Home From the Holidays

The holidays have come and gone, and I've since gone back to the normalcy/insanity of the work week. Our two weeks of vacation in Iowa was a very nice time, and a much needed break. Catching up with family and friends, more than the gift-giving and getting, really made the holiday time memorable, especially since we've been halfway across the country for six months. We've done pretty well adjusting to the new distance from home (prior to this we had been used to only having a two-hour drive from Ames to either of our hometowns), and we've even made another New Year's resolution to take advantage of more of the cultural things around the District. The goal is to try to do or see something new every weekend. So far, we have:

• Been to the Evensong service at the National Cathedral
• Saw the PostSecret exhibit in Georgetown
• Visited the National Museum of American History (and saw half of the first floor before our legs gave out)

Not bad for our first two weekends back in the District!

Of course, the other tried and true resolution, to be healthier/exercise more hasn't gotten off to as great a start. Even though there is what appears to be a very nice work out facility just off the lobby of our apartment building, it seems like so much effort to use it! I mean, I'd have to change my clothes, walk all the way down the hall, take an elevator down a number of floors, walk into the exercise room, and then I'm faced with an entirely new challenge; Do I go for the aerobic workout on the treadmills equipped with personal cable-connected LCD television screens, or do I start with strength training (a subject where, much like poker, I have gained most of my knowledge by watching ESPN). As you can see, the mental exercise involved is enough to stop me before I've even started...