Free Conundrum

A few weeks ago, Boyfriend and I cleaned out our kitchen. We took every single item off every single shelf, assessed our needs, and cleaned each counter and cupboard before placing items back in a more organized manner. The satisfaction of completing this task, even though it should have been done three months prior, is indescribable. While we buy within our means—and don’t get sucked into too many deals—we certainly end up with excess of some items (e.g., canned tomatoes, flour, Gatorade, etc.) that are not easily stored in a 700 square foot apartment. The biggest culprit is our Costco membership, though we've deemed the bulk shopping savings are worth it. Before The Cleanse we had 'mini pantries' scattered throughout the apartment; I could not survive that way for another second.

The second issue is my willingness to accept anything and everything I come across that is of the "free" variety. Free juice at the blood drive, I’ll take three. Free water bottle at the Toast to Tap event, a 40th Anniversary Celebration for the Safe Drinking Water Act, sure, why not!

(Those who know me, know I only use my liter-sized Nalgene ever. I also have have millions of other previously gifted water bottles stored in a lowly bottom cabinet.)

(Or I did before The Cleanse.)

And it’s not just free food and goodies I accept. At the Washington Nationals Blood Drive, we were given two tickets to a Nationals game. When that day came, I was exhausted, but I also knew it was likely my last chance to see the Nationals for the year. So despite those factors and a poor forecast to boot, I started walking to the game after work. Being the forecast was poor, the game was called minutes before the start and I was able to go home, eat a nice meal, and catch up on some zzz’s. The tickets were free, yet I couldn’t imagine letting them go to waste. I had to be there… and had to make sure I had fun… just because. Just because why? 

In early October, again, we had free tickets to the DC United/Sporting KC game. And I actually really wanted to go. My coworker gave me these tickets in July, and now that Pop's employer is no longer a sponsor, this was my only (free) opportunity to catch a game this season. After staying up way too late on Monday watching the Kansas City Chiefs and even later on Tuesday watching the Kansas City Royals, by the time Friday rolled around, I was beat. I was recently reassigned to a large effort at work, as opposed to my usual sitting around twiddling my thumbs. It’s shocking how much more exhausting work is when I'm "on." Further, it was colder than I had prepared for, with yet another chance of rain. Provided the exhaustion, dinner at Five Guys and an early evening seemed ideal. I ultimately ended up bailing on the game. And crashing in bed, with the television volume high, in case of any exciting action in the world of Post Season. It could have been an all-out celebration of Kansas City—Chiefs, Royals, and Sporting KC, however, DC United came away with the win, clinching their spot in the playoffs. And I (sadly?) can’t name a single United or Sporting KC player, so I think it’s safe to say, the world went on without my being there.

I’m getting better at saying no and avoiding free stuff, there were several accomplishments on that front. For example, the other night I avoided free cups, magnets, and shirts at a Light The Night fundraiser. We're talking b-a-b-y steps that feel like B-I-G steps. After all, I’m 27 with a decent job. I can afford juice, cookies, water bottles, hats, shirts, on-and-on; I can afford more than what I need.

Say no to free-ness. Just Say No. When I think of my uncluttered living space, it'll all be worth it.

An August Weekend

Let’s talk weekend, my very favorite subject of all. There were 10 things, or maybe 8 – I'll type them all out and see just how many things there were – worth sharing.

1. Boyfriend and I began my three day weekend with Stuffed Zucchini Enchilada Boats and ice cream at Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream. I then enjoyed my second Friday off of the second AWS cycle. The schedule is not all it’s cracked up to be but I do enjoy my freedom Fridays, as I refer to them. I spent the entire morning cooking – a triple batch of granola and Fresh Corn Salad before heading out to the ‘burbs.
2. I met my youngest brother for a coffee date at The Bucks. We chatted this (music and running) and that (school and work), until the panic of his unpreparedness set in; he was Richmond-bound for his sophomore year of college the very next day.
   
3. Friday night I attended Sweet Neighbor’s housewarming party. There was so much food goodness, I tried to behave. There were also cocktails galore.
   
4. The Braves beat the Oakland Athletics’, who came to Atlanta with the best record in baseball in the first, second, and third game of their three-game series. After Sunday, when the Braves were finished sweeping the A’s, they – the A’s – no longer held that record. Hooray! (Note: This win streak would be much more impressive, if the Washington Nationals were not on a tear of their own.)
5. Mom and I went to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday. She bought white peaches and yellow tomatoes and other things. I would have bought the most beautiful zucchinis ever had I not left my wallet at home. I was treated me to Pain au Chocolat from Bread House, Inc., forever reminding me of A.L.R.L., who introduced me to such goodness at The Village Bakery & Café at the ripe old age of two. This also reminded me that the no longer little A.L.R.L. will celebrate her ninth birthday in three days. Oh my aging!
   
6. I managed to find time to cuddle up with Louis for a nap on Saturday. Pure joy!
7. I ran 18.2 miles on Sunday. That is the farthest I have ever run in my life. In.My.Life. I have eight weeks to add an additional eight miles to that number and I should be good to go in October. Except, major except, I felt like death the last mile and for about three hours afterwards. This marathoning is no joke.
8. There was lots of deck time over the weekend – morning coffee and stretching; phone calls (with the recently engaged J.L.W. and my now “famous” brother) throughout the day; and dinner on Saturday night.
9. Folks, the banana boat is back in business! My ever handy boyfriend built a rack for the current ride. And it held like a champion. We paddled from White Ford Regional Park to the Monocacy Aqueduct on the Cheasapeake & Ohio Canal and leisurely floated back down the river, cleaning up the Potomac River along the way. In route home, we stopped at Temple Hall Farm Regional Park to admire the sunflowers – gorgeous!
   
   
10. Two years ago Sunday, Boyfriend visited me for the first time after his motorcycling around Southern Africa. How did we celebrate the time? Five Guys, obviously.

So it was a pretty good weekend, filled with pretty good people and puppies. (And another engagement!) 

Thinking Out Loud

There are so many unrelated thoughts floating through my head right now. Let's assume you care.

• Dan Uggla played, as a professional baseball player, for the San Francisco Giants. He went 0-8 with three errors. Dan, Dan, Dan is not your—San Francisco or otherwise—man. Poor Uggla. We—we, the Atlanta Braves, still owe him upwards of 20 million dollars. So while he may not be doing good on the field work, he’s doing alright. (In other words, I would trade shoes paychecks with him.) Please note, I am absolutely not on the bandwagon rooting for Uggla to fail; I hope he finds success again at some future point.
• Boyfriend went for a run (and then another run and one more run after that; he went for three total runs). I am not to speak of such events. He ran all by his lonesome in our apartment gym. And I am still gleaming a full week plus later. I am almost confident this was a three-time thing, though I will remain forever hopeful he will someday enjoy running alongside me (on the easy days).
• The office bathroom is never empty. I am continually peeved by this. This girl appreciates her privacy.
• I checked out I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai from the library four times to finish it. The entire book is 317 pages. I could not get into the book, until the final third. The message is fabulous. I am inspired by the young activist. I am devastated for the lives of so many of the people of Pakistan, specifically the women and children. I am in awe of the courage of Malala's father, standing out "against" his own people for education. I wanted to praise the book, but found it riddled with far too much history, history complex beyond my own understanding. This unfortunately translated to choppy reading. The story did, however, make me think and challenged me to remember these issues do touch my life—not to mention my heart.

