Dad's Visit and Bethany Softball

Dad's Visit
Cherry Blossoms on Tidal Basin
The weather finally turned to Spring in DC.  This means the Cherry Blossoms are out!  It came at the same time as my Dad arrived in DC.  What a coincidence?

Washington Monument

Tidal Basin with Cherry Blossoms

White House from the North Side

 UVA Law
On Thursday we drove to Charlottsville, VA.  It was about 3 hours away from where I live.  The time included the 30 minute wait we had in traffic getting out of DC.  The traffic backs in DC are due solely to the shear number of cars on the road.  Once past DC, the roads to Charlottsville are 2 lane with limited passing surrounded by farms, wineries, or small towns.  To say the least, UVA is in a rural setting.

Our day was full once we arrived.  First we attended a Property class.  It is a first year course all law students are required to take.  Based upon the answers the student provided, Dad and I thought I would be able to compete academically with a fair number of students in law school.  The professor had real life experience and it showed through his comments and questions he asked the student.  Next, we went on a student led tour of the law school.  The law school had about 10 interview rooms.  It is no surprise because UVA prides itself on having one of the highest employment rates of its graduates.  Finally we met with the senior assistant dean for admissions to answer my questions.  Throughout the visit my Dad took pictures as seen below and we talked to student who were not coached up by the admissions department to give the party line.  One thing we did learn is people at UVA love softball.  Everybody in the fall of their first year are encouraged to play on a softball team formed by their section.  Games are played all fall.  Also UVA hosts a softball tournament in the spring where over 100 law schools send teams to compete.

UVA Law Building

UVA Hallway

UVA Dining Area

UVA Open Area

UVA Law UVA Store

UVA Law

Duke Law

Right after visiting UVA we left for Durham, NC.  The entire time we were on roads like the roads we were on after getting out DC to go to UVA.  We had no idea where we were.  Luckily we had the GPS.  One thing we picked up is towns in Virgina like to end in "ville".  Scotsville, Fisherviller, Danville, Martinsville.

The next day we visited Duke.  It rained off and on all day.  We tried to attend a Property class, but it was cancelled because it was the last day before the reading period before finals and it was alumni weekend for the entire Duke University.  It gave us some time to explore the law school on our own.  We talked to third year law student and met the manager of the restaurant in law building.  We were able to get a free sample of the cheese grits and baked oatmeal.  By talking to the third year law student, I found out it would be a little more difficult to live without a car at Duke as compared to UVA or a school in a major city.  However it would be doable.  Eventually our student led tour started.  It was similar to the UVA tour with respect to what we saw.  However we did not move as fast because the law school at Duke is smaller because it has a smaller student body.  I did learn Duke has a bonding activity like UVA's softball.  It is bowling.  So if I go to Duke, I will have to practice and get better at bowling.  After the tour we met with an admissions counselor and met the Dean of Admissions as Duke Law.  As with UVA, my Dad took pictures and some are reproduced below.  Then we went home.

Before we left, we went to the student union and I picked up some Blue Devil gear for my Blue Devils, Jake and Gabe.

Duke Law

Duke Law

Duke Classroom

Chapel at Duke

Duke Law

Duke Law Moot court

Me at Duke Law

Jake and Gabe's Gear

Nationals Game
We went to a Nationals game on April 13th.  The weather could not have been better.  It was in the 70s with no clouds.  Our seat were fantastic as well.  We sat in the first row in right center.  I had my glove.  I was more than ready to reach over and grab a home run ball.  However a home run ball to our section during the game was 20 yards to our left.  The National played a really bad.

One of the highlights was Dad getting a baseball from the field of play.  During the Atlanta Braves batting practice, a player hit a ball that one hopped the outfield fence.  Next one of the players threw the ball into the stands.  The ball ricocheted off the ground, off a seat squarely into Dad's chest.  It was exciting!  He has never gotten from the field of play before.  He would not have gotten the ball, if the couple to our right didn't leave 5 minutes earlier.  It all worked out.

