Singing, beaching, and 5K-ing (and a list of other random things in my life)

So last week I did a little karaoke. Have I ever mentioned that I love karaoke? Oh, I haven't? Well now you know. I do. I love love love it. One of the very first bars I ever went to when I moved to DC was Hill Country on 7th and F. In fact, it was THE first bar I ever went to here. I was meeting up with my new roommates for a happy hour, and I remember being so nervous. I had no idea what the "nightlife" was like in DC and I was so worried about looking like I just came from Alaska. Because I did just come from Alaska. Ha. I mean, I'd wear beanies and Uggs to a bar in Alaska, but I was fairly certain that that wouldn't be acceptable in DC. So when Brittany told me we were going to a karaoke country bar, I was pretty excited. I put on a cute sundress and brown boots. I kinda fit the part.

(So I have no idea why I just went off on what I was wearing, when my whole point of the story is about karaoke...just remembering, that's all.)

That first night I sang Chicken Fried, already a few beers deep. Bad choice. I don't do well if I'm already drunk. So last week, I finally (!!!) went back. My only mission was to redeem myself. I sang Sweet Child O Mine, and I have to say, it was quite the crowd-pleaser! Woot. I'm not amazing, but I can mostly carry a tune. And really, when it comes to karaoke you need only follow a few rules. If you stick by them, regardless of your singing ability, the crowd will love you.

My rules of karaoke that should never be broken:

1. Never sing a ballad or slow song. Seriously. Nobody wants to hear a slow song in a bar. Even if your voice is amazing. NOBODY wants to hear you belt out the lyrics to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Total buzz kill. Trust me on this one.
2. Choose a well-known, upbeat, classic song. A song that everyone knows. A song that gets people excited to sing along with you. This is important for those times when you are going off key, and forget the words, or whatever -- the crowd will be there to back you up.
3. Choose a song that you know. Just because you know the chorus of a song, doesn't mean you know the rest of it. I've learned this by experience. It really sucks to not know the verses. You'll just end up looking like a freak up there.
4. Play air guitar. Trust me. Play air guitar.

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I spent the weekend in southern Virginia. Morgan and I went to Virginia Beach, and I have to admit, it was so overrated. So crowded. There was literally not a single place to lay down a towel. And I'm not usually a germ-freak, but being in that close proximity to so many almost-naked people...gross. Even in the ocean, it was crowded. So Sunday we stayed closer to Newport News and hit up Buckroe Beach, which was much more my beach style. Laid back, not too crowded. It was the perfect day at the beach. I only wish that I didn't have to drive 3 hours to get to a beach. Hey DCers -- where do y'all go for a day at the beach? Are there any other beaches close?

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Tomorrow is the 4th of July. (Thank you, captain obvious). So in honor of our Nation's independence, I'm running a 5K with my roommate, Laura. We're pretty excited. I even made s red, white, and blue tutus for the occasion!!! I'm not going to lie, I will not be aiming for a PR here. The race starts at 9 am in Fairfax, and the weather will already be sweltering. I will be slow. My only goal is to finish under 30 minutes. Be ready for some pictures and a race report at the end of the week.

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And a totally random list of other things going on in my life:

• I'm currently reading The Art of Racing in Rain by Garth Stein. I love it. If a book gets me to cry within the first chapter, you know it's a good one. It's written entirely from the point of view of a dog, which is such an interesting perspective.
• I'm joining a Dodgeball league this summer. Get excited for some drunken injuries!
• I went to Target last night in Falls Church, and the power was out from this past weekend's storm. Which is crazy. It was totally weird walking through Target in the darkness.
• I'm currently obsessed with New Girl. Zooey is hilarious, and this show has me cracking up every time!
• I need to stop drinking iced lattes. But they are so so so delicious.