 You can all sleep peacefully at once.

Alternative Work Schedule

I have some good news on the work horizon. That’s right, good news. My contract is entering the second and final option year, come late September. And as a result, things are being switched up a bit. As of this week, I officially have an alternative work schedule, the one I have dreamed of all my contracting days. This means, Monday through Thursday I work 8:30 am to 6:00 pm; I have every other Friday off; and the ‘working’ Fridays, I will work the standard 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. There are certainly pros and cons to this agenda. But for me personally, the pros outweigh the cons.

The ultimate pro is definitely the biweekly Friday off. Rather conveniently, I am going to Baltimore this weekend. And I realized I will not be rushing up to Baltimore with all the commuter train traffic. I can go at my leisure after some form of exercise and cleaning and laundry chores are completed. I can go whenever I want because I have the entire day off. The. Entire. Day. More, for this particular weekend, my afternoon arrival should allow for some one-on-one time with K.A.B. before 92 other Returned Peace Corps Volunteers join us for a pre-reunion weekend.

Further though, an unexpected plus thus far on the alternative work schedule front is the livelier streets (at 6:00 pm) during the walking portion of my commute. I am also back to commuting with Boyfriend in the morning. That results in more together time and less reading time, a tough toss-up.

The longer days might be a drag when the days get shorter. The days are long now, so I don’t notice a real difference between five and six. I should also note that all my coworkers had this schedule “forced upon” them, which helps diminish the difference between a 5:00 and 6:00 pm departure. At least on day one, two, and three. 

The daunting nine-hour day is easily dismissed after a quick analysis of the calendar: I’m slated for a four day Labor Day weekend—pro. Pros, from now until September 2015. 

Looq Here: C.D.H. Visits and Another Weekend Captured

Are you sick of weekend recaps? I’m not. So on I will write. And as to whether you continue on reading is entirely up to you.

At this point in my life, The Blog is a place to talk about the weekends I live for as my job is oh so rough. Even yesterday, a day that was supposed be easy breezy, collapsed before my eyes. We had a Team Lunch scheduled to watch the United States/Germany World Cup game at one of my favorite Washington, D.C. establishments, Busboy’s and Poets.  But the following events supervened: First, our 90-minute Team Meeting ran over. Then Busboy’s and Poets released our table by the television, the only television, to another party. This required Busboy’s and Poets to set up a projector in the back, since our Team Captain specifically requested a table within view of The Game in the reservation. And, last, the projector did not work, so instead of relocating to a more spirited environment, we listened to the game… not actually watching any. I monitored the play-by-play on Twitter and angrily stewed.

This is why I don’t talk about The Dark Period, my nine to five. I already have to endure it. I find extending the day by venting to family, to friends, to the world unhealthy.

Last week, my brother drove up from Atlanta, GA to visit the family in Northern Virginia. And I’m not sure who was most excited to see him; my excitement level was pretty high! Though he arrived on Tuesday, I had to wait until Thursday night to see him. When that time came, I walked over to Nationals Park, where I was meeting both of my brothers for a Washington Nationals/Atlanta Braves game. C.D.H. is not a Braves superfan; it was pure coincidence the Braves were in town to battle the Nationals. I do, however, appreciate his taking the time to indulge me for a game. I teleworked on Friday, providing time for a Starbucks run with my brothers before heading out to the suburbs for the weekend. We made time for Melt on Friday because duh. And we might have over-consumed leaving us not as hungry for the Birthday Boy’s dinner at Fords Fish Shack. I still feel as though I managed to consume my fair share. Everything I put in my mouth was delicious, specifically the French fries. Afterwards I watched the second game in the Braves/Nationals series (on DVR), then hit the sack. 

On Saturday, C.D.H. and I met up with Boyfriend and some friends at the Northern Virginia Beer Fest. There was kettle korn, so this designated driver was delighted. And the rain held off. And Louis got to join us briefly before I was escorted out by police—no dogs allowed, dumb. Despite Boyfriend probably having contracted Lyme Disease, it was a wonderful time with wonderful people. I hear the beer was nice too!

My mom graciously gifted me a Looq, a selfie arm; oh the joy! 

My parents cooked an incredible dinner on Saturday night. We all sat around and ate merrily.

I mostly remember sitting around waiting for the 6:00 pm start of the US/Portugal World Cup match on Sunday. And I think we the people of the United States of America will forever remember how that game ended – a final play in the final seconds – in a deflating blow. (But hey, writing a week later pays off, we’re moving on to the Round of 16 – Belgium beware!) There was a run to the dog park with Louis, which my friends and I might have enjoyed even more than Louis—oh the spectating to be had!

Leaving home is always hard, especially so when it means saying goodbye a brother I’m not sure when I’ll see next.

National Doughnut Day 2014

Since yesterday, when I learned today is National Doughnut Day, I have been scheming. Would it be possible to visit both Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme in the same day? This being a feat I have never before accomplished, I was up for the challenge. (If you recall I recently discussed my fondness for donuts here.) I was up at 5:41 am bounding with excitement. I am not allowed to wake Boyfriend up, the lesser passionate of us two, before 7:00 am. What's a girl to do?! I hung with Jillian Michaels, duh.

The pain educed upon me certainly passed the time, leading us to Stop One: Dunkin' Donuts. And the line that greeted us screamed something was being given away; I knew the reward would be worth the wait.

Pardon the supremely cheesy smile. Ill with excitement, I let Dunkin' Donuts add cream and sugar!

I cut up an apple to go with breakfast for good measure.

I had to attend to work after that. On National Doughnut Day, the shame.

And for lunch, Stop Two: Krispy Kreme. I clearly have not outgrown the "free things" phase of young adulthood. I'm soon hoping to realize biking more than six miles completely out of my way for one free donut is borderline insane. For now, when donuts call, I always answer.

There was a lovely gentleman singing Billy Joel tunes for me as I munched outside Krispy Kreme; I so badly wanted to take his picture, but on a mission for free donuts, one cannot afford to start paying the entertainer.

Please tell me you celebrated National Doughnut Day with matched enthusiasm!

