My best friend Karen came to visit me this weekend - my first visitor! We had a wonderful time. I'd like to say we got out and saw all the sites but... we went shopping. Come on, Banana Republic was having a crazy good sale on outwear and it's cold here. We had grand plans to check out a couple of Smithsonian's and the National Mall on Saturday but we (meaning I) had a hair color emergency on Saturday morning. It was purple, well fushia, but still, not good. So I spent the day getting my hair fixed while Karen shopped and occasionally dropped of bags for me to babysit. We do have a great mall here in Arlington. The lady who did my hair was an hysterical African American women. She told me at one point she was 38, which I couldn't believe, and while I was gawking at her, awestruck, she stated, "Black don't crack!" I promptly, without thinking responded, "I WANT TO BE A BLACK WOMEN!" At which point half the salon turned, looked, and started laughing. Delightful. Saturday night Karen and I went on double dates with her ex-boyfriend Rex and my platonic pocket pal, Ty. Let's just say we had to think of things to talk about but it was far less awkward than I anticipated. We went to dinner at a Lebonese restaurant in Arlington then into the District to see the National Christmas Tree. The National Tree is spectacular and then they surround it with trees decorated by each state and the territories. It was freezing and Ty did not dress appropriately, hence he looks like a moron in most of the pictures. We like him anyway. I took Karen to the airport today, as I was not able to convince her to move out here this weekend. I don't see anything wrong with her quitting her job over the phone and having her roommates ship her stuff out here... nothing wrong at all, but she disagreed. Since we didn't do much touring and she didn't get to go to the temple (her one request) I have leverage to get her out here again. Picture me with an evil grin and a wicked cackel. I can't wait...

Ty & Julie, Rex & Karen at the Lebonese Restaurant

A state tree, the National tree, and the White House

Karen and I in front of the National tree

Rex and Karen in front of the Colorado tree

Ty and I in front of the California tree

Ty and I dancing to the Christmas music

Ty was very, very cold