Me and Dad at the Nationals Game

Food
On this trip, we had some great food.  We ate at the Original Q Shack where we had NC BBQ.  We ate at Al's Steakhouse where we had great Philly Cheese steaks.  Each of us ate a large sandwich even though we were both full.  The sandwich was so good, we could not resist.  We also enjoyed because that is where real people eat.  For dessert that night we had Dairy Godmother.  It serves really good custard, almost as good as Kopp's.  They do carry Sprecher Root Beer.  So I know where to go to pick up some food that reminds of Milwaukee.  Possibly our favorite spot was Lumpkins.  It is in Scotsville, VA in the middle of no where.  It is a combination motel and restaurant   Both of us had a BBQ sandwich on a Kaiser roll.  Then for dessert I had warm, melt in your mouth pecan pie and my Dad has chocolate caramel cake.

Bethany Softball
On Friday, April 18, 2013, Bethany Lutheran Church tried to have its first meeting/practice of the year at Beulah Field. However the weather was non-compliant.  However I did learn the softball league has rules I have never played under before.  For example, each base is treated like first base.  This means you can run through the bag at 2nd and 3rd base.  Also at most 5 men can be in the field and the batting order has be boy, girl.  The batting order has to have the alternating gender even if there is less of one gender than the other.  If there are less girls than guy present during a game, all of the women will have the same or more at bats as every man.

Cherry Blossom Festival, Dad's Trip, and Meal of the Week

Cherry Blossom Festival
This weekend was the big Cherry Blossom Festival.  More people were around the tidal basin than last week when I went.  In one tent they were selling t-shirts for $28.  It was a little rich for my blood.  Also there were so many people everywhere.  It was almost as bad as the Inauguration.  However the Cherry Blossom Festival was more open due to the Cherry Blossoms being spread around the tidal basin and less people were present than the Inauguration.

Even after a week of warm weather, a vast majority of the Cherry Blossoms have not blossomed.  The trees, which had blossomed, looked great even though only a portion of the tree blossomed.  Unfortunately none of those trees were along the brim of the tidal basin.  Evidenced in the below pictures.

Cherry Blossoms and Washington DC

Unblossomed Cherry Tree and Jefferson Memorial

Blossoming Cherry Tree

Unblossomed Cherry Tree

Dad's Trip
My Dad will be visiting me from April 10th through the 14th.  We will be visiting UVA and Duke Law School, going to a Nationals game, and possibly a Capitals game.  While we are in North Carolina, we are going to get some authentic North Carolina BBQ.

Meal of the Week
This week I made a recipe for oven-fried chicken from my Aunt Mary and Gail.  It is made by marinating thawed chicken thighs in milk, white vinegar, and hot sauce for 1 to 12 hours.  Next the chicken is breaded in a mixture of panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika.  Then the chicken is cooked in the oven until fully cooked.  The chicken was delicious   The hot sauce in the marinade and spices in the breading really gave the chicken a kick.

Raw Chicken Thighs

Marinating the Chicken

Breaded Chicken

Oven-Fried Chicken

Cherry Blossoms, Sculpture Garden, and USPTO Registration Exam

Cheery Blossoms
It is the time of year for the cherry blossoms here in DC.  The picture behind this blog is a picture of the US Capitol with a Cherry Tree.  Unfortunately because of the cold weather, the cherry trees have not blossomed.  Below are some pictures of the tidal basin area that would be covered in pink if the weather was warmer.  The Cherry Trees were a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington.  Mayor Ozaki donated the trees in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and also celebrate the continued close relationship between the two nations.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial across Tidal Basin

Cherry Trees

National Cherry Blossom Festival with no People

Sculpture Garden

I went to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.  It was one of the places on my list to see in DC, which I have not.  It is not very large, but has large sculptures.  Some sculpture I thought were interesting and must have taken some skill to create.  Other sculptures, I could not believe people would consider them art.  Below are pictures of some of the sculptures.

Metallic Tree

Thinker on a Rock

USPTO Registration Exam

On Friday, 29Mar13, I took the USPTO Registration Exam.  This exam must be passed in order for a person to represent a client for patent prosecution before the USPTO as patent attorney or patent agent.  The exam is 100 questions.  10 of the questions are experimental and do not count towards your overall score.  An applicant must correctly answer 70% (63 questions) of the 90 questions, which actually count towards passing the exam.  Each year about a little over 3,000 people take the exam.  The percent who pass the exam in the last 8 years is usually between 55 and 60 %.  The actual exam results can be seen here.  I am pleased to announce, after about 3 months of studying, I have unofficially passed the exam!