Low, Part B

Then you see, I woke up only to realize I had to go to work. Already. Mondays can be so cruel. And Monday, 5/5, did not disappoint. There was an after hours work function, a mandatory after hours work function at an establishment of the non-Mexican variety. It was not Cinco de Mayo—holiday of margaritas—or anything.

Tuesday, 5/6 – I managed to maintain my cool for all of three minutes before total breakdown mode commenced. I had tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball game following work. But even baseball has been a real depressing topic as of late. Before Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves had been on a seven-game skid. (The Braves would go on to win on this night. Amen, Justin Upton.) The Braves—among much help—could use a Nationals loss, so I saw to that. I also got to see Clayton Kershaw pitch. 

(Can we please take a moment to recognize his immense talent? Can we also take a moment to acknowledge that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a line-up to envy? They should be unstoppable.)

What was on the plate for this rainy Wednesday? The job situation was no worse than any of the previously described days. Also no better. Huff, puff. The highlight was definitely meeting Mrs. C for a Tex-Mex dinner at Lauriol Plaza. She traveled all the way from Kansas to see me go to a conference. There was also trivia, including more domination. At this point, I cannot recall the last time I paid for drinks without a gift card at Black Rooster. Free food. Free drinks. And further, I found 12 cents  throughout the course of the day. I am set to retire, stat. 

Tomorrow will come. It’s Team Meeting day, so it’s bound to be a doozy. There is celebrating to do post 5:00 pm, which I will try to keep on the forefront on my mind less some minuscule person or tasks ruins my life. What are we celebrating, you ask? Boyfriend landed what could nearly be considered his dream job after more than a year of both full-time work as a temp and searching. He needs to be congratulated… in the form of a Cigar City and Hardywood Tap Takeover at Rustico.

As for the rest of my future, it’s gloom.

Low, Part A

Low. That is my life right now. The sleepless nights have returned. The sporadic eating habits. The uncontrollable emotions. The immense hatred towards all things not Starbucks and M&Ms. The breaking out like a sixteen year old. I am an unfortunately miserable being.

Why? My job is dumb. And because office tales are boring for all people uninvolved, you will simply have to take my word for it. Not only is my job dumb, a problem I could handle, I hate the work. And not just a whiny-complainy dislike, this is a full-blown hatred. As a result, these past few weeks have been a horrid blur of awfulness.

I suggest you quit reading now. Life is about to get real. There may be some grand, wonderful things I could write about, but I am numb to those things. Awesome as they may be, they do not feel so awesome in that moment. They feel forced. They feel like out of body experiences. Oh the fun! 

The recap I do not actually recommend you read.

Monday, 4/28 – Miserable day of work, followed by an exhaustive evening of a full apartment scrub-down. 

Tuesday, 4/29 – An exceptionally miserable day of work, followed an evening of cooking. And meal prep for the week, two days behind schedule.
Wednesday, 4/30 – A solid eight hours of awfulness, followed by trivia. Our hodgepodge team, scrambled up minutes before the start of trivia each week managed to continue our winning streak, taking home victories for best team name, half-time shots, and first place gift certificate—a clean sweep, one might call it.

Thursday, 5/1 – A plain, miserable May Day, followed by drinks with K.S.D. at Carpool. Drinks that went very late into the night... on a school night.

The calm, quiet weekend I envisioned was anything but. After a real long day at the office, which included an extended lunch with my not so beloved New Boss. (I shant complain too much as we dined at District Taco on Fish Taco Friday.) To extend the day further, I walked home from work in hopes of absorbing Spring weather. Then I sprinted to Eat Bar to celebrate A.J.S.’s new (and greatly improved) position at her employer of choice. And revel we did with a happy hour that went until I hit the sack.  Saturday, I had some time in the morning to make myself a breakfast of eggs, beans, and sweet potato fries before Boyfriend and I were off to volunteer at the Library Book Sale. We had so much fun organizing books. I do not kid. We literally plotted ways to improve upon the sale next year. So much fun. If you doubted my love of books before, the doubting should cease now. There were some gems—beloved childhood books to all my favorite current reads to the History of Nations, Volume 19: Africa, Boyfriend’s pick. We could have filled a library (or two). There were SO many to choose from.

(It should be noted that I might love organizing more than books. The overwhelming excitement I experienced by spending my free day organizing books. Well that, I cannot explain.)

When we finally left the book sale, hours after the end of our shift… we met friends for some loitering around our neighborhood. And in doing so, we hit up a thousand free samples—Yappy Hour, Whole Foods, Starbucks Frappuccino Hour, Grateful Red—before finding an establishment to settle in and complain endlessly about work. Actually, I think that was just half the group. But it was my half so it shall be documented. The conversation gradually improved to things like food, specifically ice cream sandwiches. Even more specifically to homemade ice cream sandwiches. Naturally, this was our next move. The necessary ingredients were gathered and the baking of cookies ensued. Turns out, ice cream sandwiches require ample (i.e., a lot of) freeze-time. From what I remember, we enjoyed cookies while playing Mario Kart and thought about how great our ice cream sandwiches would be the next time we all get together. That will be in an approximate month, if history repeats.

On Sunday, I ran 14 miles. I like to feel accomplished. Proceeding those two hours of nonsense, I showered. You are more than welcome. Then I immediately ran (yes, more) to Brooklyn Bagels for—you guessed it—bagels. And maybe an egg. And onion. And cheese. I also brought an apple and left over sweet potato fries because I knew the aforementioned simply would not be enough. From breakfast, I convinced Boyfriend a bike ride would be fun. (I can convince him of such fun precisely once a year. This was a BIG deal.) He was sold on the Gravelly Point destination. 

We pretty much sat on a blanket eating snacks as we watched the planes come and go from Reagan National Airport for the entire afternoon. Blissful it was, as I recall. The rest of the night was rather uneventful; I was asleep before 9:00 pm.

Life continues...

Opening Day

On Friday, I ventured to Nationals Park for Opening Day to see my Atlanta Braves. And despite all my reservations about taking a half-day of work after recently starting on a (new) project, paying an "Opening Day" premium for a ticket, and attending a ball game solo quickly faded after the first inning. Not only was being a part of Opening Day hype, a first for me, super exciting, this was hands down the most action-packed game I have seen.

These things all happened:

• Atlanta Braves' Dan Uggla, the worst Brave to date, had the first hit for the team. 
• Three players--Harper and Desmond and Atlanta Braves' Andrelton Simmons--were caught stealing bases. Desmond was caught stealing second to third. Both Harper and Desmond were caught in rundowns. 
• Altanta Braves' Jason Heyward was hit by a pitch. 
• Nationals' Adam LaRoche was thrown out at home by Braves' Justin Upton. 
• Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper threw a fit after striking out (his first of two Ks). 
• Braves' Evan Gattis hit a home run. 
• Braves' pitcher David Hale struck out bunting. (That's no good!)
• Heyward successful stole second. 
• Nationals' Ian Desmond hit an inside-the-park home run, that was later reviewed under MLB Instant Replay and overturned as a ground rule double. 
• Two runs were scored on sacrifice flys, one for each team.  
• The Braves used six pitchers. (Eeek!)
• There were 14 total hits. 

