Holiday In The Sun

Guess who's going to London?! ME!!! I'm going to see my sister and brother in law for a week in April. I'm so excited! I have no idea what we are going to do other than hang out with their friends, which sounds great to me. I've heard the ethnic food in London is fantastical so hopefully, I can try some. Not so into pub fare, but will definitely try fish and chips - isn't that a requirement or something?

This summer will be c-r-a-z-y! I have 2 weddings, that I'm in, on back to back weekends. One is in Colorado and the other is in Northern California. I found airline tickets for $430.oo, which isn't bad considering it's a 2 leg trip. I'll get them soon, then get a dress to wear to both - thankfully, I do not have to get a specific dress for either affair.

In other news, I'm listening to the health care summit and actually quite enjoying it. I really hope something comes from all of this...That's all for now...

White Room

It's a whiteout here in DC. Thank goodness I have power in my building. Buffy, the beautiful dog I live with, loves it. She runs through the snowdrifts, full speed. It's awesome, unless the snow is blowing in my face. This is a picture of Buffy with her "mailman" toy. Isn't she lovely?

I'm participating on a conference call via my blackberry, with CSI on mute, trying to figure out where the chemical/charcoal smell is coming from. It freaks me out. At any rate, work is great. I really enjoy being the intern coordinator and am still trying to find my "place" within the organization.

I'm starting to think about buying a place here in the city. I am cash poor, income rich so my main focus is saving up money to put towards a down payment. I think I've found the neighborhood I want to live in, but it is still somewhat sketchy. The biggest issue for me is that I don't have a car so I need to live near a metro station (within reason). I love not having a car, but it's inconvenience is becoming more and more obvious. My roomie is very generous with letting me borrow her vehicle, but when I get my own place, I won't have that luxury.

I've started taking pilates, working out in the gym in my apartment and am trying to find the perfect volunteer opportunity for myself. I'm starting with the Red Cross and going from there. I'm also going to get training on being a disaster crisis responder, but I want something more consistent. Not having a vehicle does limit what I can do, but I have faith that the right thing will come through. I've also been trying to go to Smithsonian events, starting with old western movie screenings.

Paint it Black

After a looooong hiatus, here I am. So much has happened in the past few months. The biggest change is that I moved. I'm still in DC, I'm just in a different apartment with a different roommate. It seemed as though the second I wrote that tranquil post, my roommate informed me she was applying for a new place due to our problems with our management company (e.g. they didn't deal with the mold or the mice). So I ended up moving in with a colleague and her amazing cocker spaniel, Buffy. At first, it was to be a temporary move...but now, it looks like it will be until at least July. I've definitely moved up in the world - I get a dog without the responsibility that goes with it, my place is deemed "luxury" - stainless steel appliances, in house washer/dryer, hardwood floors, rooftop lap pool, etc., and I am closer to a metro line. It took me a while to transition here, mainly because of how my former roommate handled the situation and that I did feel like I was finally settled, only to be uprooted again. But now, Buffy and I are good buds and I love my new place. My roommate and I get along really well and I am enjoying life.

In other news, my grandmother passed away and I am very sad about it. I'm supposed to be in Colorado right now, getting ready to celebrate her birthday; now, I'm telecommuting from home with Buffs on Mondays, flying out on Thursday. I'm a bridesmaid in one of my dear friend's wedding on Friday. It will be nice to see my family again and be with my Mom. I'm coming back to DC on Halloween and need to figure out my weekend from there.

I'll try to update again soon, especially with a picture of Buffy. She's very cute! Thanks for your patience.

Better In Time

So I am a slacker about updating my blog...my apologies. Things are busy for me right now. I'm covering for my colleague who is on paternity leave as well as dealing with several issues with my apartment. I don't want it to sound like I am complaining, however. Things are going really well for me and stress at work kinda feeds my soul. Unfortunately, the stress can either feed me or make me snap. I am also the de facto leader of a project and, while I've found that I have risen to the occasion, it puts my patience at a razor thin level.

I've traveled a lot in the past month - Italy, North Carolina and New York City - so I'm just enjoying my time in the District. I love to travel and see my friends and I was so honored to be at my sister's wedding, but that being said, I enjoy being quiet at home, working on my needlepoint project. I find my addiction to crime drama shows, coupled with needlepoint calms my soul. Being alone in DC is quite different from being alone in Macedonia. I have access to a strong support network here that I can call on when I need it, which is different from my time in Skopje. I do not feel isolated here. I love my urban lifestyle, not needing a car or taxi to get around. The friends I have here understand the transient nature of my past and can appreciate that my "elevator speech" is still a bit convoluted because their speech is similar, about something different. I live in a young, professional city. I make a point to leave DC once a month for a couple reasons. The main reason is to gain perspective. The policy world here is such an echo chamber here. I forget that most Americans don't read Politico or know what CQ is. When I go to North Carolina, I am reminded that there is a different lifestyle out there and that the economic issues facing the country are real - not just statistics and something to spin one way or another, depending on the agenda or issue at hand. I could not live here and stay sane without leaving the area once a month. While I escape in my crime dramas and needlepoint/knitting projects weekly, the out of town excursions are a requirement for that reality check.