Notarized Paper Stating I Unofficially Passed the Exam

Office Decoration, Mary and Gail's Visit, and Meal of the Week

I have not posted in awhile because my Aunt Mary and Gail visited me in DC for a week and I have been studying for the USPTO Registration Exam, which I will be taking Friday, 29Mar13.

Decorating My Office
I have started decorating my office so it does not feel like I am in a prison cell with help from people.  However this piece I added myself.

Beach Poster

Mary and Gail's Trip to DC

Mary and Gail vistited all the way from frigid Milwaukee, WI to visit me in not frigid, but still cold Washington DC.  We did so many things and had a great time!  We went to Arlington Cemetery, Grayline DC at Night tour with an informative tour guide, Annapolis, Arundel Mills Shopping Center, and Old Town Alexandria.

On Thursday, 14Mar13 we went to Arlington Cemetery.  The first major site we saw was the Kennedy grave site with the eternal flame.  From the Kennedy grave site you look directly down the Arlington Bridge at the Lincoln memorial.  As we walked from the Kennedy grave site to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we passed by other grave for the Kennedy family.  On those graves where at least 20 nickels or pennies where dispersed in the grass.  I was not sure why they were there.  Later I found out they are there so the dead person will help them.  The tradition came from the same folk lore of putting a coin in fountain and making a wish.  While we were at the tomb of the unknown soldier, we say the changing of the guard ceremony.  You can see on the stone where the ceremony takes place because the stone is worn down or deposits of material where the guards march.  It was much longer than we imagined and we almosted walked through the ceremony.  Next we went to the Lee Mansion where Robert E. Lee lived.  Our last stop at Arlington Cemetery was actually outside of Arlington Cemetery because it is the Marine Mermorial.  The Marine Memorial is a statue of the famous picture of 6 marines planting a flag on Iwo Jima.  The stones used to represent the ground where the flag is being planted are stones from Iwo Jima.  At the base of the statue is a list of all the conflicts Marines have been involved with since its inception.  When we were there I found out Gail's Dad was a Marine.

Later in the day we went to the American History Museum.  We saw the First Lady exhibit.  This exhibit showed the gowns of different First Ladies and some of there accomplishments.  We also saw the Hall of the Presidents and Transportation.  However my favorite exhibit was the Julia Child exhibit.  I do not know much about Julia and what I do know is derived from the movie "Julie & Julia".  The exhibit has her kitchen on display!  They also play some of her cooking shows.  She was one of the pioneers for cooking shows.  Now there are entire channels devoted to it!

In the evening we went on the Grayline DC at Night Tour.  It is a great tour to see many of monument in DC without walking (walking becomes an issue very quickly to anybody seeing things on the National Mall.  If you don't believe me, please come out here, go to all the places you heard are in DC (Lincoln Memorial, Tidal Basin, US Capitol, Smithsonian, etc.), and then talk to me that walking is not an issue) and to see them in a different way at night.  As much as we all enjoyed please be warned, the bus runs a tight schedule and you may not be able to see a memorial you want to see or stay as long because the bus is going to leave.  This happened to us when we wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial longer and we were not able to see the Vietnam Memorial.

Arlington Cemetery

Arlington Cemetery

Eternal Flame

JFK Grave

View of Lincoln Memorial down Arlington Bridge from JFK Grave Site

Amphitheater

Guard for Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Marine War Memorial

Julia Child's Kitchen

On Friday, 15Mar13 we went to Annapolis to see the Naval Academy and eat crab.  On our way back we stopped at the Arundel Mills Shopping Center.  The parts of Annapolis we say looked like Old Town Alexandria with older styled brick buildings, brick sidewalks, streets not made for the large cars of today, and a trolley to drive people to the waterfront.  Our first major stop was Naval Academy.  It is alma mater of Jimmy Carter and John McCain.  The midshipmen of the Naval Academy are paid $900 month while in school and then have a 5 year commitment to the Navy.  However when they come out of the Academy they are an officer.  We were lead on a tour of the campus by a form midshipmen.  He showed us the old armory,  the houses where all of the faculty live, church, sports facilities, and the largest dorm in the US.  All of the midshipmen live in the dorm all 4 years of there enrollment.