And, of course, the Braves winning 2-1 at Nationals Park truly iced the cake. Play ball. 

First Day, Round Two

This month marks two years with my company, the longest I have been anywhere doing anything since graduating from Clemson University in May 2009. Gulp. And it is on this day, I witnessed actual growth in my young career. In September (2013), I accepted a new position internally with my company. But because of the nature of my work, I was never given a formal start date (or provided job-related details). So I waited, impatiently, for six l-o-n-g months. The uncertainty of the new position put me on edge and as a result everything in my life felt rocky.

Today though, March 6, 2014, my time came.

So how did it go, you ask?

• For reasons unbeknownst to me, I was up an hour earlier than necessary ready to tackle the day. No longer wanting to waste time, I lifted weights and perfected my abs for an hour. Then I showered, scarfed down a yummy ‘first day’ breakfast, and took off for the city.
• That’s right. The city. My job is accessible by Metro. I crammed right on to the Metro with thousands of other people, grinning from ear to ear. I was the happiest person on the Metro, guaranteed.
• The half-mile walk from Metro, in the continuing sub-arctic temperatures, was not as fun.  Especially since I had only a vague idea where I was going. As I relied on my phone, I nearly missed the building entrance. Oops.
• Upon arrival, with frostbit fingers, I came to the realization that I needed a badge to simply enter the building lobby. Thankfully, after a quick phone call, a co-worker (i.e., an escort) came to my rescue moments later.
• In a way, I’m imprisoned. I have to be escorted everywhere, including the bathroom. This is a place I visit far most frequently than most. And not something I like my entire team knowing on my first day.
• My entire team knows this because I sit in one large cube with seven people, including myself.
• The team I joined is comprised of nine people, much different than my previously solitary gig.
• I was asked to contribute to the purchase of a new Keruig to replace the one that broke before my time. That did not sit well with me.
• My new cube farm is a sauna, without the rocks. I’ll report back soon as to whether I prefer the hot to the frigid, as my prior work space was mighty chilly. And I found the chill to be mighty miserable. For now, these sauna-esque conditions will be great for napping and reading as I wait for my computer…
• Which won't be here for at least THREE weeks. And I thought the waiting period was over.
• There is no cutlery or napkins in the kitchen. So I ate my baked—via microwave—potato and whole cucumber like an animal.
• But, who cares, because I get a lunch break. A lunch break I do not have to feel guilty for taking. Except today, I missed my opportunity. My team left—without my realizing what was happening—and I was without an escort. But, tomorrow, oh tomorrow, I’ll work my way to the National Portrait Museum to dine in the humongous atrium. All will be marvelous then. And going forward.
• There's also no water cooler except...
• In the gym. Yes, there's a gym… with a locker room for showering on the days I bike, run, or walk to work! And the fancy gym is furnished with Life Fitness equipment, my treadmill manufacturer of choice.
• Happy Hour on the first day without warning... after a day of nothingness, not ideal. Note: It wasn’t miserable. But will hanging out with co-workers ever be fun? I'm not convinced. I'm also not convinced I 'fit in' with this crowd (or many crowds). Oh well.

So we'll see, I'm entirely optimistic. I should have my badge in a week and my computer in three. Then the real work begins, I'm told.

Seller Central

I'm somewhere between an old job and a new job. And while I wait for the official promotion, I'm all sorts of miserable. It really makes zero sense. A typical day begins at 8:00 am with breakfast. Then I decide to exercise or shower. And because I have nothing, nothing at all to do, I often opt for skipping both the exercise and shower. I can usually entertain myself with various house chores until about 11:00 am. The rest of the day is a wash. Though as a result of my being here to sweep up each dust particle before it settles, the apartment is cleaner and more organized than it will ever be.

I read about two books a week. I drink way more coffee than necessary to fuel my sedentary day. And I watch a lot of Food Network. I attempt dishes I have no business making in my kitchen--inspired by Pioneer Woman and Ina Garten. I honestly have less interest in cooking and more interest in messing up the kitchen so I have something to clean. Oh and I can tell you nearly every Ellen DeGeneres joke from the past three months; I'm tuned in everyday at 3:00 pm. I also do a lot of clock watching, in anticipation of the 5:00 pm hour, when all my friends are heading out their various office doors home to play with me. This has been a true test of patience.

So clearly in search of things to do, I started a business. A book selling business on Amazon. I'm finally parting ways with all those classics from high school and college. I have to admit I'm a bit distraught about it. I'm a hoarder of all things books... and saying goodbye is tougher than it might seem. But we need the space and I'm not going to read these classics again as I once dreamed, especially considering they weren't fun the first time.

Turns out, I'm a horrible business woman. Boss Man would be ashamed as I've spent the past 18 months developing business. I've sold two books, both at a five cent loss. That puts me a dime in the hole. Plus, I had to make a trip to CVS to purchase brown shipping paper--the cost: $5.70. I bought two rolls to prepare myself for all the selling I would be doing. And because shipping paper was buy one, get one half off. What a steal!

In addition to the change, I've lost quite a bit of time. Listing all my books for purchase took two hours. Then there was the walk to CVS and back. The wrapping the books for shipping. And the walk(s) to the post office. I'm estimating the prepping each book for shipping and journeying to the Post Office comes at an estimated 30 minute cost. I'll spare you from the further exact cent and minute-by-minute details. But do know it's all been a loss, a negative--I'm in the red.

You can now find the classics of my formative years for a premium price--at least twice their worth, though each classic is loaded with nuggets of quality notes embedded (within text)--at Amazon near you.

Summer Heat in October

Somehow summer weather made its way back to Washington, D.C. around Wednesday of last week. And the 90-degree temperatures lingered into the weekend. My heart melted a little as I pulled tank tops from the bottom of my dresser drawer.

Friday I was essentially furloughed... so I seized the day! I rode the metro into the middle of the city and had coffee--blissfully alone--at M.E. Swing Co., a coffee shop I've been eager to try. One that has unfortunately restricted its opening to business hours, when I've commuted far from the city. There I sat and read chapter after chapter in my book. I thought about heading home after I had slurped down my final drop. Then decided, rather brilliantly, to do the opposite of what one is probably supposed to do on your unpaid vacation--I walked over to Georgetown for shopping. I hit up Gap, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, and J. Crew. I was on a mission for a properly fitting, work appropriate pair of jeans. This has been ongoing hunt for several years now. I always procrastinate until I no longer need them. I thought Friday would be the day. I ultimately ended up with a well-priced jean jacket and a pair of red shorts. The shorts paid for themselves as I proceeded to wear them all weekend; my normal shorts repertoire wound up at my parents house after my bi-annual clothing switch. (I might have been preemptive in that move.) Once I had all the shopping I could handle, my walk continued to Dunkin Donuts for a lunch of champions--a pumpkin donut, then home.

