Friday, December 05, 2008

Into the Crystal Ball

It's been a crazy week getting back into the grind of work. It really went fast!

I got some big news today- I was accepted into Nyack College's graduate school in DC! I'll be starting in January and will earn a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership (think MBA). I'm pretty psyched as the school is in the Hall of States Building, which is about nine blocks from my house. The program goes for one year and is cohort style, so I'll be with the same group for the entire time. It makes for a good support system and learning style.

Orientation is on January 12th and classes begin on the 19th (Martin Luther King Day!). I was hoping to avoid anything near the Capitol on the 19th since it's the day before inauguration, but it looks like there's no avoiding the action (and tourists).

As for the weekend, Marie and I are renting a car and going to NC for a quick overnight trip to the Chapel Hill area. Marie bought a cat over Thanksgiving, so we're going to pick her up. Our new kitty, Charlotte, will be a fun (hopefully) addition to the house. I haven't been to Chapel Hill in several years, so it'll be good to hit the town tonight when we arrive.

Tomorrow afternoon we'll be back in the car and head for the District. Kat is having a Christmas party tomorrow, which I'll attend. On Sunday evening I am going to the National Cathedral for a presentation of Handel's Messiah. Afterward, we're trying anew restaurant in the NW side of town. Should make for a really festive weekend!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thankful Thoughts

In no particular order...

Family, by blood or by bond. Chapstick. Memories. Heat. Taste buds. Chocolate. My literacy. Electric blankets. Men. Laughter. Smiles from people I love. Hellos. Mom and Dad. My metro card. Gloves. Sight. A job. Sunshine. GPS units. Salvation. Watermelons.

Photographs. Girlfriends. Words of wisdom. Air. Indoor plumbing. Touch. Grace. Hand sanitizer. Cell phones. My bed. Gouda cheese and brie. Friendships. Lotion. Music. Deodorant. First kisses.

Hearing my name pass over someone's lips.

Flannel sheets. Grandparents. The holy spirit. Gravity. Crushed red pepper. Patience. My education. Electricity. Contact lenses. Water. Aspirin. My sister. Toothpaste. The right to vote. Red wine. My Doc Martens. Prayer. Tears, but mostly the happy ones. Rain. Stars. Mistakes and learning from them. Love. Trees. Mentors. Democracy. My hearing. Snow.

Being a woman. Vacations. Rainbows. Forgiveness. Art. My health. Calculators. Seasons. Trust. Lunch dates. Margaritas. The ability to reason. Shopping carts. Goodbyes. Pillows. Strength. Hot tubs. The moon. Hugs. Zippers. My voice. Coffee. Creativity. Animals. Skin. Airplanes. Different opinions. Umbrellas. Good neighbors. Stop lights.

Picking up where we left off. Skirts. Civil liberties. Toilet paper. My passport. Brownies. For listening to me. Puns. Spontaneity. The beach. Second chances. Flowers. Washing machines. Hot water.

Life lessons. Humor. Home.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Salute y Bonjour!

I realized that I forgot to mention anything about Halloween festivities. Here's a link to some pictures that we took. Mallory came up to visit for the weekend, which was an added bonus. Marie went as Joe the Pumber, Mal as Sarah Palin, and I as the crazy McCain rally lady. We handed out candy to the kiddies who stopped by our house before we went to a house party (where most of the pics were taken) and then to Dupont Circle, a neighborhood in the NW side of town. The city was dressed up and everyone was festive. Mallory was even stopped by random people who kept asking to have their picture taken with her. It was a fun evening.

This week was pretty slow as far as weeks go. Most of my evenings were spent in, with the exception of Wednesday night. Marie and I went to an event hosted by Kat's office, at the Buxton Initiative. The topic of discussion was "What role does religion play in conflict resolution?" We were provided dinner and there was a guest speaker with a pretty impressive resume. It was a typical "DC Night."

Friday night was full of new places. I met up with Kat and some of her friends where we finally tried a restaurant I'd been wanting to try for about two years: 2 Amys. It's an Italian restaurant that specializes in pizzas. After one bite, I could tell they knew what they were doing! It was delicious and I hope it's not another 27 years before I visit. Once we were finished at 2 Amys, three of us went to see the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace in Georgetown. It was pretty good, but not as exciting as Casino Royale, the previous Bond movie in which Daniel Craig plays Bond. Now that is a good looking man! :)

Saturday was spent mostly lounging, with the exception of a gym trip and dinner with Marie and some of her friends in town from NC. It made for a lazy evening of SNL and phone call catch-ups. All in all, a very good Saturday.

Today was quite fun! Carlos has a friend, Jeoffrey, who is visiting from Colombia (his first visit to the US!). Marie, Carlos, Jeoffrey and I had a fun afternoon just chatting. Marie and I took a quick break to visit a local coffee shop for a bit while the guys went grocery shopping. When we returned, Carlos and Jeoffrey began making dinner- a yummy Latin American dish called ceviche. Mmm. It had some of my favorite ingredients: shrimp, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and celantro. The ceviche was spooned over fried rice with garlic. It was amazing! Carlos made fried plantains and we feasted. It was a very delightful meal. Jeoffrey graciously shared the recipe, so I have hopes of making it again.

