Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone.

From-

Richard and Erika

Christmas is good. We love Christmas and giving and getting. And our families. We got some sweet stuff. We got an Office board game, Richard got some sweet argyle socks and an argyle sweater and a great book and a lot of other stuff. Erika got some sweet socks, floss, and...student fees. We gave Emmie a freakin sweet apron we made ourselves, Elina a movie and some stuff that smells good, and my parents a gift card to Hamiltons, (yes, THE Hamiltons, but don't think we're rich because we're not.) Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. God bless us, every one. I wanted a red ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and a thing that tells time.

P.S. We are SO SO excited to see all of the rest of you at New Years. We have presents for the rest of you to distribute at that time. :) Be excited.

Pictures will come later! -Richard and Erika

Beijing

Hey there everybody! Sorry this took me soo long to post but better late than never, right!? Here are just a couple pictures from my trip to Beijing! Enjoy!

Here is where we spanked the entire world in swimming...and by we I mean Michael Phelps.

Asian picture!

I'm climbing over the Great Wall. It really wasn't that hard.
Here I am on the Great Wall! Yay! Sorry, it has taken me a while to get these few photos up, but this was my trip to Beijing!
My left hand is pointing to Erika. My right hand is pointing to me. Literally opposite sides of the world.
Check out the SWEEEET reflection in my sunglasses!
I'm a commi too!
The Forbidden City!? Forbid this!!!

That's all! Hope you enjoyed it, later, R. Vronick

Just a quick Note

Okay, just a quick update from Richard! I'm in Beijing right now! This is a sweet city and has been my favorite vacation so far! There is just sooo much history. It's really interesting. And that is about it. In other news...15 days. That's about all that is going on :) Teaching is going great, it's been fun and a great experience! :) I have pictures, but I can't put them up until I get back to Guilin, so wait and I'll have them! :) Well that is it! Later! R. Vronick

Odds and Ends...aka the longest blog EVER

So here are some pictures that no one has laid eyes on as of yet. There are some of me and Richard, and some other random people. Enjoy!

Bahahaha! This is us in Provo some random weekend at David's apartment. We were eating starbursts (Tyler ended eating all of them, surprise...) Richard was annoying me again so I put two wrappers behind his glasses so he wouldn't look at me anymore.

Three of my favorite boys in the history of the universe. Too bad you can't see the actual pictures moving. They like to shake their face fat. I threw up a little bit in my mouth.

THIS is how much I love Richard. I scare him sometimes. I took this so you all could see straight up my nose.

Isn't he cute when he actually smiles? Richard Christensen is a California Dream Boat.

Here's Richard, keeping me safe as we cross the street in SLC.


Richard driving my car.

Me not driving my car. :)

The freaking GIGANTIC grasshopper in Antietam! It made me scared to take this next picture. (the boys have great footage of me screaming and freaking out. I'll locate it for your viewing enjoyment)

Me proving to the big boys I wasn't a wimp. Take that, uh! What, suckas!

Sideways picture of me in a church in Antietam. I was declared a witch by Pastor David Haupt.

My office. And a random guys head. We were here to watch the inaugural nail driving ceremony. Yes, those exist. I have a nail to prove I was there!

Here I am claiming my Japanese heritage in a classic Japanese tourist photo.

Us interns at the baseball game. Go Nats!

Me, smiling for the camera.


I know many people think this is disgusting, but it was the most delicious 10 dollar hot dog I have EVER eaten. Bratwursts rock, I don't care how many pounds I gained that night. (This brat was followed by a soda, french fries, and funnel cake)

Here I go!

Here we are being goofy. I don't know why but I think I jump faster than the average human being.

Yes, I went to the zoo by myself. I felt like a creeper seeing everyone there with their kids. Luckily Richard stayed on the phone with me the ENTIRE time! In this exhibit they let the monkeys run wild! WILD! Poop was raining from the ceilings! Poop! (okay maybe I stole that from a popular television show.)

Great story. On the day of my infamous WEST WING TOUR, it was flooding outside. Literally. I was wet up to my knees but they still let me in the White House. Here is the cutest little kid ever. His name was Adam he was five, and knew EVERY state capitol.

Me in the press room of the White House. My lack of make up and my very curly hair can attest to the hurricane outside.

Beautiful Annapolis! I love it so much I just might live here some day. Seriously I got giddy at the prospect of seeing the ocean! The ocean!

Annapolis revisited. Here are all the constitutional delegates from Maryland. My cheesy pose fits right in.

All of us privileged people ant the Republican National Convention's Election night party. It was a sad, sad day.