Following a showered, I headed toward Bethesda, MD to meet Boyfriend at The Barking Dog for a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraiser held by K.S.D., my roommate. There we sipped adult beverages and watched the Atlanta Braves hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. Tired, we were in bed promptly at 11:00 pm. When morning came, Boyfriend and I were up early for no reason as is always the case on the weekend. We took advantage of the quiet streets with a morning walk that became more focused on food and less focused on exercise with each step. The first stop was Brooklyn Bagel for egg, onion, and cheese bagels. From there, we headed over to the Court House Farmers' Market.  We struck it BIG. I purchased beets, the most beautiful--vase worthy--rainbow swiss chard, and kale. In the seasonal department, I got a loaf of pumpkin bread and pumpkin yogurt. Then I might have gone back to Dunkin Donuts for another pumpkin donut and been convinced (by Boyfriend) to instead go with 50 munchkins (for the weekend). I clearly have no willpower; it's an issue.

From there, sweaty and hot, we changed clothes for Oktoberfest at The Village at Shirlington in Arlington, VA. This was something new and totally different for me and ended up being an awesome spontaneous date. I truly enjoyed the peak into Boyfriend's world; it was really fun to step aside and bear witness to him in his element--watching his nerd fully bloom. See image, note--the lanyard with an attached glass holder, the paper, and pen. He was clearly prepped for the ample note taking. This being my first beerfest, I had no idea that took place after each pour. Also, he later had me run to the grocery to purchase pretzels for stringing to his lanyard. I'm not sure if he was hungry, trying to impress or embarrass me, or clearing his palate between samples. I do know he received several compliments on the pretzel necklace. Bizarre.

Then I had all these ideas productive indoors ideas, since I could not longer tolerate the outdoor temperature, but those lost out to the superior plan of sitting on the couch watching football--Go Clemson Tigers! Georgia Bulldogs! Michigan Wolverines!--the rest of the afternoon. There might have been a late nap that wound me up until well past midnight.

Sunday morning was an easy one... until convincing Boyfriend we should walk to Buffalo Billiards in DuPont for the Kansas City Chiefs/Tennessee Titans game. He wound up getting more out of the Chiefs game while simultaneously watching the Green Bay Packers/Detriot Lions game than me. H.M.O. and I could not be bothered as we caught up on all things this and that. I left the bar and relished away the rest of the day in the fashion I began the weekend--alone. There were NO roommates. There was NO Boyfriend. I bounced around from the reading on the balcony. To wishing both Tony Romo and the Denver Broncos could lose the same game. To walking around my neighborhood. To writing. To deciding the Braves would lose and ultimately settling in to bed before 9:00 pm. That was a winning decision last night; it will absolutely not fly tonight.

This was the kind of weekend that gave me a chance to catch my breath before another week hits me with high sports drama... and life.

Preparation Madness

Memorial Day weekend is and always has been the unofficial start of summer here in the Land of the Free. But, as a working gal, to me, it simply represents three days of solitude FAR away from the office. Boyfriend and I decided this would the perfect weekend for camping. And before I start rambling, let me just say we are about to strike it big with the weather. It has been in the 80s all week, with 86% humidity... until last night when a huge storm came through and cut the nasty Washington, D.C. swamp-like atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to weather in the high 60s all weekend, with no chance of rain. (This would be a totally different story if I had made plans to be poolside for the holiday weekend, of course.)

Life around here has been hectic lately, and somehow, it seems that while we have been preparing (for camping) for at least the past week, there was an awful lot still to get done when I woke this morning. The first trip of the season always seems to be the most work. Is that just me? I had an appointment early this morning, then coordinated with Boss Man to work the remainder of the day from home. This move spared me time to finalize the preparations.

I tend to take on way more than necessary. Today was no exception. This was my initial list:

• 9:00 am podiatrist appointment
• Email J.L.W.
• Email H.J.W. 
• Email M.R.B.
• Email roommates
• Send birthday cards to J.W.M. and M.E.K. 
• Send thank you note to M.R.B.
• Write Grandma and Great Aunt B
• Bake muffins
• Make granola
• Make trail mix
• Pack food; pack bag 
• Return honey to Giant
• Run
• Shower
• Empty dishwasher
• Vacuum

I am a crazy person. I think that has been confirmed. And this instance of crazy means I require my home be cleaned before stepping out for any extended period.

Again, thankfully, I am working from home today. The majority of my list, being entirely unrelated to camping, can wait until Tuesday, but I really do not do well with looming lists of tasks needing my tending to. In my mind, it is a dark, ugly picture with me in the center.

On that note, take a look at this picture of my kitchen around noon today:

You will see chaos. Dark. Ugly. Chaos. While whipping up a batch of blueberry coconut muffins, not C.A.R.'s granola, and assembling a half-hearted batch of trail mix, I noticed the my disturbing surroundings. It was one of those how am I going to get everything done? moments.

With only a couple more business hours remaining on this cool, crisp day-before-long-weekend Friday, I am pleasantly surprised to say things are coming together. Now, my non-camping related items will most all sit until Tuesday, but I am more at ease with everything. The 'must-do' items are crossed off from the list... with time to post a brief (and boring) update.

Have a good Friday and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

It's here! Spring, that is.

The first weekend in April bought a definite shift in temperature, from freezing rain to crisp, fresh, spring air. It was as though overnight the Earth tilted relative to the sun, bringing longer days and that wannabe outside ambiance. A celebratory hike was in order—hooray! Boyfriend and I drove a short-ish way West on 1-66 to Bull Run Mountains Conservancy for a by no means challenging, good ‘first of the season’ venture, if you will, in Northern Virginia’s rolling hills. The essence of Northern Virginia, being one of the prettiest places I have ever lived, was captured in full at each vantage point as we ascended up to Elvis Rock Overlook. This picture does not capture the views. But it captures happiness—we in the Mid-Atlantic are free from the seemingly everlasting winter gloom!

I made my point. But now I have another: I try so very hard to offset the time I spend in the car during the week, by not spending time in the car on the weekends. I foresee this becoming an issue as the weather continually warms. For now though, time in the woods is incomparably worth travel time to the woods. On the other side of that coin, I strive take full advantage of my city time before I retreat to a Tumbleweed Tiny House in the mountains of Montana. All that to say, this delightful weekend was split with a lengthy walk around Washington, DC to see the Cherry Blossoms on Saturday, prior to Sunday’s escapade. The blossoms were not quite in full bloom, but having seen them in all their glory in 2012, I was thankful for nice weather and time outside.