In the pics below, Jeoffrey is on the left and Carlos is on the right in the first one. Then, there is one of the four of us (Marie, Jeoffrey, Carlos, and me). Aaron (our other roommate) is seated beside Marie in the third picture. In the fourth picture Carlos and Jeoffrey are being super goofy and high fiving each other for a job well done on the meal. In other news, I did make a big purchase this weekend... I bought a plane ticket to Paris!! I am flying out in March, to be joined by Marie and possibly Mallory. Marie bought her ticket immediately after I bought mine. We will be staying with Drew in the middle of Paris. I'm SOO excited!!!

The upcoming week is pretty full already. I'm getting together with two of my favorite friends from the office tomorrow night and we are making tons of cookies. One of them, Jennifer, just bought a magazine with 100 cookie recipes in it. So, the plan is to make three types tomorrow. I don't really know what we are going to do with them all. We haven't really talked about it, but I imagine the office and all of our roommates will be happy that we tried the new recipes. On Tuesday I have the pregnancy center and then on Wednesday I am attending a going away dinner for my friend Christine. It's never a dull moment...

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

DC Madness

I was ecstatic to live in DC last night! What better city in the world could I have been taking in the elections? From the start of the day, the air was electric. People were abuzz with talks of voting and plans for watching the results.

Have you voted? What were the lines like? What are you doing later? Which party are you attending? Who do you think will win?

Two years of campaigning, months of advertisement brainwashing, and days of high energy chatter were climaxing. Yesterday was it!

After leaving the pregnancy center last night, I met Marie, Carlos and others in the northwest section of town. We made our way to a party at the Washington Hotel (fitting, eh?) where we met up with about twenty other people and watched the election results pour in. I'm pretty sure everyone at the party voted for Obama, which made it more exciting. Everyone was on the same team and cheering for the same guy.

About thirty minutes after we arrived, VA was declared Obama's. It was then that we knew... this election would go to Obama. Still, we watched as mid-west states were counted. McCain's electoral numbers grew, but seemed weak against Obama's lead. Besides, the deal was pretty much cinched. Knowing that CA has 50 electoral votes and Obama would reach his required 270 with that count, we were all just waiting for the official announcement.

Another thirty minutes... polls close on the west coast. Eleven pm. Two minutes later, CNN announces "Obama!" The party went nuts. Skeptics switched to FOX. Surely, if FOX declares Obama it will be true. The crowd erupted again as FOX declared McCain's defeat. People screamed. Cheered. Cried. Called loved ones. It was bigger than New Years, bigger than any single event I've ever witnessed. It was history! We flooded the balcony. People were yelling from balconies in hotels across the street. Others were walking in the streets and cheering. Cars rode by with horns honking ecstatically.

We came back in to hear the speeches. McCain's speech was gracious and I was impressed. He is a good man and there is no doubt that he's honorable. We waited, anticipating the president to be's words. Champagne was poured. More hugs exchanged and calls made. Pictures were taken. Everyone was taking in the moment. Eyes glued to the set.

Obama's speech was eloquent and well delivered. He is a master orator and I've since learned that he writes many of his speeches. The ease in his delivery is impressive and his promises are inspiring. When he was done speaking and exited the stage one of the women in the room declared, "I could listen to him for hours." I had to agree. He is captivating.

The party cleared out pretty fast. We were all anxious to join our fellow DCers outside. People began flooding the streets with talk of going to the White House. Besides, it was only eight blocks away. How could we not?

Marie and I began the walk. Some people ran. I even saw some skipping. We all moved towards the White House. Cars rode by with screaming passengers. Obama's name was being declared from all around. Cow bells pierced the night. Horns blasted to the syllables of his name. O-ba-ma... O-ba-ma... O-ba-ma. Over and over. High fives were exchanged by all. One guy even ran up to me, picked me up, and carried me a little ways. There was pure elation. Marie and I had perma-grin as we took in everything. This was history and we were in the middle of it!

As we neared the White House, the crowd thickened. People with signs, cut-outs of Obama, and cameras above their heads swarmed to the gates that surrounded the House. People chanted. "Yes we can!" Others sang. Marie and I joined the crowd as we gazed at the White House and sang the national anthem. Everyone was proud to be alive and joyous about being in DC.

What a moment... moments, rather.

I'll never forget last night. I can't believe I was here. I experienced a historic moment in the most watched city of the world last night. And I stood outside the White House.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Some More Pics from October

Click this link to see some more pics (including the ones in the previous post) from my month of travels.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Reflections

I took a hiatus from posting any updates, though it wasn't intentional. Life has just been busy.

I went to NC a few weekends back. Hopped the train to VA, where I met Mal, and then we went home for a long weekend. It renewed my spirit to return, especially since my last visit before was for Mal's wedding. It was nice to visit without wedding chaos all around.

Two weekends prior to this, Kat and I drove to SC to visit my grandma in Surfside Beach. Kat had never been anywhere south of VA and it'd been Christmas since I last visited the beach. Even that trip was only about 24 hours. So, it felt good to go back. Plus, it's basically been the only vacation I've taken all year, minus about four days in Orlando in June.

