I don't want to dress up like a hipster

I knew that my love affair with Diet Coke was on its way to a full out break up when the first Taylor Swift Diet Coke commercial aired. Once the 22 year-olds start singing about being hipsters and hanging out all while drinking a frosty, delicious Diet Coke, you know that nothing will ever be the same again. I feel like Taylor Swift was sitting around one day in some adorable outfit trying to decide what words best described her latest romantic drama and she thought, "You know what? Diet Coke will never leave me or act like a jerk in public so I'll just write songs about how I feel when the caffeine kicks in and the bubbles get in my nose. But then I'll tell everyone it was about falling in love with that guy from that band everyone used to like (or actor that was in that famous movie). I'm a freaking genius."

Some people would just move on and continue enjoying Diet Coke. If they felt really strongly about Taylor's endorsement of Diet Coke maybe they'd switch to Diet Pepsi (if they like to make bad life choices) or maybe they switch to Tab (if they really miss the 1980s). Me, I quit drinking it entirely. Seemed like the right choice to make.

Obviously, this is a lie. Taylor Swift is not the reason I no longer drink Diet Coke. Interestingly enough, I did give this as a reason to one of my co-workers and he believed me. I'm not sure if that means that my co-worker is incredibly gullible or if he just thinks I'm the type of person that would give up soda entirely (not just Diet Coke) because a pop star I don't like endorsed the product. I'm not sure what that says about either of us.

Anyway, I decided to give up soda not too long after I purchased my Fitbit. I'm not what you would call athletic. The majority of my physical fitness comes from cleaning my apartment, dancing around my apartment, and occasional trips to the bowling alley. Or walking to Whole Foods to get a $9 salad for lunch. I'm more of an indoor kid; I like to read, watch movies, be creative, organize things. That's me. I do like to walk, especially outside, so the Fitbit appealed to me because it basically tracks steps. I walk so it's a natural fit. What I was unaware of until my friend told me was that I could also track my food and my sleep with a Fitbit. So it's not just a glorified pedometer. I took the plunge and bought my Flex in February.

And I immediately became obsessed.

The long and short of it is that the Fitbit is a fitness list. The tracker tracks my steps for me and allows me to see my progress day to day (and with lovely weekly reports). I enter my food on either the app or through the website. I track my food like a champ even if it's Twizzlers or that popcorn I had for dinner the other day. I can also add other activities to my log which increases my burned calories for the day. Did you know that shoveling snow burns 200 calories (on the low end) or that vacuuming burns 60? The sleep tracking is interesting too: I am a 98% efficient sleeper. I had a hard time believing this at first but it's been consistent since I got the Flex. More interesting is the fact that most of the times I wake up at night can be attributed to a certain feline that lives in my apartment. Having the Flex has made me more aware of what I do and what I eat. I also drink more water now than I probably have in my entire life. Thanks Fitbit.

This is my best day to date. I'm very proud of it.

I've tried other fitness apps before but have eventually lost interest. I think it's mostly because of the fact that they weren't tied to anything and didn't necessarily provide ways to really track what I was actually doing. I've also connected to several of my friends who have Fitbits. It's a nice encouraging community of people trying to be healthier. It's not really a competition. Really. I mean, I might occasionally think to myself that I want to "beat" one of them but it's all in fun. I also like that Fitbit sends me super encouraging emails and updates on my phone. It would be cool if Fitbit talked and if I could select the voice like on a GPS (I would select "attractive British guy"). That would make Fitbit even better. Oh and if it said things like, "You hit all your goals today. Go ahead and enjoy cupcake happy hour. You deserve it."

Since I bought Fitbit (I realize I'm referring to Fitbit as if it were a person - don't judge) I decided to make some other changes to go along tracking steps and water intake and sleep. Giving up soda was the biggest of these. I'm a fairly healthy eater (although I love cheese, nachos, and Twizzlers) but I do admit to having a soda problem. I never kept track but I probably drank more soda than a person should. I mostly stuck to diet but that doesn't really mean it was better for me. It's still chemicals and unnatural sweeteners so it can't be good. But, as we all know, it's delicious. A perfectly mixed fountain Diet Coke is so refreshing and wonderful. Add some Juan's Flying Burrito black bean and cheese nachos and you basically have the perfect meal. I thought I'd start small so I gave up soda for Lent. If I made it through forty days, I would give it up entirely. I succeeded - I haven't had a soda since March 5.