August is insanely busy for me. I am going to North Carolina next weekend. The following weekend, I am going to Nevada for a conference. Thank goodness there are pools and hot tubs to keep me away from gambling while I am in Nevada. I get back from Nevada and I have a guest from out of town staying with me right away. Add to this that my favorite person in the whole world, my grandmother, has congestive heart failure, and so my bags are constantly packed. She's 81 and has good days and bad days - you know how it is.

So you know, life goes forward, despite the mice eating the chocolate in the pantry, the eternal political initiatives. Realizing it will all happen, whether or not I check my blackberry and stay the extra time is something that I am learning to accept. All I can do is be present and notice the amazing hibiscus shrubs on my walk to work and be grateful for my health and amazing people in my life. That's what I do - take time to breathe and appreciate all I have because I am truly blessed. Until next post, my dear friends...

London Dungeon

It's almost July 4th and this city knows how to celebrate! I wish I did - while the fireworks display sounds amazing, the hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall celebrating with me does not sound appealing. I'm sure I'll end up seeing it somehow though. I'm a fireworks junkie!

I returned from Italy last week. My sister married her boyfriend of 5 plus years in a civil ceremony in Umbria, near the city of Perugia. It was a fantastic week with my family - the last time we were all on vacation together was 10 years ago in San Diego, celebrating my brother's graduation from college. We saw Rome and Florence. What struck me is that Galileo, Michaelango and Machiavelli were all REAL people. Of course I read about them in my history books, but to see their graves and their respective works of art was just amazing. And a bit overwhelming. I would have to say that my favorite piece is the Pieta, in the Vatican. It is so simple, so beautiful, so sorrowful. I tried to get a picture of it, but it was too far away to get a great pic. The one regret I have is not purchasing the calendar of hot priests. I thought it was too ridiculous, but now, it seems like my wall is missing something.

Work was a fairly gentle re-entry. Today, I am still upset from the news that Palin resigned as governor of Alaska. I wish it meant she would go away, but, unfortunately I fear that we will only see more of her. She is not one to be underestimated, although her own ego may be her demise. I'm trying to not let it ruin my weekend. I really wish I could respect her, but I simply can't. The woman terrifies me. I am trying hard to not curse McCain for hoisting her upon us for the foreseeable future. She would still be in Alaska were it not for him selling out.

Alive

I'm reading a Washington Post article about California's budget woes and am getting nervous. That state alone is the 8th largest economy in the WORLD. Bigger than Brazil....bigger than Canada...I hope things get sorted out there - I think California is key to our economic recovery, whether we like it or not and whether it is "fair" or not for the Feds to help that state out over others.

In other news, I head off to Italy soon for my sister's wedding! I am so excited - I've never been to Italy and am looking forward to the food, sights and company. I just hope the mice that have invaded my pantry are gone before I go. I found them this morning...ew, so gross. I threw out a loaf of bread that one had made it's nest and was still sleeping inside.

Work is going well. My interns are doing great and I'm learning more and more about government oversight and the like. The first report of Stimulus waste came out today. It appears to be propaganda of sorts - I sincerely doubt the Senator issuing the report has NEVER had an earmark in an appropriations bill. It's really easy to find things wrong and complain. It's much more difficult to provide solutions and real dialogue, something that is decidedly lacking in this city. Health care reform is the hot issue of the summer and I'm loosely following the on-going debates. This always reminds me that I really need to stick to my commitment of leaving the DC area once a month to get perspective. This place has been described as an echo chamber and it is true. There's a whole different world outside the Beltway and it's hard to remember the perspective from outside is not the same as from within.

And, in other exciting news, I had my picture taken with Senator George McGovern. He ran against Nixon in 1972 and is an anti-hunger advocate presently. It's very cool!

Ok, back to reading about wasteful government spending...

The District Sleeps Alone

What a weekend! Judy came down from NYC and we were major touristas! It was a lot of fun and I learned so much about DC. I also have so much more to see, but this was a great start. What was really cool is we did a lot of the war memorials and went out to Arlington - it reminded me that Memorial day is not just a 3 day weekend. Jude and I did the double-decker tour bus and it was a fun way to see the city. There were also 40,000 bikers in town for the 20th annual Rolling Thunder parade so the people watching was extra special.

I'm now home in my apartment resting my tired bones. We walked a lot, ate a lot and didn't sleep a whole lot, but it was well worth it. I hope I get to go up to NYC soon to see Jude and Andrea - I need to buy the dress for Andrea's wedding and get a proper dose of Manhattan.

Ta Ta For Now!