What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0037

1801.  There are turkeys in Turkey . . . maybe not;

1802.  The sun doesn’t seem as strong in Istanbul as it does in the U.S. . . . at least during the fall time;

1803.  Where there’s a minaret, there’s a mosque;

1804.  I can now say that I’ve been to Asia;

1805.  Turkish hamburgers (i.e., islak)! . . . Who knew?

1806.  Ayran tastes like (slightly) sour, watered-down yogurt . . . probably because it is (slightly) sour, watered-down yogurt;

1807.  The Asian side of Istanbul seems poorer than the European side;

1808.  Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice has a citrus zing to it;

1809.  Watch out for the shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar (in Istanbul).  You’ll be browsing and you might have a thought of buying something like a leather jacket.  You wander in to one of the stores.  The shopkeeper gets you to try on a few.  The next thing you know, his daughter has emigrated to where you’re from and has lived there for the last twenty years.  You tell him you’ll think about it.  He doesn’t want you to leave.  You’ve bartered a price.  He only wants cash.  He asks you how much money (Turkish lira and U.S. dollars) you have in your wallet.  You tell him.  You hand over most of your money.  You now have a leather jacket you may or may not have wanted and you’re not sure if you’ve been ripped off or got a good deal because you haven’t done your homework . . . all in a span of five minutes;

1810.  Robbie dances when she shops;

1811.  Turkish delight (i.e., lokum) is like gummy candy, except covered with powdered sugar and sometimes with nuts;

1812.  Robbie has a playful, mischievous side to her;

1813.  Cinnamon sticks can double as straws;

1814.  Robbie can read your tarot;

1815.  It saddens me that Robbie has seen so much ugliness in the world;

1816.  A Turkish XL isn’t the same as an American XL;

1817.  Robbie has a scar on her bicep;

1818.  Robbie doesn’t wet her cotton swabs;

1819.  Robbie fits nicely in my arms;

1820.  Robbie likes towels;

1821.  The (fresh) homemade cake (with chocolate pieces and more) at Cherrybean Coffees (CherrybeanCoffees.com) in Istanbul is pretty tasty;

1822.  I can now say that I’ve bought women’s shoes;

1823.  The Sirkeci Rail Station (in Istanbul) is the terminus (i.e., end destination) of the Orient Express;

1824.  Everybody’s crazy.  It’s just about finding the right crazy that complements your crazy;

1825.  During his famous ride, Paul Revere never made it to Concord.  He was captured along the way coming from Lexington by the British;

1826.  The Kaffa region of Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee;

1827.  It seems that Paul Revere wasn’t a very good artillery officer;

1828.  Your social support network is the biggest predictor of your health;

1829.  Happiness is a choice;

1830.  “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” . . . Tennyson’s words have never rung truer.  With the former, there’s at least one moment of joy and ecstasy, whereas with the latter, there’s only heartache and frustration;

1831.  How do you try to forget someone you don’t want to forget and who pops into your thoughts when you see or read something even when you’re trying not to think about that person?

1832.  It’s amazing what a little (sea) salt and freshly ground (black) pepper can do for a (sirloin) steak;

1833.  It seems like every year Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier;

1834.  Bob Woodward (of Watergate and “Woodward & Bernstein” fame) has written (or co-written) seventeen books and holds the record for the most number one bestsellers for nonfiction (at twelve);

1835.  Bob Woodward still holds a position at “The Washington Post” (as an associate editor);

1836.  Dana Priest broke the story about the secret CIA detention facilities started under the Bush administration to interrogate terrorists and brought to light the deplorable conditions of outpatient facilities at Walter Reed (Army Medical Center);

1837.  General David Petraeus has a Ph.D. (in international relations) from Princeton (University);

1838.  Bob Woodward is pretty funny;

1839.  Bob Woodward has known David Petraeus for many years.  When they first met, he invited him to dinner, prepared by his wife, over at his house;

1840.  Character is how you deal with your mistakes;

1841.  According to Bob Woodward, “(President) Obama doesn’t like people or politics;”

1842.  Bob Woodward sent a twenty-one page memo to President George W. Bush when he requested an interview;

1843.  Call me crazy, but from certain angles, I think Bob Woodward looks like an older David Duchovny;

1844.  The expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy (i.e., the highest tax bracket reverting from 35% back to 39.6%) would only generate an additional $100 billion in federal revenue . . . or about 8% of the federal deficit;

1845.  Roger Daltrey (the lead singer for “The Who”) doesn’t like to button his shirt;

1846.  John Entwistle (of “The Who”) was an amazing bass player;

1847.  We’re all a little weird.  And life is a little weird.  And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love;

1848.  If there is anything holding you back in your life . . . let it go;

1849.  Running a marathon increases your risk for a heart attack. . . . They cause short-term injury to the heart, but they don’t seem to cause lasting damage.  After a week of rest, the runners’ hearts showed no long-term effects, and, for most, heart function had returned to pre-marathon levels;

1850.  I was born on a Saturday;