The first two weeks were the worst. I had occasional headaches which I attribute to my change in caffeine intake. I adjusted my coffee/tea drinking habits a bit and that took care of the headaches (not increasing just spacing out a little differently). I started drinking seltzer water for the bubbles and variety. I have a daily water goal and I usually go over the goal. There were two days that I really craved Diet Coke; I probably would have punched someone in the face if it meant that I could have one. But I did not punch anyone nor did I have a Diet Coke. I can do this.

The forty days of Lent have now turned into sixty-six days total. I have more energy which means I walk more (I'm up to around four miles at least three times a week). I meet my daily step goal of 10,000 steps more often. I don't get as annoyed with myself when I don't hit the goal. You have to take the good and the bad (as The Facts of Life tells us). I can honestly say I don't miss Diet Coke. We had a nice run but it's over.

So Taylor Swift, I give you Diet Coke. I hope you have a wonderful relationship and that Diet Coke treats you better than all the men in all of your songs. I hope when you dress like a hipster people take you seriously (especially the glasses). I hope Diet Coke makes you happy. Treat it well.

And I'm sure my comments have now secured me a special place in hell for women who don't help other women. At least Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will be there with me so I think we'll be good.

Marc Jacobs Diet Coke cans

In a monument state of mind

"The Washington Monument is big, and I supposed it could be also be classified as impressive or noble or something along those lines; symmetrically presidential might be the ideal term. But what is this 550-foot masonry structure supposed to tell me? What is is supposed to make me understand?"
                                           -Chuck Klosterman, Killing Yourself to Live

Chuck goes on to discuss whether he's supposed to think about George Washington, the nation's capital, and compares going to the Grand Canyon to seeing the monuments. Ultimately, the monuments do nothing for him and he concludes that "It's just...tall."

Oh Chuck! You know that I love you and your books but I just don't agree at all. I love monuments and historical sites and historical markers. Monuments and historical markers give us the sense of the historical "us" of living in the US. How else would we know about all the random things that happened right outside our doors or along the way to visit famous rock and roll death sites (like Chuck)?

Honestly, my ideal road trip across the US would involve stopping at every historical marker that I saw along the way (and it would culminate in going to Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY). That road trip just screams awesomeness. I could start by driving just around Virginia; I probably wouldn't make it 10 feet without finding one. In fact, I saw a school group walking around my neighborhood a few weeks ago checking out the markers in the area. Maybe I'll start there.

My family moved to Virginia when I was in the 7th grade.  I've been to all the monuments, the Smithsonian museums (and the zoo), the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, the White House, the Capital, the Supreme Court, and a lot of other historical places and spaces multiple times since every single family member and several of my parents' friends came to visit us over the years. I was a tour guide at the Newseum before I moved to California. The DC area appeals to the history nerd side. I love a plaque on the side of a random building and I love telling people the bizarre historical facts I've collected over the years. Fun fact: Wok and Roll in Chinatown is in the building that was Mary Surratt's Boarding House (yep, where the Lincoln conspirators met). Enjoy that food and check out the plaque next time you're in the area.

My friend Amy is in town this week. Amy is an ideal partner in crime - up for adventures, having fun, and a good laugh. She hasn't been to DC since the 8th grade so we decided to spend Saturday visiting the monuments. The National Mall is one of my favorite places. When I was an information desk volunteer at the Freer & Sackler Galleries, I used to cringe every time someone would wander in and ask where all the stores were located. The National Mall is not that kind of mall. It's an English mall - meant for walking and promenading (and picture taking, so much picture taking).

