, I had the pleasure of reuniting with a friend who I hadn’t seen in…oh, maybe 20 years or more. Sarah and I were neighbors and used to play together when we lived in Northern Virginia. We would have “wash day” to clean all our doll clothes and hang them to dry in the back yard. Sarah remembers me becoming quite exasperated with her over an incident where I warned her not to touch a cactus and she proceeded to touch it anyway, pricking her finger. Apparently, I sat her down in a room by herself and stared at her for awhile. (I didn’t know it then, but in retrospect, I must have been practicing my most excellent social work skills for an up-and-coming career. That’s basically how I deal with my clients now.)

What a beautiful thing to be able to meet an old friend again.

Sarah and Melodie in 1985

Melodie, Sarah and her daughter, Phoebe

Adorable!

I took this picture on our last trip to Oregon. It is actually a stump in the water, but I think it looks much like E.T.

Sorry E.T., you look surprisingly similar to a stump in the water.

Last night was one of the most relaxing and stress relieving times I’ve had in a while. At one point I stood on top of a mountain and just enjoyed the moment.
My fingers were cold and there was a cold breeze against my face but my heart raced because of the view and the journey ahead. Around me everyone was happy and excited to be at the top of the mountain. Groups of friends were talking and laughing as they made their way to the edge of the mountain. As I approached the edge the view was breath taking. Below me were white rivers flowing through the dark carpet of trees covering the mountain. Lights hugged the tree line illuminating the snow and reflecting back into the sky. Beyond the base of the mountain were clusters of lights and then solitary lights of towns, country homes, and Virginia farms. The sky was dark which allowed the land to flow into the night sky and the brilliant stars. I enjoyed the view at the top as much as the trip down the mountain.

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The Burrito Jalisco

There is good mexican food and then there are big burritos. One great burrito is the burrito jalisco. The presentation is modest and definitely under-represents the full taste and amazing experience of eating this entree. The meal consists of one big burrito with everything stuffed inside (beans, rice, lettuce, steak, etc) and covered in white cheese sauce. I can’t truly convey the greatness of this large burrito so I’ll just stop with the following recommendation: If you like all your food wrapped up in one huge tortilla shell then the burrito jalisco is for you.
_{(warning: eating the whole thing in one setting will make you very full)}

I know this burrito is served at a few restaurants in Virginia. I’ve provided a map below.
_{(some of the restaurants on the map do not have the burrito jalisco on their menu anymore but it is still available and its always fun to order something not on the menu!)}
Burrito Jalisco (click to see map)

If you know of a good large burrito please share where it can be consumed. I know there used to be one called a Buggy Burrito that was served in Rockford, IL.

Happy 100,000 miles, Focus. Keep on rolling.