Our first Cherry Blossom Festival . . . we wanted to take full advantage of our proximity to D.C. and the National Mall, so Darlene and I invited several friends over for drinks, food and a walking tour of activities around the Mall and Tidal Basin.

Our guests, including Thomas, Kim, Megan, Greg, Gina and Lauren, arrived shortly after noon at our apartment. As we geared up for the fist day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, we fueled our bodies with cupcakes, Sweetwater and lemonade.

 

A quick walk and Metro ride over and we found ourselves at the Washington Monument, site of the Smithsonian Kite Festival. Although most were children, some adult enthusiasts were also sailing a variety of colorful kites into the sky. Due to poor planning on my part I wasn't able to participate.

And on to the Cherry Blossoms! We walked from the Washington Monument over to the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial, which was quite a hike but well worth it. Even though it was the first day of the festival many of the trees had begun to bloom and the tidal basin was lined in pink and white Cherry Blossoms.

Sadly, we don't have more pictures, but a few of us made it out afterward for drinks, sushi and more drinks at Cafe Asia in Rosslyn, and Galaxy Hut in Clarendon. Shout out to Thomas and Kim for lasting the entire day and making the long haul from Charlottesville, Va. We'll return the trip soon, I promise!

Death is something rarely talked about and even more rarely ever seen. We view it through the eye of television programs like crime dramas or the news - safely kept at a distance that doesn't necessitate our having to deal with the real emotional issues at hand.

I pretended to die for a little while so I could snap this photo. Really, it probably doesn't look much different than if I'd have passed out drunk or taken a nap. The idea came to me after reading an article in Slate about the greenest way to go. I know I may not have absolute control over what happens to me when I die, but does my dead body have to be a burden on the environment?

If you don't have time to read it, basically your body leaves a carbon footprint, obviously, that can be reduced or enhanced depending upon your method of disposal. Embalming leaves a greater environmental risk than natural burial, and standard 6-foot graves can cut off needed oxygen and cause your decomposition to release methane gas.

Of course cremation is a possibility, but what I'm more interested in is a process called promession. Essentially, you frozen by liquid nitrogen and shattered to pieces - yes, Terminator-style. Your coarse ashes can then be placed in a small container and buried beneath a sapling or bush to become living soil. Cool, huh?

And while all the details aren't yet sorted out, I've already made one decision about my death. Like my grandmother who selected Morning Has Broken to played at her funeral, I've known for some time now what song I'd prefer be played. The YouTube link below is Beirut's After the Curtain. (*ignore the random amateur video - this is obviously not an official Beirut YouTube video)

Hello from Atlanta! It's Valentine's Day and I just received an excellent surprise - Darlene and I are finalists for an engagement photo giveaway! True Expression Photography, run by photographer Kelly LeBruyere, announced the contest in late January and asked couples to submit a fun photo that expressed our personalities.

Darlene entered the contest for us, and now we're among seven finalist. We're encouraging everyone to log on and cast their vote (and tell your friends!) before Saturday, February 21. Vote early and often (use different IP addresses!) - we need these photos!

Vote here

Ok, I've gotten a bit Flickr-crazy over the past few days. I went ahead and upgraded to the Pro account, which is only $24.99 a year for unlimited photo/video uploads. I've been adding photos from my iPhoto library, so check if you're reading this you're probably in there somewhere. Kill some time and head over to my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/people/jonathanriethmaier

Just click on the Photostream for access to most of my folders. I'll be adding more over the next few days, and hopefully tag most of what's in the Misc folder for now.

I'm using Flickr's Uploader application for Mac. Mac and Windows versions are available at www.flickr.com/tools if you have a Flickr account.

It's so hard to believe the temperature here in DC reached 68 yesterday. It was just days earlier when I was freezing my butt off in ORLANDO! for a a client trade show. I took advantage of the wonderful weather and set out on a walking tour of Rosslyn. Here are some photos.