While Kat and I were at the beach, it rained pretty much the whole time. The first day we got about a half day of sun, but even that disappeared in the late afternoon. So, we spent a lot of time indoors, where relaxing was inevitable. We did venture to La Belle Amie winery one day. It was about 45 minutes north of Surfside and made for a great day trip. The winery was quaint and sat on a good bit of land tucked off the highway. Two friendly dogs (Amy and Bella) roamed the grounds. Kat and I tasted just under 10 wines for $5. They also had lots of marinades and goodies that made great souvenirs. We purchased some wine, sat on a porch that overlooked the vineyard and munched on cheese, crackers and grapes. It was delightful.
That evening, Kat and I went with grandma and Joan to a nearby restaurant in Murrells Inlet called Divine Fish House. It was a very fitting name. The fresh seafood was mouth watering and the company made a fine compliment!After bidding farewell to Surfside Beach and family, Kat and I made our way south to an overnight B&B trip in Charleston, SC. I'd never been, but had been wanting to visit the beautiful city for years. What a city! There is so much to do and see there. Twenty four hours was not enough. We squeezed as much into our trip as possible, however. After arriving and checking into our B&B, Kat and I made our way to the downtown area where we took a carriage ride of the city. The Cannonboro Inn, where we were staying, offered a free wine and cheese "mingle" in the late afternoon. So, after our carriage ride, we went back to the B&B and got to know some of the other guests while we swapped stories and sipped on vino. When happy hour at the Cannonboro Inn wrapped, we went to a local restaurant recommended to us, Fleet Landing, where we each tried shrimp and grits for the first time. Mmm. Before the night ended, I went on a ghost tour of the old jail (Kat wasn't feeling well and bowed out of that adventure). Pretty spooky! The next morning, we enjoyed a homemade breakfast of lemon poppy seed waffles with blueberries on top served with a side of sausage, fresh coffee, and juice. Yum. Kat and I then hit the local market before the road called us home.This weekend, Tim came to visit from Philly. On Saturday we enjoyed beautiful weather at the zoo. Plus, all the animals that we went to see were actually out! In the past, they've been hidden away or certain exhibits were closed.We spent several hours there and were exhausted upon our return to the house. A night in was welcomed and needed after walking miles all afternoon. Today the two of us and Marie went to Crumland Farms, where the main attraction was a huge corn maze (a maize maze?). We also slid down a giant slide, drank hot apple cider, and took pics with local farm animals (goat and llamas, anyone?). Oh, and Marie and I did cartwheels. The day was much fun and was topped by a crisp coolness in the air.Fall is here.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Quiet Night...

It's one of those rare evenings. No one is here and I am relaxing in the house. I have no agenda and am not likely to form one in the little bit. The day at work was rather short in that "I got nothing I wanted to get done today" sense, but long in that it was "I spent over half the day in meetings." I gave a few minutes of thought to going to the gym, but opted instead for a walk while simultaneously checking a trip to the bank off my "to do" list. Plus, it gave me an excuse to listen to my new iTouch, which I heart in every sense. I can understand now how people easily fall in love with Mac products. I have... at least with one of them.

Last weekend was full of good memories. Mallory came up to DC on Friday and arrived in time for the two of us to join Marie for dinner at Bistro. I hadn't been there in a really long time and Marie had never been. It brought back some good feelings walking through their doors. Mal, Marie and I had many laughs as Marie and I told Mal stories of our DC adventures over the past couple of months. Later that night, we caught part of the presidential debate on television. I'm not quite sure what i was expecting, but the debate was a lot more boring than I imagined it to be. The evening wrapped with some home baked brownies and the movie Music from Another Room, which was completely chick-flickish, but really cute!

On Saturday morning, Mal drove Marie and I to the airport where we had rented a car for the rest of the weekend. Mal left for Richmond. Marie and I departed for Philly. The ride was entertaining as Marie and I listened to music and chatted, which was a good thing because the weather left much to be desired. The trip wasn't too long and probably would have been shorter had it not rained most of the way. It was a little under three hours.

Marie dropped me off at my friend Tim's and continued north to visit her brother and his family. Tim and I proceeded to pretty much hop right into his car and drive to Lancaster, where we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at the Renaissance Fair/Oktoberfest celebration they had. The rain tried to deter the festivities (and actually did cause some events to be canceled), but we still had fun. Here are some pictures I took from the festival. I would have taken more, but had some technical difficulties with the camera (ie. the operator). You can tell as the pictures progress, we got more and more soaked by the rain:After the festival, we rode back to the Philly area and Tim showed me where he worked before we called it a night and went to his house. On Sunday I visited his church with him and we grabbed lunch- Philly steak and cheese sandwiches (yay!)- and relaxed a bit before Marie came through later and scooped me back up again. It was quite fun.

Last night, I joined three of my gals from the my leadership program for dinner. Kat, Caryn, Anna, and I went to Thai Phoon, a yummy Thai place in Pentagon City (VA). It was so good to see and catch up with them. I really cherish my female friends here in DC. I am so blessed to have a roommate who gets me and with whom I "click" and then to have such other good girl friends to share my world.

Carlos came by today to pick up his keys and drop off his rent. He's moving in as soon as he buys some furniture. I think he's going to be a great housemate. He has a lot of energy and zest. It'll bring some more good vibes to the house!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Why'd the chicken cross the road?