Next we had lunch to eat some crab!  The only crab I have eaten in my life was out of a can, which covered a block of cream cheese and ketchup mixed with horseradish.  Unfortunately it was not blue crab season, so we had to settle for Alaskan crab legs.  Gail showed me how to properly east the crab using a cracker.  The legs were not brittle enough to break completing in half using the cracker.  I had to use my hand to create torque to break the leg to gain access to the meat.  I hurt my fingers a few time because the crabs have spikes all over its leg.  Once the crab leg was opened, I used a mini fork to get the meat out.  After dipping the meat on the fork in butter, I was finally able to eat the crab!  I never had to work so hard for so little food in my life!  It did taste good.

To attempt to avoid rush hour traffic we spent some time shopping at Arundel Mills Shopping Center in Hanover, MD.  This was a large shopping center with many stores.  My Aunt Mary's favorite store was Moddell Sporting Goods.  She liked the store because she liked what she saw about the store on Undercover Boss and it had an actual clearance rack with a large selection.  Arundel Mills also had a Medieval Times Dinner & Theater.

Statue of Bill the Goat at the Naval Academy

Wrestling Room at the Naval Academy

Swimming and Diving Pool at the Naval Academy

Row of Faculty Houses

Dorm

Inside the Church

John Paul Jones Crypt

Me by the Cheseapeake Bay

Heisman Trophies

Meal of the Week

I made taco meat for soft shell tacos and nachos which I ate all weekend.

Cooking Taco Meat and Heating Refried Beans

Soft Shell Taco

Kung Fu Panda and St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 2nd, 2013?

What Some People Volunteer to the Food Pantry
This is what I found while stocking shelves in the food pantry.

Kung Fu Panda DVD

St. Patrick's Day Parade
After my biweekly volunteer session at the Christ's House Food Pantry, I went to see the Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade.  It was only a few blocks away on historic King Street.  There were Federal, state, and local officials, the Irish Ambassador, military, local scouts, bikers, and of bagpipes.  However for the life of me I do not know why Alexandria would have there St. Patrick's Day parade so early.  Maybe it is similar to Iowa having a caucus so early in order to have the first caucus?  Below are some pictures and videos.

Revoluntionary Band

Armed Services

Armed Services

Irishman in a Kilt

Beginning of Parade

Bagpipes

Wizards Game, PTOS, and Meal of the Week

Wizards Game
Jon and I went into DC to watch the Washington Wizards play the Denver Nuggets at the Verizon Center near Chinatown.  Ryan was supposed to go with us, but he was sick the day before and not well enough to come with us.  Before the game, Jon and I went to an Irish pub near the Verizon Center for dinner.  Then we watched the game from our nosebleed seats.  The arena was about 40% even though it was a Friday night.  There were multiple reasons 1) the wizards are a bad team by only having 2 more wins than the worst team in the NBA 2) the opponent was the Denver Nuggets who are from the western conference, have no superstar players, and are not a popular team like the Lakers.  Somehow the Wizards were able to beat the Nuggets.

View of the Verizon Center from our Seats

PTOS Annual Meeting and Members Night
I am a member of an organization called Patent and Trademark Office Society (PTOS).  It is an American society of intellectual property professionals established in 1917. The society publishes a quarterly journal Journal of the Patent & Trademark Office Society (JPTOS).  It was also the organization that created the MPEP.  On Wednesday, March 27th there was the PTOS Annual Meeting which featured guest speaker Dr. Chakrabarty who's patent was featured in the Diamond vs. Chakrabarty Supreme Court case.  This landmark case set the precedent for what is able to be patented under 35 U.S.C. 101.  The Court concluded Congress intended patentable subject matter to "include anything under the sun that is made by man".  However this still has limits and patentable eligible subject matter is still fluid.

Later that evening was PTOS Members Night.  The Madison Auditorium was transformed into a casino with  blackjack, craps, and Texas Hold 'em poker.  Additionally there was a raffle for various items such as a TV or GPS.  I put both of my raffle tickets in the bucket for a printer.  Unfortunately I did not win the printer.  At the far end of the auditorium was a buffet line.  The free food was large contributing factor to my attendance of the event.

Meal of the Week
This week I prepared oven baked chicken with a side of California Blend vegetables covered in a cheese sauce.  The oven baked chicken is an old family recipe.  The vegetables added good contrast with the grainy texture of the crust of the chicken made from bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Cooking up a storm 

Oven Baked Chicken

Oven Baked Chicken with California Blend Vegetables with Cheese Sauce