Weekend Adventures

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

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.

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.

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.

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.