I received this in an email today and thought this was pretty funny...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
  • BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!
  • JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
  • SARAH PALIN: BECAUSE, PRAISE JESUS, I WAS GONNA SHOOT HIS SORRY LIBERAL ASS OFF FOR BLOCKING MY VIEW OF RUSSIA!
  • HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
  • GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
  • DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
  • COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
  • BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of crossing?
  • AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
  • JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
  • AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
  • DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.
  • OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
  • ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
  • NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
  • PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
  • MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmers Mark et to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
  • DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
  • ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
  • JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the other side. Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
  • GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
  • BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.
  • ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
  • JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
  • BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash.
  • ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
  • COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
My favorites were Al Gore, Grandpa's, and Colonel Sander's.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

200 Posts!

This is the 200th post to my blog. Crazy.

I thought I'd post a few pictures from my weekend. Melody, my college roommate, came to DC for the day on Sunday and I took some pics of us. I met her, her fiance (Jerry), and their friend (Stan) for lunch at La Loma before we set off to see the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum (one of my favs in the city). Here are some pics from our afternoon:
I hadn't seen Melody in about three years. We were able to pick up from our last conversation (which thankfully wasn't three years ago). I was excited to get to know Jerry a bit more and also see her rock in person. Jerry did good!

Earlier in the weekend, Marie and I met her friend, Zak, to see the movie Burn After Reading. I think Marie and I were more impressed by the previews than the actual movie. The movie was filmed in DC so it was entertaining to pick out local spots. They didn't do cheap aerial shots and plug them between scenes, but actually filmed on location, which made it more impressive. I was able to pick out some bridges and some places on The Mall where I've been. It's fun to see my neighborhood on the big screen!

On Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the pregnancy center's volunteer brunch. I'd never been to the restaurant, which was located near Chinatown. We had delicious food and were given some nice gifts. I always enjoy the brunches because of the opportunities to meet other folks who work at the center.

When the brunch was finished I wandered around DC for a bit and ducked into a few stores. The weather was gorgeous here and walking outside aimlessly did my soul some good. Trying on shoes helped too!

This week I have been working on my grad school application and should have it done by week's end. I just have to round up a couple of recommendations. So, I should probably know something about whether I'm accepted in a month or two.

This week is pretty quiet. I have the pregnancy center tonight. Wednesday and Thursday are nights to relax. On Friday Mal is coming up for the night. YAY!!! I'm SO excited to see my sister. Then on Saturday, Marie and I are leaving for Philly for an overnight trip. She's going to visit her brother and I'll be hanging out with Tim. Should be good times this weekend.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Busy much?

Since my last post, I’ve gotten three new piercings on my face. I once heard that people who get tattoos can become addicted to the rush and to getting them. So, maybe it’s true for piercings? Heh… just kidding. I haven’t gotten any more piercings, but I love my nose ring!

We’ve found a new roomy to take Matt’s room when he moves at the end of the month. Carlos is our new “roomy to be” and will move in the last weekend of September. He’s originally from Colombia and moved to the states six months ago. He’s lived in New York and seems like a well-rounded guy. He’s done a lot of traveling and is 30, so I think he’ll be a good addition to the house.

Last weekend was eaten a lot by our roomy search, but I did have some time for fun. On Friday night I joined some friends for a wine and cheese tasting. It was like a Tupperware party (from what I’m told), but it was a tasting to encourage folks to buy wine. There were about 15 of us and we went to my friend Melissa’s house.

On Saturday, Marie and I connected via Skype to Drew in Paris. It was great to see him and chat online. He panned his camera around for us to see his neighborhood. He seems to be happy and is settling in to the French way of things. I think he starts his classes this week.

On Saturday night my friend Tim, from Philly, came down for the evening. Since I was tired from early Skype chatting and roomy interviews afterwards, we just hung out mostly at the house. I made dinner for Tim, Marie and I. Afterwards, Tim whipped us up some brownies and then the three of us played Settlers of Catan with Aaron. It was a really fun night. Tim stayed through Sunday and went to church (which was A-MAZE-ING) and lunch with me before heading back to PA. I have plans to visit him in Philly at the end of the month. Marie’s brother lives there, so we’re renting a car and going up for a couple days.

Mmm... brownie batter.

So, Marie dared me to lick the bottom of the bowl. Lick brownie batter? It wasn't a tough dare.

This week has been pretty busy and I can’t believe that I’m already looking at another weekend. Last night I went to dinner with my other friend Tim, who lives here in VA. We went to a (new to me) Thai restaurant in his neighborhood. It was quite tasty and it was great catching up with Tim, who’s been a friend since high school.

Tonight I am catching a Nat’s game with Dom. It’ll be my fifth game at the new stadium. Hopefully the Nats will win. I’ve yet to see that in the new stadium.

Tomorrow Marie and I are planning on going to an embassy party. I think we are going to the French embassy, where there is going to be loads of food and good music, among other things. Then, on Saturday I am going to a brunch that the pregnancy center is hosting for its volunteers. I have enjoyed past brunches because I get the opportunity to meet other volunteers with whom I never otherwise cross paths.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Quarter Life Crisis?

Well, the wedding was loads of fun. Jennifer was a beautiful bride and the food was amazing. She really did it right! It started at 5 and my friends and I left around 10:30. It apparently kept going until almost midnight. The weather was awful here on Saturday, but everyone pushed through. I had several interesting Marilyn Monroe moments as the wind played with my easy-to-blow dress. Gladly, I don't think I gave too much of a peep show. I also got the chance to wear the dress I wore to Mal's rehearsal dinner.

