And the award for the world's largest human sunburst goes to...

So, you may be familiar with the official Smithsonian logo, fondly known as the "sunburst" among Smithsonian employees as I have now learned. You can find this image basically everywhere in the 19 museums here in D.C., whether it's on flags, folders, gift shop bags, or the stickers on the really yummy chocolate chip cookies you buy at museum cafés. However, last Thursday July 1st, all 3,500 Smithsonian employees gathered on the mall to attempt an unprecedented feat. Yes ladies and gentlemen-we created the world's largest human sunburst!

This groundbreaking event happened on the same day as the annual Smithsonian Folk Life Festival picnic. So at 11:00 sharp, all the Smithsonian employees from around D.C. flocked to the mall where we were assigned to one of the various numbered sections and corralled there until the photographer was ready for us. You see, he had to mount his giant crane and be raised 50 feet up in the air so he could get a good view of all of us first. Very important step. Once this had been accomplished we were all directed into position... it was oddly reminiscent of an airplane being ushered into the gate by those guys with the orange cones on the tarmac. It took about 15-20 minutes to get everyone in place, but with the help of a few guys with giant megaphones shouting directions at all of us, the chalk outline that had been drawn in the grass, and the fact that is was only 85 degrees that day as opposed to the normal 100, we managed to create our sunburst!

I actually managed to find myself in the picture too! I was placed down here in the bottom right ray... looking through this picture trying to pick out my face was kind of a like a really intense page in a Where's Waldo book.

So after we stood there for a while, alternately waving and smiling, we were given the okay to disperse and go off to enjoy the picnic. And oh BOY did I enjoy it! You see, one of the main perks of the whole official Smithsonian Folk Life staff picnic was the $12 worth of food coupons they gave to each of us. I of course took it upon myself to pay a visit to one of the fruit stands where you could choose from options such as a 1/4 of a watermelon, an entire mango sliced up and ready to eat, a whole bag of grapes, or a container of cherries. I seriously considered spending all my money on fruit, but then decided to balance the grapes out with some basil chicken from the Asia food stand. The Folk Life Festival happens annually, and each year they choose three different geographic regions. This year's themes were Mexico, East Asia and the Pacific Islands, and then a section called Smithsonian Inside Out which dealt with all of the research that is currently taking place across all of the museums. So you could wander around in the Mexico section, eat a burrito or a chile relleno, and learn how to make authentic Mexican crafts. Then you could visit Asia and get a henna tattoo, learn how to put on a kimono, or learn the art of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It was really cool to get to actually see the festival after having walked through all of the preparations and set up for a few weeks on my way to work each day.

Last week was pretty slow at work since both of my supervisors were on vacation after our crazy busy period which included four simultaneous teacher workshops spread out among Louisiana, Michigan, and D.C. So it was nice to slow down a little bit and after we had finished all of our work, my fellow intern Aislan and I were able to go out and explore some of the exhibits at the Natural History Museum and see the dinosaurs IMax movie. I also got to spend a week with Patrick since he flew all the way over here to visit me for my 20th birthday and the Fourth of July :) We managed to pack a lot of stuff into six days... we went to the zoo, saw a Nationals baseball game (with post-game fireworks included), checked out Union Station, visited the Postal Museum and the Museum of American History, saw the Fourth of July parade on Constitution Avenue, watched the fireworks from cousin Rachael's friend's rooftop, played putt putt golf (he won just for the record... by a lot. Putt putt golf is not exactly my strong point!), went up to the top of the old post office tower and got a great view of the mall, and... I think that might be it. Whew!

This week it was back to being busy at work again now that both Wally and Ann (my supervisors) are back in the office. It's nice to be working hard again and we're already thinking ahead to several programs that will be taking place this fall. I've been spending lots of time with Rachael lately since her husband Eric has been working insane hours at his law firm due. I spend the night at her house on Thursday night as well as last night. Those visits out to her house in Arlington always include EXCELLENT food, tons of funny YouTube videos, and lots of time spent lounging on the floor petting their dog Chloe, so I'm a big fan. Yesterday after she got off work she called me and asked if I was up for an adventure. I, of course, agreed immediately with no questions asked. It looks like Rachael and I have now embarked on what we call a D.C. milkshake challenge/expedition (it's a toss up between those two words... I kind of like expedition since it makes it sound more intense). Anways, we have taken it upon ourselves to test out all of the highly acclaimed milkshakes in the area. She and Eric subscribe to the Washingtonian magazine and the most recent issue had a list of the most delectable shakes. Yesterday's target was the peppermint shake at the newly opened Ted Bulletin's restaurant over in Barracks Row near Eastern Market. So, given that Eric would be working until an undetermined hour, aka we didn't think we'd be eating dinner anytime soon, Rachael and I drove ourselves over to the Capitol Hill area in search of our milkshake fix. We eventually had to give up on trying to acquire a parking space, instead resorting to me darting out of the car and into the restaurant while Rachael circled the block and I ordered our treat. And it was well worth it, let me tell you. (For future reference, if you order one milkshake and ask them to put it into two to go cups for you, you basically get two full shakes for the price of one. Just in case you were wondering.)

Well, now that I have spent a massive paragraph talking about food... right now I'm back in the city just for the afternoon since my roommate Kelly and I are meeting up with a bunch of her friends from home to go see the aquarium. I've heard the D.C. aquarium is not really impressive or anything, but I still think it should be fun. Then my FAMILY GETS HERE TONIGHT!!!!! :) :) :) I was instructed to act as restaurant tour guide so I have already picked out all the places I've been wanting to go but... can't quite afford on my unpaid internship budget. Tonight we're trying Farmers and Fishers in the Georgetown Harbor, which is supposed to be a great restaurant with all their food coming from local farmers. Then tomorrow we are going on a biking adventure and riding 25 miles on the Capital Crescent trail which goes to Maryland and back. So it should be a busy next few days!