If you exit at the Smithsonian Metro station and you walk to your left, you'll eventually come to the Washington Monument. You can't really miss it - it's a 555 foot tall obelisk. It's the tallest building in DC and it's sort of sad to see all the fencing up around it. The monument sustained damage in the 2011 earthquake and it not currently open to the public. You can at least take pictures and bask in its awe-inspiring glory. Fun fact: the monument is different colors because of construction delays (due to lack of funds and politics as usual) and the inability of later builders to find stone from the same quarry. Amy and I heard some people criticize the different colors today as we were walking back. Researched that one for you, Island readers.

As you walk past the Washington Monument and cross the street, you enter into the World War II memorial. This is a newer addition to the monuments opening in 2004. There's construction going on around the World War II memorial and the Reflecting Pool. It's not as nice and tranquil as it normally is but I guess that's progress or something. We made our way along the Reflecting Pool and heard a mom say to her son, "Remember that part in Forrest Gump when Jenny ran across the pool?" The mom said Jenny exactly like Tom Hanks in the movie. Amy and I laughed about this throughout the day especially since I had also mentioned the movie but without the flourish of a Forrest Gump impression.

We finally made it to the Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln is my favorite. I probably bored Amy to death with my random Lincoln facts (more to be shared later on when we went to the American History Museum and I mentioned embalming and the fact that there was a challenge in transporting the President to Illinois for burial). I loved Manhunt but haven't seen the new Lincoln movie yet. You can read both the Second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address while visiting with Abe. The Lincoln Memorial screams presidential to me. You can't help but think of the awesomeness of the job of the President and the challenges Lincoln faced while in office. I'm also sort a Civil War nerd too so I read about Lincoln a lot. I can't even imagine being the President and daily thinking about what was happening on those battlefields and across the country. Lincoln is also beautiful at night. Hollywood occasionally gets something right when they film here.

We also went to the Korean War Memorial (which I had never been to before) and to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. These two memorials are the most difficult to view (I think). I've seen people at the Vietnam Memorial overcome with emotion. It's one of those moments you don't want to see but you totally understand. Amy was able to find the name of her relative who was listed as MIA in 1970. It's was an emotional end to our memorial/monument tour.

What I find most interesting about all the monuments is that they're all controversial to someone. Whether it's the design or the location or the exclusion or inclusion of one group or another, no one is ever happy with a monument. It's disheartening to think about that when you're actually standing in front of the monument or memorial. How does one even decide who gets to be memorialized?

Here are a few tips from Amy and I about truly enjoying your day on the Mall. Ladies, let's discuss footwear. I don't know about you but when I walk at least two miles (the distance from the Smithsonian to the memorials and back), I don't want to wear high heels. I barely wear high heels in my normal life but really? We saw countless women in very high heels walking along the paths to the Vietnam Memorial (which is partially cobblestone) and up the stairs (so many stairs) to Lincoln. This is more than likely why fashionable tennis shoes were invented (I can't be certain of this but it's a pretty good guess). Even if you drove over to the monuments and parked, I don't want to be you at the end of the day.

Also, let's discuss decorum at and around the monuments/memorials. I will give you your space if you are protesting something or whatever, but driving past the Vietnam Memorial is not a time to blast really loud music (rap in this case but it would apply to any music) while stopped at the light. Show a little respect for the people on that wall and turn the music down or off. It's not that hard to know when you're right there - you can see it from your car.

And how did we finish our day? Discussing First Lady fashion and seeing the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner and of course, seeing the dinosaurs. What trip to the Mall would be complete without seeing the dinosaurs? And the Hope Diamond (we did that too).

So Island readers, especially those of you in the greater DC area, get out and visit our lovely city. Go see a monument or two. Go visit your favorites at the Smithsonian or the National Gallery of Art. It's another thing you can do to be a good citizen without being political. We have so many amazing opportunities here to see so many great things and we never do it. Or we only do it when the company is in town. There's nothing wrong with being a tourist in your own town. I'll help you plan your day if you'd like. I'll even throw in some unnecessary historical facts so that you can impress (or bore) your friends and family. Because I care.