Here are some pics from the wedding of my friends from work, Heidi and Jessica, and I. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make them bigger.

From left to right: me, Heidi, and Jessica

In other news, Marie and I both got our noses pierced on Sunday evening. Could it be a quarter life crisis? It's possible. If so, however, I'm enjoying my age!

This was my face as the lady, Erica, was explaining what she was about to do.

Right afterwards- you can see my eyes are still a little teary.

Marie and I showing off our battle scars and bling! That's Erica, who pierced us, in the middle.

My friend, Dom, who joined Marie and me for moral support and snapped pics!

Friday, September 05, 2008

Lots o' news

So, while posting pics about two weekends ago, it obviously doesn't fill in all details. Things have been shaking around here lately!

Some updates (in chronological order):
  • Pics from the 23rd were from a weekend of fun with Andrew, his bro Kent, and Marie- it was basically a weekend of nights on the town, a day at Eastern Market (where being a genius that I am I bought a watermelon within ten minutes of being there and then lugged it around for two hours... nice), and then spent some time doing the roomy search for Andrew's room
  • New roomy, Aaron, was selected after two days of interviews. He's originally from Taiwan and is doing an internship on the Hill for the time being. He's 25.
  • Then, skip to Labor Day weekend... night out (again) on Friday to celebrate Drew's last weekend in DC. The evening was filled with dancing and then the DC staple of Ben's Chili Bowl. Mmm for cheese fries at 3 am.
  • Saturday was spent at Chesapeake Beach, that is within an hour of DC and makes for a fun beach to visit. We got there around two and spent a few hours lounging on the sand, searching for shark's teeth (well, that was mostly Marie and my fun), and then splashing in the bay. Once the sun had taken the energy from us, we made our way to a local restaurant that served fresh seafood and was hosting a live band. Love fresh seafood and live music!
  • Sunday was spent with my new friend, Tim, from Philly. We spent the day out on the town, first with church then to Eastern Market before heading to the National Geographic Museum. Finally, we landed at Oya, a french-japanese fusion restaurant I've been eying for about a year. It was worth the wait and the whole day was very fun. After Tim left for Philly, I joined Marie, Drew, Kent and more friends of Drew's on the town again. Once again, Ben's Chili Bowl sealed the evening.
  • Labor Day... bittersweet. Drew left for Paris. Marie and I cried. I thought in poetry all evening, but was too slack to jot any down.
  • Aaron moved in within an hour of Drew's room being empty. We're still all adjusting. I miss Drew's smell and clothes pile in the middle of his room. The pictures, cigarettes, books, and music is gone. A new kid's in town.
I told Drew that besides my dad, he's been the most consistent man in my life for the past 2.5 years. We'd been through a lot... moving, roommates, deaths, new loves and loves lost, jobs, bosses, and arguments. In the mix were the stuffings of life: hugs, rain dancing, crossword puzzles, french movies, dancing, drinking, good food, laughter, bus rides, pun sharing, political discussions, dinners in, road trips, museum hopping, shopping, trash tv, and french pressed coffee.

Marie and I are adjusting. Matt also informed us that he's moving at the end of the month, so our roommate search isn't done. We've another place to fill... or at least we'll attempt it.

The weekend ahead isn't super busy, but I am attending a wedding on Saturday for my dear friend, Jen. It'll be an extravagant event, as it's Italian and should have amazing food. Mmm. I'm looking forward to meeting some new people, eating some fine food, drinking some well made wine, and dancing til my feet hurt. Should be good! :)

On a side note... things are heating up here in DC with the elections looming. It's been interesting attending a DNC party and then also watching the RNC. People's tongues are wagging already and I've taken part in many of interesting political discussions at work. Despite being a Christian organization, the people in my office vary on their views, from being extremely conservative to pretty liberal. So, it makes for interesting chats. I am sitting on the fence, one day being more impressed with Obama and another day with McCain. I agree with different issues that each party is pushing and also disagree with a several on each side. So, I'm anxious to hear the debates. I think the Republicans have been throwing a lot of mud in the RNC, much more than the democrats did at the DNC. Interesting. I was completely turned off by Guiliani's speech. The man makes my skin crawl and spews lies. Ugh. I think Palin delivered an impressive speech and seemed comfortable in her skin. We'll see how she she does while facing Biden.

It's a wonderful time to live in DC. I'm in this amazing city during a time that will make history. Awesome.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Weekend Adventures

It's been a really fun weekend... check out some pictures. I'll write more later.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Slackness

Looks like I've been pretty slack in my posting lately. I can't believe it's been two weeks since I dropped some juicy details. My apologies to my three fans out there. ;)

I've been pretty busy lately, with some personal travel and time with the family. Last Friday I attended an Olympic ceremony party. One of my friends was kind enough to host about twenty of us while we watched the opening ceremony and snacked on Chinese and American food. Fun times.

On Saturday, I went with Drew, Marie, and our friend Dave to Atlantic City. We rose early on Saturday and went for an overnight trip. Marie's mom hooked us up with a free place to stay using her Marriott points. It was a nice hotel and close to the strip- not that we spent too much time in the room! When we first arrived, we hit the beach for a couple of hours.

