Super Sweet Saturday

Yesterday I had an unexpectedly awesome day.  I had absolutely nothing planned for this weekend.  When good, fun things happen unexpectedly, aren't they even more fun and good?

So, I got up in the morning and jumped on the metro with an empty backpack and plans to fill it up with fresh fruits and vegetables from Eastern Market.  And my camera, of course.

These made me wish I still had a yard or at least a porch of some sort.

This Bee is getting some action!

Millions of peaches... peaches for me.

Do people really hand tomatoes down through generations?

Ick.  I've never been a tomato fan, but they do take pretty pictures.

Is it just me, or do these look like they have necks and heads - much like swans or ducks??

Weird.

Granny Smith Apples.

Yum-O.

Oh, and the free samples are A-MAZING.

(I am such an Eastern Market commercial - they should pay me to shop there)

It always baffles me in the grocery store how much more yellow and red peppers cost than green peppers.  Why the discrimination?

At EM, they're much more affordable.  And fresh. And local.

I am such a spokeswoman.

Since I was so enjoying being with myself - much like one does on a date - I bought myself some ice cream and flowers.

Hey - why not?

:)

So, when I was at the market, I kept seeing people with these yellow canvas bags that said "Book Festival."  Well, if you know ME  you know I had to find out a) where it was and b) what I had to do to get in.

I found out it as on the National Mall, so me, my backpack full of peppers and peaches and my flowers hopped back on the metro.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I came up on the Mall. WOW!! Huge tents everywhere - books for sale - authors signing books and speaking. And it was all FREE. Seriously? This day's stock just kept rising.

So, I was walking around (trying to figure out where to go so I could score one of those big, yellow canvas bags) and who did I see zoom by on a golf cart?? Yeah -- MARTHA RADDATZ.  Martha is super cool.  She's the Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News, has been to Iraq like 14 times and sits in the front row at the briefings.  I was psyched.

So, I bought her book.  Then got in the line so she could sign it for me.  I decided it would make a perfect birthday present for my dad.  I'm going to have to buzz through it with out dog-earing.  My dad will want to discuss as he reads it, and I must be prepared.

There was no line for Martha's signing so I just walked right up there, and in full schmoozing mode (it really was authentic - I really do admire her work greatly) I told her how much I respected her work and that I too was in television news and that I was new to Washington.  She was very nice and inviting to me.

And she told me to stop her the next time I see her at a WH briefing.  Martha, meet your new best friend! HA.

I had to find a spot in the shade to take in the moment.

And I had to call the one person who would really appreciate it for what it was and make him envious.

(Insert sigh and blush here)

So content and satisfied under my tree I spent an hour or so in between books.

The view from under my tree.

I still can't believe I get to live here.

As if a network news correspondent, C-Span and a bunch of books wasn't enough to make me happy, there was this.

Look who was a sponsor.

Need I say more?

National Book Festival, people, it was THE DEAL.

I love it.

This is presidential historian and author, Michael Beschloss.  He's on NBC all the time.  I think he's doing a live interview on C-SPAN here but I'm not sure - I was just passing by on my way to Martha's lecture.

I enjoyed the talk.  Her book is about the War in Iraq.  She follows a group of Marines who fought in this on battle in Sadr City in 2004 in which 8 died.

Even Martha said there are two different kinds of truth in Iraq.  It's true that things are getting better.  But it's also true that there's not progress.

I think it's interesting to hear a journalist's perspective like that. 

Honest.

Here's the signature.