This is pretty much the story of life going forward… because the spring equation allows little room for all things indoors.

Visitors and Travel

I am coming up to breathe after a rowdy nine-day, late nights, friend-filled bender. The journey began with a Mexican date-night at Fuego on Friday, followed by comedy with new and old friends. Saturday brought Kansas basketball--the last game of the regular season--at The Bottom Line with friends from Kansas. And Sunday, there was a lengthy city stroll on Roosevelt Island and later through Georgetown for shoe shopping and ice cream at Thomas Sweet.

Monday was normal--a long, coffee-filled day of work.

On Tuesday, a dear friend, K.A.B., returned from a 10-month Peace Corps Response job in Hamburg, South Africa. The day was overcast--heavy-rain falling, and because I was working from home, I was barely awake when she knocked on my door circa early bird hour. The benefit of a work from home schedule allowed a little bit of catch-up time before she found the Pentagon City Mall for shopping. Post-work, I met Boyfriend and her for happy hour at The American Tap Room, and we later joined fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for dinner at The Lost Dog Cafe. During a well-timed, slow Wednesday of work, I spent time in conversation over Ethiopian coffee, brought kindly by my visitor following her venture there, with K.A.B. Then there might have been some Rocklands lunch and a Dance Moms siesta. Tough life I lead, eh?

Thursday I took the day off, and I deserved it, after all the hard-work logged on Wednesday. There was brunch at The Silver Dinner, followed by coffee at Baked and Wire. Coffee we might or might not have spiked with Baileys. Then, of course, Thursday being March 14, we celebrated National Pi Day at Pie Sisters in Georgetown. And since it was nearly time for Kansas to tip-off, I dragged our clan to McFaddens so this diehard could catch second-round play of the Big 12 tournament. Kansas whipped up on Texas Tech, which was nice to see, after the embarrassing loss to Baylor the Saturday before. After the game we migrated to the Science Club... because went you start drinking at 1:00 pm, you are really thirsty by happy hour. The Science Club is a great idea for a bar... there is just so much potential there... and if you have not already discovered the nerd in me (and my equally so friends; re: Pi Day), we really longed for drinks served in beakers. I hate to report we struck out, but know that I am not above investing.

After a drink, Boyfriend and I had to part ways with our West Coast friend to catch a bus to New York City for a(nother) reunion of sorts. I am still sort of exhausted when I think about this trip; NYC was filled to the brim with continuous activity. The 2:00 am arrival--thank you one-lane of traffic through the entire state of New Jersey--really jived with the City That Never Sleeps. We woke-up refreshed on Friday morning and refueled at H&H Bagels before heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (This was a pretty painful experience for me. Meanwhile, Boyfriend could quote the name of various paintings before reading the accompanying plaque. He has a bit of an old man spirit... and I will let this photo capture his essence for you.)

From the Met, we walked through Central Park. It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g, so we headed down to Chelsea for another outdoor activity--a walk on The High Line. I thought the attempt at historical nature in the city was neat while Boyfriend was less impressed. This was surprisingly more frigid than Central Park, as the wind whipped off the water. Then it was time to meet friends in Chinatown--where health inspection 'grade pending' signs were posted to nearly every window--for the most unhealthy linner (lunch + dinner). (But that is just me sucking the joy out of life... or so I hear.) Then back over to Chelsea--efficiency is totally our thing--for happy hour at the Trailer Park Lounge. So many fabulous things happen when a bunch of budget travelers find five dollar margaritas in NYC... and proceed to order ridiculous amounts right before happy hour expires.

R.D.S., bless her heart, met us at "happy hour" so we could walk to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre for an improv show. The show was excellent. Afterwards, we headed back to the Upper East Side for Insomnia Cookies before closing day and night one.

Saturday, R.D.S. and I got up early to get rush tickets to Rodger + Hamerstein's Cinderella. For a reason unbeknownst to us, there were no rush tickets on this snowy March Saturday. This means I did not get to see Cinderella or Matilda or Book of Mormons or Peter and the Starcatchers. Next time. For certain. From there, we met Boyfriend at Ess-a Bagel for another bagel breakfast. Delicious. And during out 20-minute wait for bagels, R.D.S. managed to snag us a table. Win. As we started walking back to R.D.S.'s place, the weather took a turn for the worse. After warm showers, we decided to cancel our plans for walking the Brooklyn Bridge and pizza by the slice at Grimaldi's due to snow showers. We settled Upper East Side coffee and pizza at Numero 28... and a relaxing afternoon of catch-up time. In the late afternoon, Boyfriend and I parted from R.D.S. to head to Harlem to visit with Peace Corps friends and later see the Africa Now! concert at the Apollo. Freshlyground, a South African band we adore, was playing one of the sets in show. I also got to see Blitz the Ambassador, a name I only heard in Ghana, perform. The concert turned into the highlight of the weekend. And what could have made the night more perfect? Street food and another helping of Insomnia Cookies. Yes. Please.

Spent from the first two days, we slept in a bit on Sunday. After saying goodbye to our excellent host, I headed to Brooklyn to meet J.W.M. and his girlfriend for brunch. The food was yummy and the company was, per usual, entertaining. Afterwards, I met back up with J.P.B. and the two of us wasted time for the final hour until our bus departed.

On any other given Sunday, my bed would have been the most delightful greeting when I walked in the door of my apartment... but this was Selection Sunday. Before sleep, I needed to do an initial bracket analysis. March Madness is upon us. Time to dance. And I saw a potential for a bracket filled out with a lot of heart. So Go Blue. Until the Rock Chalk Jayhawks take over in the South. Go Sparty in the Midwest. As for the East and West, heart might be lacking, but I will take ACC in the East and Big Ten (Badgers, NOT Buckeyes) in the West.

If that was not enough excitement, Gap was having a sale on jeans. I am in dire need, so I did closed out evening with some impulse purchases as the sale expired at midnight.

Times like these might lead to emails from Mom that say, "It's like you still live in Africa." Busy, busy.

Big Life, Little Victories

I started out having a dramatically bad day. And that sucks; I am not a fan of forecasting the day as a bad one before I even roll out of bed. I like mornings. They initiate new days, clean slates, unbroken-ness. (And they usually come with a cup—or four—of coffee!) I woke up at 5:45 AM to run. But I did not want to run. So l laid (or lied?) there aimlessly. That was a no good waste. Because when my second alarm sounded, I had not collected an extra hour of sleep or experienced that cardiovascular burn. Then I did not even shower because I just felt so lethargic. Not a pretty picture. I did proceed--in self-defense--to dress up extra fancy, hereby masking my surface layer… and maybe to hide a little beneath the surface too. 