The sea gulls were vicious! Before going to the sand, we stopped on the boardwalk for some snacks to take with us. Drew got fries and I got a slice of pizza. We were immediately stalked and hovered over by the gulls. It reminded me of a few summers ago when Mal, Priya, Mal's friend Karen, and I went to a beach in FL. We had packed a picnic lunch of subs. The gulls were crazy there too as they fluttered and cawed around us. We had just spread our towels out and opened the sandwiches when a gull swooped down, landed first on Karen's head and then stole half of her sub before flying off. It was shocking and hilarious. Well, apparently the same breed of greedy gulls occupies the shore of Atlantic City.

After the beach, we all showered and prepped for our night on the town. We first hit up a restaurant and then some casinos. It was somewhere between the restaurant (on the second floor) and the casino one floor below that I lost my cell phone within a ten minute span of time. Sadness. The loss was softened by my later winning $130- a feat I never manage to do when I visit Vegas.

After a couple casinos and cash spending, we went back to the room to regroup before hitting the boardwalk. :) Dave opted to stay in the room and sleep, but Drew, Marie and I were determined to keep on playing. It was on the boardwalk where we came across a semi-cheesy carnival of sorts complete with rides and steal-your-money for a prize-pencil-games. We found a super thrilling, hair poofing ride called "The Rocket." It it like a giant slingshot. Comprised of a steel ball that seats two people, the ball is connected to bungee-like ropes. The ball is pulled back and released, shooting the passengers and ball high into the air at a speed over 100 mph in 1.5 seconds. It's awesome! I first rode the ride with Drew. When Marie saw that we survived and were all smiles, she then rode it with Drew. It was a really fun ride and a highlight of the trip.

Despite losing my phone, it was a fun trip and we made some great memories.

The week went by pretty fast. I had a great night on Tuesday at the Pregnancy Center. It was the first night in a long time where I was the only counselor, but I wasn't overwhelmed with clients as I have been in the past when by myself. It was an encouraging night and I was blessed by the three clients I met. One I hadn't seen since earlier this year and I enjoyed catching up with her and hearing updates.

Aunt Jody and James came to town on Wednesday afternoon and stayed through yesterday evening. They spent Wednesday afternoon and Thursday pretty much entertaining themselves while I worked, but we did get some quality time together in the evenings. On Thursday night we went to watch the Nats lose to the Mets. Despite the loss, it was still a good game and I enjoyed hanging out with my aunt and cousin. I took Friday off work and we all spent the day together. I took them on one of my favorite tours here in DC- the DC Duck tour. After the tour, we rested before heading to another Nats game, where they played the Rockies. Mallory drove up from Richmond and watched the game with us. The Nats lost that game too (surprise, surprise), but we still enjoyed ourselves. After the game, we came back to the house and Mallory gave James a belated birthday cake and presents, so we had an impromptu party. Always nice! :) Here are some pics from the weekend.

The four of of wrapped up their visit by going to an Ethiopian restaurant that Mal and I enjoy. I think James and Jody liked it. They said they did. Some of their faces would have me believe differently, but we did have some great laughs in the process. Mmm.

We (finally!) got a new dryer yesterday. It had been broken since May. Ugh. Three uncheers for our landlord. So, I've spent some time doing laundry and relaxing since everyone left town last night. The Olympics (and specifically Michael Phelps) have been very entertaining.

Not too much going on this week. I have a couple fun lunch dates this week with coworkers and also Rich. Rich is going to have lunch with my new boss, Mimi, and I later in the week. I'm anxious for her to meet him and learn more about the Council and how she can help carry the torch since his time there. Also, later in the week I have plans to go to Jazz in the Sculpture Garden with some gals from my Leadership Group. Looks like it's going to be a jazz-rock band. Awesome. We're each bringing some picnic items and making an evening out of it.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Some Happenings

Last weekend was pretty busy. On Friday night I had the opportunity to see a sneak peak of a "rockumentary" that's hitting theaters on October 2nd. The film is called Call+Response and is about the modern day slave trade. It was pretty moving. Unlike some documentaries, which plunge into stories and leave the audience in dismay and overwhelmed, C+R is actually a movement. It began when one musician, Justin Dillon, was moved by what he learned and saw. Knowing that his gift was music, he wanted to use his talent to make a difference. So, he's began. He gathered other musicians (some real big and a few up and coming), celebrities and scholars and made a rockumentary- or a documentary told with music and recorded footage. It was great. When the film was over, Justin answered questions from the audience and shared that it's going to open first in DC before hitting other select cities.

The film is being pushed by underground movements- webpages, blogs, and social networking interfaces like Facebook. So, it's a great cause and the concept is pretty hip. I hope it does well, because the message is undeniable.

On Saturday, I went to my friend Jenn's bridal shower. It was quite fun and she seemed really happy. There was SOOO much food. We also got to preview her wedding cake since she had a smaller one made for the shower. It was Italian Cream Cake and quite delicious. After rolling myself home (well, that's what it felt like I was doing), I was able to relax a bit before going to my friend Dave's party (who went with us to St. Thomas back in the day). He's recently returned to DC after studying in Australia (so he claims he studied). Since Dave is friends with Matt, Marie, Drew and I, it was a roomy-night-out. Quite fun and even more rare.

Sunday was spent relaxing and catching up at the gym a bit.

Yesterday my new boss started. I didn't see her too long- she was buzzing in and out of the office trying to get things set up and fluttering between all of her orientations. She seems to be holding her own and I think we're going to get along great.