Walking in Alameda

Alameda might be the perfect place for walking. It's an island so it's flat and designed to get you where you need to go even without some form of motorized or wheeled transportation. Also, the speed limit on the entire island is 25 mph and there are lots of pedestrian friendly cross areas so you don't feel like you're going to get hit by a car when you cross the street. (I'm talking to you, Washington, DC. Stop being a jerk when it comes to crosswalks.)

This is great for me because I love to walk for exercise. I don't like the gym and find it difficult to motivate myself to go. Gyms make me nervous and slightly self-conscious. I'm going to have to suck it up and go when I move. My new building has a great fitness center and I would be an idiot if I didn't use it (also I'm paying for it so I would be wasting money). But until then, I'm going to enjoy my walks around Alameda. I walk between 2-3 miles along the same route at least five times a week. I walk up San Jose to Park Street (or to Broadway) and then I walk back to Grand Street (I wish it was Grand Avenue-that sounds so much better) and then back to my building.

Along the way, I'm treated to some beautiful homes, lovely flowers, weird lawn decorations, and some homes that can only be described as "in need of a hug and some paint." When I tell people that one of the things that I liked immediately about Alameda when I moved here was that it reminded me of New Orleans, I get weird looks. If you know New Orleans houses and you've been to Alameda, the similarities are pretty amazing. There are all styles of homes (Victorians, Mission style, Tudors, shotguns, ranch style, bungalows) painted boring beige to wild purple. Here are two of my favorite houses on my walk:

This is on the corner of Willow and San Jose. Gorgeous. The pink house is on San Jose-it's such a great color.






For today's walk I decided that I wanted to change up my path a bit and go see the Alameda Spite House. Seeing this house is on my list of things to do before I move. Yes, we have our own spite house in Alameda. A spite house, a tiki bar, a bowling alley-what else do we need? A spite house is a house built to irritate a neighbor, city, or other parties with some type of land stake. According to Wikipedia (the lazy blogger's best friend), they're usually obstructions or have designs that would be prohibitive to the neighbor(s). Disputes over inheritance, cities taking land for public spaces, and neighbors who dislike one another seem to be the chief reasons spite houses exist.

Charles Froling built the Alameda Spite House in the early 1900s. He had inherited land and intended to build his dream home. The state of California saw otherwise and took a large portion of Froling's land to build a street. He built the home to fit the strip of land left to him: 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, 54 feet (16 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) high.

I had read about this house when I was researching places to live in the East Bay. I love stories like this. They add an odd character to a place. The address wasn't listed on either of the sites I originally looked at. When I moved here I asked a few people about the house. Most didn't know what I was talking about. One person did tell me the address but I forgot (and didn't write it down). When I posted my things to do post, Island reader Sue posted the address for me. Thanks Sue!

So today I set out for the Alameda Spite House. I had mixed feelings about taking pictures - I'm sure the residents are used to it but I try to be stealthy since I wouldn't want people standing outside my house snapping away.  I'll say this (just in case the current owners ever read this): the house is really lovely. You can tell they love their home and take excellent care of it.

This was about a block away and I thought it was fun.

Back view - this is what I saw first.

Across the street view

Front view- look at how close the two houses are.

I can't say that the house was exactly what I expected. I'm not really sure what I expected at all. Most people don't even know it's there and I find that fascinating. I've driven past it many times on my way to the theater and didn't realize I had driven past. Charles Froling is probably still pretty mad about the whole "California took my land" thing but I hope that he is at least enjoying that his home is still there, inhabited by people who clearly love and care for it. And that there are people like me whose curiosity always gets the better of them and they have to search out hidden treasures like this house.

On a side note, Happy 75th Birthday to the Golden Gate Bridge! I would come see you today, GG, but there are probably 8 million people there already and I don't want to deal with the crowds. We do have a date before I move as I try to get over my bridge fear by walking further across than I have before. I don't have to cross the bridge, just walk about halfway. I think that's a reasonable goal.

My first attempt on New Year's Day