Last of all, this is where I want to be! Three weeks into the future in Utah, with Richard and the fam. Only three weeks away!

Okay, okay you get the gist. I have TONS more of DC but none of them are that fun to look at, so another day.

18 days Richard. 18 days.

VENT! A little of this and a little of that...insight into my life.

I am incredibly BORED at work, so I did what Lindsey says cures all boredom. BLOG! I am even boycotting blogs, but this is a new low. I am all Facebooked out and there's no one to email or chat with. So, here I am. First things first, update on my life:

I am officially stuck in DC with no where to go and nothing to do because an overwhelmingly large majority of people are LAME. Congress is in session now (for those of you who don't follow politics) which means I get to work long hours...with nothing to do... We get out of here at 6 o'clock, but by that time it is pitch dark and attackers are lurking behind every corner. Going home from work is relatively safe, but venturing out of my jail cell of an apartment after 7 (the time I get home after work...I want my car back!) is a no go. Here are some interesting things that have happened to me lately:

I had lunch with the Senator and his wife. It was rather entertaining actually. He's really laid back and casual guy, so it was like talking to your Grandpa or Great Uncle or something of that nature. Some tidbits about the Senator: He likes salad, coffee flavored ice cream, questioning the status quo, and his height makes him bump into things a lot.

My cousin had her baby. It seemed only weeks ago that we were playing Barbies on her bed (the convertible we had was SWEET!) and choreographing dances to our favorite Spice Girls Hits. Oh, I long for the days of Boy Meets World and roller blading. Oh the joys of growing up in the 90s!

The love of my life up until about, say 9 months ago, Andrew McMahon is here. In this city. Tomorrow. 8 metro stops away. I waited to buy tickets until I knew my bestie in DC would be coming home, but much to my dismay, she will not be returning in time. So now the show is sold out. I know I can still buy tickets on eBay, BUT everyone here is lame. Interns, staffers, my so called "friends," everyone. They have no taste and will not accompany me. Richard says I cannot go because I might be accosted on my own. Is there any mercy or justice in the world for me?

The same thing happened earlier this week. The Aquabats were here. A night of splendid skanking awaited me, but once again. Let down by the lameness of society. So I got in the shower and turned on Super Rad so loud it shook the window panes. That'll show 'em!

I came close to becoming a martyr for the Republican party last week. I was on the metro heading over to Eastern Market, when BAM! About 50 Georgetown Students boarded to train, on their way to the Prop. 8 rally on the Capitol steps. #1 - it already passed people! Get over it! #2 - California is on the OTHER side of the country. Are we lost?! After much chanting ("Don't hate, integrate" and "1 2 3 4, we won't take it anymore" etc.) The beligerant leader, (clad in Rainbow socks and Mardi Gras beads) yelled, "Are there any Republicans on this car!?" I saw my life flash before my eyes. I was going to get clubbed to death with multi colored pickets because I'm Republican, I can only imagine what they will do to me if they found out I was a Mormon from Utah! Luckily, I just ducked my head down and another round of chanting began. That was close.

Now, for some venting:

I got to D.C. because I worked my BUTT off in college!!! I am not related to any Congressman or I did not sleep with any one to get here!!! Why are there so many stupid people working on the Hill?!? Aren't these people supposed to be the BEST and the BRIGHTEST! I have lost hope.

Where is MCKELL!? I am DYING! No one here wants to do anything except eat and watch lame shows. She is my soul mate and it was happenstance we roomed together in DC, but fate had to tear us apart. Leaving her sick and afflicted on a couch in Utah and me here, bored, tired, and alone in Washington D.C. We will now both miss our beloved Andrew and must cope with the loneliness of being utterly separated from those with an IQ higher than 3. I miss you McKell, all they want to do is watch Sex and the City and go tanning. I can't afford to lose any more brain cells!

3 weeks and 4 days Richard!!!!

Yeah, I'm a little dramatic.

Lindsey: Breaker of Blog Boycotts

Me and Richard were on a Blog Boycott of sorts. We think they suck. But Lindsey "tagged" me and I could not turn away from it. It was a matter of honor. Here it goes:

That's so great about the number 8 anyways..

