Maggie Simpson has moved out of Springfield and is now selling million-dollar homes in Northwest DC.

washingtonianproblems:

If there ever existed a more accurate gif, you’d be hard-pressed to find it.

“The face of the mall is going to change quite dramatically,” said Donald Stastny, an architect hired to oversee the competition. “If you’re in Constitution Gardens, it’s going to be cool, as opposed to `How did I end up in this place?’”

This is actually a pretty cool article and I’m looking forward to seeing the changes they’re going to implement.

However, if you’re walking down the basically linear National Mall and ask yourself “How did I end up in this place?” there’s a serious issue with your navigating skills.

(Source: maggiemeister)

1. Pennsylvania is incorrectly spelled as “Pensylvania” on the United States Constitution.

2. The fact that DC tax is 10% absolutely sucks at Starbucks when you’re already paying entirely too much for a parfait and the smallest size coffee.

3. 3.5 years of living in this city and I’m still a tourist when downtown.

4. The ink on the Declaration of Independence has faded so much that it’s pretty much illegible.

Mr. Yogato. (by maggiemcguire)

Stand proud. (by maggiemcguire)

I love this photo.  I took it October 2008 during my freshman year of college.  I had just left the natural history museum downtown and I looked to my right and saw this stunning sunset.

I love this city.

(Source: maggiemeister)

Katzen at a cloudy twilight. (by maggiemcguire)

I love my walk home.  Thursday night I happened to capture the end of a beautiful sunset that turned the sky a deep grey-lavender.

Sometimes I feel that there is nothing quite as beautiful as the evening sky.

In honor of the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that happened yesterday afternoon, Z-Burger, an incredibly awesome and delicious burger joint by campus, sold milkshakes for 5.9¢ today.  Naturally, Nate and I had to go.

How often can you buy both you and your friend a milkshake with the spare change you have in your pocket?

It was kind of crazy, actually, and almost surreal because I only had the faintest idea that there could even BE an earthquake in this area.  I had gone over to Nate’s apartment for pancakes.  We were sitting on his bed when all of a sudden there was a loud grinding noise and the wall behind us started vibrating.  I didn’t realize what was happening until it got louder and the bed started moving too.  I was convinced it was just Nate shaking his leg, but nope.  We looked at each other and one of us said, “Was that an earthquake?”  We were sure it was just someone next door making a sudden ridiculous amount of noise.  Needless to say, we were wrong.

We grabbed our keys and shoes and ran out into the hallway just in case someone was telling us to evacuate or something, and another guy was in the hallway and he asked us if it was an earthquake.  ”Either that, or something blew up in the basement,” he said, but he heard car alarms going off, so we knew it was more than just in the building.  Then some woman with a little boy poked her head out and asked, too.

It was such an odd experience, but Nate and I were cracking up at the fact that we just had an earthquake.  We’re both from the east coast and have never experienced anything like it.  And, of course, people are trying to call us and we’re trying to call them, but I didn’t have any service and Nate’s phone was taking forever to connect.  Crazy times.  My mom had the voice of panic when I finally got in touch with her.

“WHERE ARE YOU?”
“Nate’s apartment.”
“DON’T TAKE THE METRO.”
“I won’t.”
“IT’S PROBABLY NOT RUNNING ANYWAY.”
“I don’t need to take the metro.”
“BUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET BACK?”
“He lives down the street.”
“OH.”
“Calm down, Mom.  I’m fine, I promise.”

I don’t know how many times the two of us just sat there and said, “That was so weird.”  I know it was only an earthquake, but it was a 5.8 on the Richter scale, but I feel this strange sense of I just lived through something tremendous.

I heard a little later from multiple people that some of the buildings on campus felt like they were about to collapse.  Residence halls, mainly, and it could be students exaggerating their experience.  But someone did tell me that they went down to the National Cathedral and that large chunks of stone had fallen off of the building.  I want to find out what other damage was caused.

So many.

But I’m so happy to be going back so soon.

I’ve only ever been to Georgetown Cupcake on Wednesdays, other than a random Saturday, because I babysit in the area.  At the times when I decided to shell out the ridiculous amount of money that these cupcakes cost, I usually got the mint cookies & cream (because it’s a combo of two of my favorite flavors).  When I went on the Saturday, I went in wanting it and then remembered that it was one of the Wednesday specials.

Devastation.

This post brought to you by Maggie’s Sweet Tooth.

Afterwords Cafe. (by maggiemcguire)

This was lunch on Tuesday, also known as one of the best things I tasted all semester.

We went on a nighttime excursion downtown tonight for Nathan’s birthday.  It was bitterly cold, but altogether worth it.  :)

Sitting in Union Station waiting for my train home, drinking iced tea lemonade and taking pictures of myself and other people like a creeper.