I drove to work, listening to The Jillian Michaels Show the entire way. She berated me endlessly for my ability to make excuses. But eventually I excused myself as her points were, quite thankfully, directed at an audience of excuse makers. I still had the afternoon to run… 

From the minute I pulled into the parking lot of my office, I had little interest in actually being at work. And I was early. That was a win for the payer of my check. I was early because I left on time because I did not shower. That was a total win for water, a precious limited resource. I hope you caught that how that worked. I am so frequently late that, today, on-time was early. The secret: Do not shower. This tally was marked as a win for me.

I got situated in my upgraded* cube. Then I dove right into my grapefruit and filtered through emails. My emails were mostly boring. There were very new few tasks to accomplish. Mostly I felt stir-crazy… already--at 8:09 am. So I poked around on the internet for a bit.

Then I got to down and dirty with spreadsheets. I sorted through my Excel file and organized my YouTube tutorials. By doing this, I hoped, something would pop, unlike it had on Friday or Monday. My assignment: Learn how one creates multiple filters across different spreadsheets from one database. At 10:19 am, I ultimately concluded this was not possible. So I waddled--the result of no exercise and dressy but very uncomfortable shoes--into my boss’ office and informed him of my decision to ‘cut bait’ after 18 hours and 21 minutes of researching.

(Is cut bait used in every industry? If not, the phase is vastly underused.)

He did his typical whizzing around in my file… and in 16 minutes he had a solution. That was fabulous. Except for the part where I had very little idea what he did and was going to need to replicate it multiple times. I picked up the pace on the way back to my cubicle and tried to type up a process document for "our" new solution. In roughly 40 minutes, I had actually semi-figured it out. It was a grand feat. I felt a sense of some accomplishment. The day suddenly became filled roses and rainbows.

I am trying to approach life with less desire to wait for the beginning of a new day, week, month, year (gulp) to refresh. I need to control my non-stop brain from the drafting of ideal life scenarios. They are unrealistic. And I am living a generally happy life… so I should be more accepting of its authenticity.   

*If you are looking for full disclosure, technically my biggest feat of February 12, 2013 came very early this morning, in the form of a personal heater. You see my office building does not have heat. This has been an ongoing issue with my numbing body parts. But mostly my coworkers do not care because they sit in glamorous offices where royalty is bestowed upon them. Royalty comes in the form of a wall-to-wall window and a heater in the government contracting world. Well being the generally likeable person I am only person sitting in a cubicle, I was gifted my own personal heater when the first one became available. This morning that happened, circa 8:13 am.

Traveling for Work

Dear Pops,

At the close of business hours on Monday, I learned I would be traveling to Norfolk, VA to support a Navy project. My to-date focus at this company has been solely Internal Revenue Service (IRS), so this effort was certainly going to be a challenge. And when you factor in my direct-line at said company--Boss Man, also focuses his efforts entirely on IRS work, I will admit I was nervous.

I am writing you now following my first working vacation. I started Wednesday morning at 5:00 am with a shower and a Starbucks drive-by. Black fuel in hand, I managed to be at the office by 6:00 am for a prompt departure. I traveled the four hours to Naval Station Norfolk with a coworker I have only crossed paths with in the halls of headquarters. The conversation was filled with the long, awkward pauses of two people who have near nothing in common and share a respect for work boundaries.

The work portion of the day may have began later than my typical 8:00 am start, however, I was expected to put in a full eight hours of cube-land grind. As the day progressed, my fried brain could not wait for the clock to strike 6:00 pm; my stomach was crying with pains of hunger by this time. The only things I consumed all day was the apple I packed and a slice of greasy pizza. This, as you know, is a very untypical Wednesday meal plan. Now joined with four additional coworkers, together we traveled 30 minutes to the hotel in downtown Norfolk. The day was not over. I had 15 minutes to change into an outfit less dressy than my business suit and nicer than my usual post-work sweats. I savored this brief period of alone time.

I gathered with the crew in the lobby a little before 7:00 pm. There I grew increasingly aggravated and grouchy--my hunger intensifying--as we waited for the dawdlers. Then, collectively, we decided on Thai food. This was not my first choice for cuisine. My one hang-up being, I had plans for Thai with friends, not coworkers, at Bangkok 54 back in Northern Virginia on Friday. But I am sure you know how that is. At least a decision had been made without too much commotion! Thankfully my dinner was spectacular for an empty restaurant sitting amidst an unpromising downtown.

At 9:00 pm, I was free to return my hotel room, where I was greeted with the pings of several work emails coming through. I was unable to log into my company's VPN on the Naval Station, and I owed one final monthly report to Boss Man. (This would have been handled first thing this morning... had I been sitting back in Chantilly, VA racing through my normal routine.) At least I had Modern Family playing in the background. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep quickly after; I slept well.

By 6:30 am, I was fully clothed and in the lobby, waiting for my ride to Yorgo for another spectacular meal--bagels. We had breakfast off-site to grab additional emails from the network before going into "lockdown" on the base. I have coworkers making this trip on a regular basis to appreciate for finding this off-the-beaten-path gem. But we were working by 7:10 am... and the day ended around 5:00 pm, at which point I still had the four-hour drive home to Northern Virginia.

Aside from the faces of distant coworkers, a short walk to dinner, and the drive to-and-from the naval base, this is what I saw of Norfolk:

I was taunted knowing Virginia Beach was somewhere in that blue distance.

That was a lot of babbling and pontificating, to convey my sincerest apology. There is nothing remotely close to that feel of vacation when it comes to travel for work. There was no time to plan, not that I do a ton of that prior to travel anyway. There was virtually no time to explore. There was hardly time to pack!

Ever since I was your little girl, I envied all the vacations work took you on. In my heart of hearts, I have always been a traveler. I enjoy finding that fresh perspective travel brings, escaping the ruts of daily life, and discovering new cultures and places. I particularly long for the places that make me appreciate my life. You have been on some "incredible" vacations--Aruba; Berlin, Germany; Cancun, Mexico, to name a few from the previous two years. But after my 39-hour excursion to Norfolk, I have come to realize these dream destinations, among your more mundane trips to Detroit, MI, Minneapolis, MN, San Antonio, TX, and San Francisco, CA, are noting like real vacations. They were longer than average working day, in conference rooms and cubes you are unfamiliar with. They were spending time with people you would rather limit yourself to 40 hours (ha!) a week with. They were simply doing your job.

Before closing, I will thank you for encouraging me to take on challenges and teaching me the importance of team work. Mostly, I want to thank you for instilling in me a solid work ethic. One that does not include "counting" hours and instead giving quality hours until the task is accomplished.

I will no longer be referring to these nights away from the home you built as vacation.

