Yippie!!

I got accepted into the Leadership Program!!! :) Yay!! Our first meeting starts September 19th and our first retreat is at the end of September. By the time of the retreat, I have to read Vocation: Discerning Our Callings in Life by Douglas Schuurman. It should be a positive first book to read. Maybe by the time the course is complete, I'll know what I want to be when I grow up.

Also, today I went to my eye doctor and got the name of a recommended LASIK surgeon. I'm scheduling an appointment with him soon. The possibility of LASIK sugery is SUPER exciting. My eye doctor seems to think I'm a good candidate, I just have to get the "thumbs up" from the surgeon. He's the one who will have to check out my corneas and make the call. If so, I'll be looking at a surgery date in the winter or spring of next year.

To prepare myself, I bought some new glasses and lenses today. Whoa. I think I'll be making payments on that purchase for a couple months. Thankfully, the guy who works in the shop felt sorry for me and knocked 50% off the cost of my frames. He saved me about $90 in the end... a small cost compared to that of my lenses.

If I get approved for the surgery, I'll have to wear my glasses 24/7 for about 2-4 weeks (depending on what the doc says). So, I bought them in preparation (and hopes!) that they'll come in handy when I decide to do it. Luckily, surgery costs include any post-lenses requirements. In other words, if I still need glasses (and I prob. will with my poor eyes) then the new prescription lenses will be no charge. Good thing too. I'll be paying off these for a while. :)

I'm going to see West Side Story at Wolf Trap tomorrow night. I'm excited since I've only seen the movie. It should be a fun play and I'm looking forward to bonding with some co-workers outside of the office!

Blip

The beginning of the week seemed to creep. I think I was in a little withdrawal from NC.

I'm relieved that today is Friday and I'm looking forward to an open-ended weekend. It'll be nice to be in town without any plans. Those are the weekends that usually wind up being the best kind!

Last Monday I interviewed with hopes of becoming a fellow at the National Center for Leadership. The program would team me up with a mentor in D.C. and a dozen other people my age. I'd be studying leadership skills and teamwork. We'd read about three books, 25-30 articles and study the book of Daniel. The program is nine months and intense. It even has a few weekend retreats.

The application process has been extensive. I had to be nominated and submit an essay-answered application along with some references. I'm at the end though. My interview seemed to go well. It was a round-table interview where I was asked questions by the two Directors, a Board member, and a recent Program Alum. Luckily, I didn't get lost getting there (just driving home). I'm supposed to hear from them any day about my acceptance or not.

Tuesday at the Preg Center was a lot smoother than last week's! Thankfully, I wasn't the only counselor this week. One of my favorite people to counsel with was there. We had two clients and a lot of time to chat between us. It was a good night.

Emily and her former roomy cooked us dinner on Wednesday night! Her ex-roomy came over and they fixed an Italian feast. Plus, her roomy's boyfriend came over so we had even more guests. It was a fun dinner party that lasted into the wee hours.

We're slowly building our household community again. It's taken some time, but we're getting there. Wednesday night was entertaining and a glimpse of many more memories to come!

DC Report

Well, the week has been pretty calm after the hectic weekend.

On Monday night I met up with Kat and some of her friends from church. We went to this summer's last Screen on the Green, where Casablanca was playing. We met out there about an hour before the movie started and had a festive picnic. The weather was nice and actually comfortable despite the blazing heat that was present last week. Since I'd recently seen Casablanca and we were sitting in a location that was less than ideal for seeing AND hearing it, we all left kind of early. The picnic was fun though and I met some great new folks.

Last night I went to the Pregnancy Center for a few hours. There was supposed to be another counselor there with me, but she was a no show. Unfortunately, they had scheduled clients for both of us. So, I wound up seeing everyone who came in (five women) and spent quite a bit of time playing catch-up on paperwork after they all left. It was good though. It made the evening go by quickly. All of them were very patient and gracious as I had explained that I was the only counselor there. There were generally two women in line at any given time. No one left and no one was fussy about waiting. I finished my paperwork shortly before ten o'clock. Thankfully I don't live far and the walk is short!

Tonight I hung out again with Kat. We didn't get any one-on-one time on Monday night and both realized that tonight would be the only evening in a couple weeks where we are both free AND in town. So, we just milled around Union Station. I had some coffee and sushi. We did a little window shopping and caught up with one another.

Kat has applied for the same Leadership Program as I. We're both pretty sure that our odds are favorable. Her interview is Saturday morning. Since I'm going to NC this weekend, I've scheduled mine for Monday night.

Tomorrow night I'm going to the Nats game with JoyAnna. I've enjoyed getting to know her more as the year has developed. I think the Mets are playing the Nats, but I'm not too sure. I'm just looking forward to some hotdogs, cold drinks and fun memories!

On Friday I'm going to NC. I think Mal and I will shop for bridesmaid dresses. She already has almost everything planned. She even has her dress bought. Pretty much the only thing that I don't know much about are the bridesmaid dresses. Those remain to be talked about or seen. So, I think that's on her "to do" list still. That should be a fun shopping experience. When I'm not with Mal and other family, I plan on seeing Mike a little bit too. It's going to be a fast weekend. I can tell already...

The SURPRISE party!

After their engagement, Mallory, Dave and I went back to our house for a SURPRISE party!

This pic was taken right after we walked into the house. Although Dave was in on the secret party, Mallory wasn't. She was completely surprised!
Mallory showing everyone the album that Dave made.