I went with Marie to see The Apartment at Screen on the Green last night. It was pretty old school- black and white with young versions of Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon in it. My favorite part of Screen on the Green is watching all the people with their picnics and friends. I also enjoy the HBO dance at the beginning. The movie is sponsored by HBO, which plays their jingle before the movie begins. People in the know (and not too lazy) get up and jump/ hop/ dance around while the theme jingle plays. Good times! I love to hop around and flail my arms like a crazy person. haha. The good thing is everyone (cool) is doing it. ;)

I'm going to see one of my fellow Leadership Group friends tomorrow night. We have plans to grab some dinner in Eastern Market. Should be fun- I haven't seen Carla since graduation.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Return from the Road

Well, Gettysburg was fast and furious. We departed yesterday morning from the Council, spent the latter half of the day in meetings once we'd arrived and then spent the morning and early afternoon in meetings today before heading back to DC around two.

I did get a chance to go into town last night and was pleasantly surprised by what the downtown area offered. It is quaint and has an old feel to it. I kicked myself for forgetting my camera. If I ever return for an extensive amount of time, I'd like to take advantage of the ghost tours that they offer. I remember really enjoying the ghost tour in New Orleans and imagine that Gettysburg would also have some enchanting stories.

We each got our own hotel room at the Wyndham Hotel. I'd never stayed in one before and was very impressed. The hotel grounds were well kept and there was a nice restaurant and movie theater within walking distance that (I think) partnered with the hotel on some level. My room was quite luxurious with it's king sized bed and flat screen television. The bed had five pillows, three of which wound up in the nearby easy chair and were never used. The little extras in the bathroom added a nice touch and the shower was also quite impressive. I realize that this post may have a "country girl goes to the fancy hotel" air to it. haha. Speaking of ghosts, there may have been one in my room (!). Twice last night, my shower randomly began running for about five seconds while I was quite far from it and sitting at a desk in the main room. Strange!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow being Thursday. I love that traveling for work makes things go a little quicker. I have a "date" with my friend Jennifer tomorrow night. We're each going to get a pedicure. Yay!

My weekend is fairly open. I do have a bridal shower to attend on Saturday (Jennifer's). She's the last wedding I have on my calendar (so far) this year. She's getting married on September 6th.

The cat purchase is on hold for the time being. Matt wasn't too thrilled with the idea and Marie kept getting "signs" (her words) that the timing wasn't quite right. So, we'll wait. I'm sure the possibility will creep up as we transition again in September. When Matt and Drew move, we'll be looking for new roomies, one of which may be four-legged and furry.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Slowing Down

The past week has been pretty slow by "normal" standards. Compared to last weekend, this weekend's calendar is quite empty. Last weekend was a whirlwind of movies: Mama Mia!, The Dark Knight, and Wall-E (a few days prior with Tim). Wall-E left me in a melancholy mood. It was cute, but compared to other Pixar movies, was definitely lacking in the comedic delivery. Rather, the movie has several sobering messages revolving around the destruction of our environment and the gluttony of America. I'm not saying I disagree with the messages and undertones. Maybe that's why I was left in such a state. I connected with it and was left discouraged and downhearted. Despite the movie, I did enjoy a nice evening with Tim.

Mama Mia! was fabulous, however, and helped pull me from my Hollywood prescribed funk. I saw it last Friday with Mallory and Dave (who were in town the evening before flying from Reagan on Saturday AM to St. Croix). It was fun to see it with Mal. Dave was a good sport and even put up with our dancing and singing afterwards. I think Maryl Streep did a wonderful job (I honestly never knew she could sing) and the main young actress was beautiful and also has a equally stunning voice. The joke of the movie was Pierce Brosnan, who received only laughter and groans from the audience when he opened his mouth to sing. It was pretty funny to be sitting in a packed theater and hearing such a reaction to his singing. I felt an immediate bond with my fellow movie-goers at the expense of Pierce.

And The Dark Knight... wow. So, I have a few friends who said they need therapy after watching it. It's true to the title- it's a dark movie. When one weighs in the sad story of Heath Ledger, who obviously had trouble dealing with his character (Joker) in real life and died from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills, it makes the movie a bit harder to swallow. The stunts and several chase scenes in the movie are incredible. There are also some other scenes, however, that are just disturbing. Overall, I'd say I enjoyed it, but it also messed with me a bit too.

Last Saturday night, I went to Kat's house, where she had made dinner and dessert. She'd also invited her boss and his wife and son along with another older man in her office and his wife. It was a wonderful evening. It took me over an hour to get to her house as I am living car-free now. My metro to bus to walking was quite an ordeal. Although a bit sticky from my long walk (uphill), I arrived in time to chat a bit before we all dived into dinner. It was refreshing to dine with one of my best friends and to chat comfortably with some pretty important folks. Her boss is a former ambassador to South Africa and, from what I gathered of our conversation, the other guy is a former Senator. Their wives are very down to earth (as are the guys) and our evening flew by as we discussed travel, politics, religion and exchanged some life stories. Five bottles of wine and several hours later, we had to say goodbye. It was an extremely fun evening. Plus, my new senator friend and his wife drove me home so I wouldn't have to metro and bus back to my house!