Much thanks and many more apologies!

Love, Sister

Remembering December, Week 5

December 29 -

• I woke up in my fancy hotel room at Mission Inn Resort, packed my things, and met my uncle at reception, for the next leg of this trip to Orlando. 
• I had not see my uncle and his roommate, a life-long family friend, in an embarrassingly long time. We spent the day chatting over multiple games of Skip-Bo. I won each and every game. That must have hurt the egos of these regular players. 

• I was dropped off at the airport for my late-night flight to my home-sweet-home. Lets refresh: hate is not a strong enough word to convey my sentiment on flying. There were flight delays leaving Orlando, the flight from hell, and icy roads on my drive from Baltimore to D.C., together setting me back quite a few hours. I am obligated to describe the flight I described as being from hell. Have you ever been on a flight were THE ENTIRE flight was too bumpy and twisty, for lack of a better adjective, for the flight attendants to move about the cabin? I have. 

December 30 -

• I had a "me party" all morning. Nothing like quality bonding time with yourself. 
• I met A.S.S. and her twin for beer and Bloody Marys, followed by a showing of Les Miserables at the fancy movie theater. Recliner seats, yes please!

• I stayed up WAY too late watching the Washington Redskins/Dallas Cowboys Sunday night game. The Redskins pulled off a win, in glorious fashion. I was not the only exhausted employee on Monday morning. (The Kansas City Chiefs are my one and only true love, no worries Kansas readers. Living in the heart of Redskins territory, I sort of caught the fever. You too would have trouble avoiding the contagious energy. And lets be honest, who like the Cowboys?) 

December 31 -

• My favorite person arrived.
• I worked a shorter-than-normal day from home.
• My brother, C.D.H, and his girlfriend, S.M.S, met J.P.B. and me for afternoon coffee (for the girls) and beer (for the boys) at Northside Social. I am not sure there was a moment to breathe during the endless chatter. 

• After C.D.H. and S.M.S. headed back to Northern Virginia for their wild New Years Eve, J.P.B. and I continued on with ours. The evening began with homemade Mexican dinner at A.S.S.'s place. I did not have to cook. I did not have to clean-up. And the food was delicious. 
• Then at promptly 7:00 PM, minutes before the kick-off of the Clemson Tigers/LSU Tigers, we headed to LA Bar and Grill for the townie experience. There were arcade games, drink specials, darts, and football. Oh... and heavenly fried pickles. (Recapping this evening now, here on January 19, I am questioning my priorities; I have not been back for another basket.)  

• We ended the evening like champions, two minutes into 2013. 

Remembering December, Week 4

December 22 -

• I did not get out of bed until 1:00 pm. I justified my laziness with the face I was nursing a cold. 

 December 23 -

• I baked seven dozen cookies.
• I watched a lot of football. 
• I patiently waited as my brother, C.D.H., made his way from his Atlanta home to the family home in Northern Virginia. 

 December 24 -

• I worked from home and had a Yankee Candle Holiday Trio candle burning all day. If you have to work on Christmas Eve, you find joy in simple things.
• Snowflakes fell most of the afternoon. No real accumulation, but it was pretty as it fell.

• Does it make everyone as sad and/or disappointed to witness all the garbage--kites, balloons, plastic bags--in the winter trees as it does me? This fleeting thought crossed my mind as I walked around with neighborhood with my parent's "puppies," Louis and Toby.

• We had our traditional fondue dinner, which was quiet this year with just our family of five. 

• The yearly unveiling of Christmas pajamas was done before 9:00 pm, leaving me with plenty of time to wrap my head in a new book--Bunch of Amateurs by Jack Hitt--before bedtime.

Christmas Day -

• The snow stuck around throughout the evening, making for my first white Christmas in a long time.
• After a 'better-than-Thanksgiving' dinner of broccoli, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, a hand-plated citrus, fried goat cheese, and pomegranate salad, rolls... and some sort of roasted meat for those so inclined, the poppers were popped to reveal cheesy jokes, crowns, and a prize.   

December 26 -

• I worked, again. Cruel world. 
• It snowed again. Awesome world.
• Our family of five ventured to Georgetown, D.C. in the snow/wintery mix/rain for at Mexican tapas at Mike Isabella's Bandolero. For those of you who, like me, do not idolize chefs and therefore have never heard the name Mike Isabella, he is a former Top Chef contestant. He might of won. Or maybe he just cooked a lot of food and was critiqued. Maybe he had this heavenly restaurant before. And maybe he did not. Bottom line: stop in at Bandolero for drinks, appetizers, dinner, and/or dessert--you will not regret it.  
• After this blue haired dinner, we went to the Kennedy Center for a showing of Million Dollar Quartet. The tickets were a surprise for the master musician in the family, but the show was enjoyed by all. 

December 27 -

• After getting home late the previous night, and with that full holiday weekend of family bonding time before me, waking up at 4:00 am, driving an hour to Baltimore, and hopping on a 6:00 am flight to Orlando, FL was really fun. Like so much fun. 
• I made it to Orlando amongst a trillion overly-excited Walt Disney World bound children, waited an hour for Bridesmaid No. 3, rented a car, and drove an hour to Howey-in-the-Hills, FL for the Royal Wedding... where my life was planned for the next 36 hours. 
• So the first 12 hours was lunch, followed by professional finger and toe nail painting, a hair washing session, a group bus ride to The Catholic Community of St. Paul church were the rehearsing (and later wedding) took place, dinner at the Angler's Club in The Villages, and a bus ride back to Mission Inn Resort where the out of town guest were welcomed with an official party. Then I found some time, albeit only a few hours, before...

December 28 -

• I got to wake-up for ROYAL WEDDING DAY(!!!). After I clothed myself, viola! my personal escort was outside my door, waiting to drive me to the S family ranch in Leesburg, FL.
• From morning to early afternoon, a make-up artist and two hair stylists transformed regular girls into glamour queens. I was unidentifiable. The things I endure for my favoritist friends. 

• There was brunch. And snacks. Do you know what a challenge eating becomes when your hair is being ripped out of your head by curlers and you face is layered in plaster?

• Picture Time. I sold this to myself as enjoying Florida sunshine time. 
• Once we were officially documented as the bridal party, we jumped onto the party bus and headed church for the exchanging of vows. 
• And, of course, the best part of every wedding is celebrating the happy couple... and we did that in grand style with dinner, cake, an open bar, and a live band. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. M!

The week was another full one. And here I am on January 13, 2013 catching up on all that is and was. The deeper message from this week is I appreciate my life. I have a job I am thriving in. I had time surrounded with my immediate family. There were Christmas and wedding festivities. And time with a precious friend of nearly eight years before she said, "I do." And even though Florida is my least favorite state, there was travel during this week and the ability to escape the ruts of my daily life.