Our roommate, Robby, is on the left side of this pic. You'll recognize Drew (in the middle) and Dave (who went to St. Thomas with us). Our newest roommate, Emily, is sitting in the far left of this pic. The happy couple. Cute pic!At the end of the evening and right before Mallory and Dave left for NC.

Mallory's Engaged!

Mallory got engaged today! I was really honored and excited to play a part in the event. I got her in place to meet Dave and was also able to snap some pictures of the moment.

Dave drove up and surprised her by the Wishing Tree in the Sculpture Garden near the Hirshhorn Museum.

Enjoy...

This picture was taken right before Dave appeared... Mal is giving two thumbs up that her wish would be coming true. Six months ago she made a wish that she and Dave would get engaged this year. Since Mal had an idea that a proposal was coming soon, she figured some thumbs-up were appropriate.

Mallory greeting Dave soon after he appeared. He carried a scrap book with pictures of them. Telling her why he's there...

Dropping to his knee, Dave sang a song that is a favorite of theirs' with the lyrics changed to make it more personal. Apparently, she's liking what he's singing...

Dave is asking THE question... "Mallory Ann Duncan, will you marry me?" Looks like a "YES!" Dave had Mallory sign her soul away.

Just kidding.

He had written THE question to go in their scrap book and left a blank for her to write her answer. She wrote "heck yeah!" and a smiley face.
Once he had her answer, he pulled out the ring. A perfect fit.

Look at the happy couple and check out that bling!!

The Beach

I had a wonderful time with Mike and his family over my long weekend.

I arrived to NC late on Friday night. Mike and I joined his parents and other family on Saturday morning. From there, we rode to Long Beach, NC, which is right near Holden Beach.

We had beautiful weather the whole time we were there. Although it was pretty hot, it helped to dunk in the ocean. We did quite a few activities: fishing, swimming in the ocean and sound (our house was nestled on a thin strip of land that ran between the two), flounder gigging (that was a first for me!), lots of yummy eating, and relaxing.

It was a great chance to get to know Mike's immediate and extended family better. While we were there, we stayed in two houses that were about five houses apart. Each house overlooked the ocean. Every night we gathered as a big group in one of the houses and ate dinner- a tradition that I could really appreciate. During the days, we were free to come and go for breakfast and lunch at whatever hour we preferred.

I went to the ocean everyday and did some form of fishing (whether it was with a pole, net, or gig) in the evening. Good times!!

I got a little sun, saw some shooting stars in the evenings, and had the chance to bond with his family. They're wonderful people and remind me SO much of my own family that it's a little scary.

I've included some pictures for your enjoyment!


Mike wading in a tide pool after being "double dared" by his borther-in-law, Chris. Mike said that he "can't turn down a double-dare." I told him that I was making a note of that for a later time.
Mike surrounded by some of his family. His two cousins are sitting with their backs to the camera. His older sister (Laura) is standing and Chris is on Mike's left.
Mike's younger sister, Jessica, with his little cousin Jara.

I returned on Wednesday evening after flying from Wilmington, NC to Baltimore, MD. I had no problems with any of my flights, thankfully.

Mallory picked me up at the airport and is staying in town until Saturday or Sunday. Last night we went with Robby to Bistro for the first time in a long time. Robby had never been and Mallory and I were craving it.

It's good to be home, but I'm already missing Mike. I'm looking forward to the day when I won't be counting down the days until I see him. I'll be able to hop in my car and meet him for dinner or lunch after a short drive... or spend a Saturday with him that has no hint of a goodbye on the horizon.

A Recap

Well, Emily has moved all of her things to our place. I'm happy to have the search out of the way. Plus, I think she'll be a great addition to our house!

On Monday night I went with her and a couple co-workers to Screen on the Green. It's one of my favorite activities to do in DC during the summer. The city hosts a big screen viewing of a classic flick right on the Mall! They begin the film at dusk, but everyone begins to gather with picnic baskets and frisbees several hours before the feature presentation. Last Monday was the third week's show and I finally caught it. We watched Wait Until Dark. It is a great film!

On Tuesday I went to the Pregnancy Center. I hadn't been in about a month. My last scheduled day was on the day of Papa's funeral. So, needless to say I didn't make that counseling session. It was great to be back at the Center. Tuesday night's session was my FIRST solo session and it went really well. If you'll recall, the last time I went I was being observed. When I arrived at the Center, I received my Certificate of Completion for having finished the necessary training. Yay! I'm official.

Last night I attended the Nationals vs. Reds game. It was my second game of the 2007- 2008 baseball season. Surprisingly, the Nats won by a landslide! I attended the event with some co-workers and some of their friends, one who is a Jeopardy champion! Tom held the record for the most consecutive wins before the infamous Ken Jennings broke it. Not surprisingly, he got all the baseball trivia correct that they asked throughout the game.

There were seven of us and we had awesome seats. They were in the very front section and behind third plate. Best of all, we got hooked up with the tickets, so we only paid $10 for seven of us to get into the park. NICE!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening tonight. My friend, JoyAnna, is supposed to come over for a bit. I think we'll have some dinner and watch a movie or something super low key like that.

This weekend and into the middle of next week should be exciting. I'm going on vacation with Mike and his extended family to Long Beach, NC. We're going to be staying in a couple beach houses down there. I'm looking forward to being with my man, getting some sunshine, and maybe catching a fish or two. Good times ahead...