Though my weekend was fast, this week slowed tremendously. At work, we are hoping to launch our new website next month. This website has been a complete pain and was originally set to launch last fall/winter. So, I'll cross my fingers, but you don't see this girl holding her breath.

I officially have a new boss. She starts next week, where she'll be attending some board meetings in PA. Her first day in our office is the following week. I'm happy to finally have a boss again and am hopeful that since we are both new to our particular area we can learn some things together. Next Tuesday, I am riding with three of my coworkers (all male) to Gettysburg, where we will be staying for two days as we help with planning for the Council's International Forum in 2010. I've never been to Gettysburg, so was excited about going. Then I learned that our hotel is in the middle of nowhere and historical Gettysburg is quite a ways from us. I don't anticipate it to be the most exotic Council trip I've taken.

Kat has plans to come over on Monday night. We're going to review our travel options and hopefully decide on some plans. At this point, we're thinking two trips: one to Hawaii and one to South Carolina.

Another thing I am seriously considering: Grad School. I've been encouraged by Rich to look into a program at Nyack College here in DC. Nyack is a school in NY, but also has a campus here in DC. There's a one year cohort program that's an MS in Organizational Leadership. The program meets twice a week here on the Hill. Also, there are a few Saturdays required in the mix. It starts in January and ends one year later. I think it'd be a good fit. My main concern is the money. The idea of taking out more student loans is not appealing. So, as I apply, I'll be thinking heavily about it. If I get accepted (which I probably will), I'll have quite a decision to make. Not only would I be looking at loans, but I would also have to willingly embrace more time in DC. At this chapter in life, I'm not seeing that as a bad thing.

On a really random note- we may be getting a cat soon. We've been talking about it a while and Marie has spearheaded the conversation. It was discussed quite a bit about a month ago, but then discussions tapered. Four nights ago, we discovered that we have a mouse (again!) in the house. So, that brought back the cat idea. Marie has gone to NC for the weekend and may be bringing a Fluffy back with her. Fine by me. An animal in the house (and not a tiny one that eats our food) could be a good thing.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Storm... and afterwards

I've enjoyed a relaxing evening after what was a busy few days. I can't believe it, but Mallory is finally married. All that wedding talk and the day finally arrived.

It was great to see family that I hadn't seen since the holidays or before. I saw saw some whom I hadn't seen in a year or two. There were friends I'd missed for longer than that.

The rush of the days leading up were a blur. Somewhere in there we managed to decorate the reception hall, have some family bonding (and drama), get our nails done and put last minute touches on decorations. Here are a few pictures pre-wedding.

As maid of honor (MOH) I had the privilege of delivering Dave his gift from Mallory. A signed Wake Forest football from one of the games. Needless to say, he was pretty excited. Other pics are of us bridesmaids getting ready. I also took some pictures with an old school 35mm that I'm having developed, so I'll post them in a few days when I get them back from CVS. For now, enjoy these few and a link that Mal sent of her proofs.



My favorite moments from the wedding: watching Dave look at Mal while she walked down the aisle, seeing Mal kiss my dad as he hugged her at the alter, being only one of a few people who could hear Mal and Dave's first prayer as husband and wife while they prayed by their unity candle, watching my dad dance to "Brown Eyed Girl" with Mal, sharing my thoughts in a toast (and not breaking down while giving it!), signing their wedding license, and watching their faces lit by candle light as they ran to their car at the end of the evening.

While the weekend was wonderful, it was also a relief to return to "normal mode" on Sunday night. I left my car in NC and rode up with some of my DC friends who went to the wedding. I'm going to attempt this car-free thing in hopes that it will make me more care-free. ;) I'm looking forward to trying to live 100% city life. Delivered groceries, bus rides, train trips, and lots more walking! I'm going to try it for a few months. If I can make it with few hiccups, I'll sell my car and put the cash towards a future car (to be bought when I leave DC or fate decides something else).

Monday night began Screen on the Green. I met a few of my Leadership Group friends for Dr. No on the Mall. This is my third summer in DC and I'm definitely taking advantage of it. I know that DC summers officially begin when the roaches crawl on the sidewalks and Screen on the Green graces the Mall. I love it (minus the roaches). It was fun catching up with some friends and also meeting a couple new folks who were there. Check out some pics:

It's my goal to check out Jazz in the Garden either this week or next. It's free on Friday night and takes place in the Sculpture Garden (where Mal and Dave were engaged). There's nothing like starting the weekend with a picnic dinner, bottle of wine, dear friend(s), and jazz floating in the air while folks buzz around the fountain and art.

Last night I went to the pregnancy center and had a good night there. I saw two clients, both of whom came for pregnancy tests. I was a little nervous because last time I was there I had a really touching case and was a mess when I left the center. I think between the stress of prepping for Mal's wedding and dealing with personal demons was enough to push me over the edge. It was a tough night a couple weeks ago. So, last night was encouraging and I was thankful that God let me meet the women I did.

Tonight I'm going to check out Wall-E with a friend from the past. He was best friends with Ben in high school and thus friends with me. We got together two months ago for the first time in nine years. Crazy! It was weird to hang out with someone here in DC who knew me when I was in high school. Tim's attending seminary in Alexandria. The plan is to catch up some more over dinner and then see the flick. I've heard good stuff about Wall-E and Tim is always entertaining, so I'm looking forward to the evening.