8 favorite tv shows (in no particular order):
1. The Office
2. 30 Rock
3. Jeopardy (Freak yes!)
4. Newshour with Jim Lehrer
5. BBC World News?
6. Scrubs
7. So You Think You Can Dance (I know, I know…)
8. Project Runway…

8 favorite restaurants:
1. Costa Vida
2. Mehak (a little hole in the wall India place in Chinatown)
3. Mekala’s (my Uncle’s Thai restaurant)
4. Firehouse Pizzeria (Shout out to my homies!)
5. P.F. Changs
6. Olive Garden
7. The Cheesecake Factory
8. ColdStone (Yes, it is a restaurant, yes it is a meal)

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Work…
2. Had lunch with the Senator
3. Chatted with Richard
4. Called my Mom
5. Ate pancakes
6. Listened to the Aquabats
7. Read my new novel (I forgot how much I loved reading without deadlines!)
8. Fell asleep to Richard on the phone

8 things i'm looking forward to:
1. Getting done with this internship!
2. Moving back to DC with Richard someday
3. Starting my Masters
4. I think they call it a wedding?
5. Christmas & New Years!
6. Richard!
7. Emmie!
8. My family in general. (Including the newest addition!)

8 things on my wish list:
1. Having money again (interns get paid crap)
2. All A’s my last semester and graduating with Honors
3. Having Richard back
4. The State Department Internship (ha, yeah right, but a girl can dream)
5. That scholarship…
6. That assistanceship…
7. Koch Foundation Scholar
8. A Honda Element

8 people i tag:
1. I don’t care….anyone else?…
2. Cyn?
3. May?
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

You Can't Handle the Truth!

So I was riding the metro after work today next to an old lady reading a romance novel and thought to myself, "Wow. I wonder if her children and close friends knows about her obvious addiction to sketchy romance fantasies..." and I realized, there are a lot of people who read all these things I write and don't exactly know me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do not read books like that or have any confessions of that nature, but really. Maybe many of you have asked yourselves, "Who is that girl? Really?" and here I am, ready to answer the questions that have haunted your minds for oh so long. But, take this as a precaution, you are entering a place few have ventured and returned with a happy tale. This place is the deep recess of the mind of Erika Morris.

• First things first, I hate public mass transit. It is riddled with many assortments of diseases and vermin.
  
• My guilty pleasure: Andrew McMahon (who was, in fact serenading me via iPod on my train ride.) I heart you forever Andrew.
  
• I want to be a rockstar when I grow up. Seriously not joking. (P.S. I miss jammin' with you Chase and all my rocker home boys in L-Town)
  
• I wish I had time to read more.
  
• Sometimes I think I went through COLLEGE too fast. I honestly hold fast to the belief that you can never learn too much.
• If I could I would spend the lost Inca gold everyone is looking for on books. Piles and piles of them. Oh, and concert tickets.
  
• Sometimes I wonder how these people get into college, let alone graduate.
  
• I can't wait to get back to school, full time jobs suck.
• This morning I didn't eat breakfast and I saw three homeless people.
• One thing I've been craving is a good dance party. Complete with Paramore and the Aquabats.
• One thing I will never depart with are my Chucks. Broken, torn, and worn literally into pieces, these guys have stuck it out with me for 5 years and counting.
• I'm tired of wearing my business clothes and just want my skinny jeans back.
• One deep dark secret: I secretly wish I could dye my hair Fire Engine Red. Or maybe just parts of it. Unfortunately my hair is (for all intents and purposes) black.
  
• I feel most alive rocking my face off at a good show. I feel most myself sleeping in the field behind my house in Washington.
  
• Sometimes I feel like I'm living two lives. Like I'm a secret agent. Business grown up Erika that goes to work early and fulfills my responsibilities as an adult. Crazy irrepressible Erika that sings on the Subway and never holds back. I have two wardrobes. Pointy toe shoes and Vans. Eye shadow in Champagne and Neon Pink. A lady briefcase purse and my button clad pin stripe bag. Late nights studying like a mad man and late nights partying like a rock star.
  
• I miss Kaysha and our chex treat making, Aquabats music video creating, documentary filming, DDR playing, Karaoke singing selves. Where art thou BFF of mine?
• One of favorite memories is working outside in my farm boots, riding in the bucket of the tractor, picking blackberries and making cobbler, and swinging on the old tire swing out back.
  
• Some of my favorite shows include, but are not limited to:
• Sherwood (my very first and one of the best!)
• Jack's Mannequin (BOTH times)
• Saosin (I couldn't move my neck for a week and a half! Not joking!)
• Paramore (She is my personal hero)
• The Aquabats (Freak yes!)
• Taking Back Sunday
  
• Mae
  
• And too many more to name!
• I love EFY
• I miss orchestra, symphony, and 2:00 weekly appointments with Dr. Emile.
  
• I believe that you can find soul mates at any stage in life. Kaysha!!! And McKell!!!
  
• I love my family and my friends.
  
• I love Richard Vronick Christensen.

*Thanks to my cool friends that made this blog possible...and made it look so cool.