Christmas is Here!!!

Last time I checked in was just after our first snow in DC. It was an exciting day, as we usually don't get snow in the area until late January or even February. As many of you likely saw on the news, we recently got hit with a historical blizzard. In Bethesda, we received the most snow in the entire state of Maryland with 24 inches in less than 24 hours. Yep, you read that correctly. TWO FEET of snow. Many people who live around here and are imports from other areas of the country haven't ever seen that much snow in one winter, let alone from one storm. Needless to say, the entire DC Metro area nearly shut down for several days to recover.

As there isn't much grass or unused space around here, there still seems to be snow everywhere even after a few days of melting. It will truly be a White Christmas in DC! That will excite many of those around here who've always called this area "home," but a large number of people (including myself) are keeping their fingers crossed that they make it back "home" for Christmas - white or otherwise.

A number of friends and family members have been telling me for days about some untimely winter weather conditions for when I'm expected to return this evening. I didn't think much of it then because the weather is so unpredictable, but I took the news to heart when a friend currently residing in Tulsa warned me of the snow. When people in states other than where you currently are and other than where you are traveling begin to send warnings your way, I'd say there is good reason to be concerned!

My flight is just a few hours away now and is currently scheduled to depart on time, so keep your fingers crossed. I'll be back in the Midwest through January 3, 2010. I hope to see many of you during my holiday vacation...maybe even including my nephew :)

Christmas is Coming

With such nice weather in DC for most of the year, it's hard to tell when winter begins around here. Sure we've had our fair handful of chilly days, but the sunshine and warmer temperatures always seem to make their way back. Yesterday was the first real sign that it was definitely winter...our first snow!

Now for all of you who were born/currently live in the Midwest, the first snow is usually a sign of many more days of snow to follow...and ice and freezing temperatures. Well here in DC that is not the case. Snow is quite rare here, especially before January. We probably only got about half an inch, but it was absolutely beautiful. Huge snowflakes and mild enough temperatures to make it enjoyable. Things are starting to feel a lot more like Christmas is around the corner!

Along with yesterday's snow to prepare me for Christmas, I also got the opportunity to attend the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree last week. I personally really enjoyed the experience but was a bit distraught by those around me complaining that they couldn't see well enough or that their ears hurt because of the cold. It didn't take me long to realize that I needed to forget about everyone else around me in order to get the most of the situation.

Performers included Sheryl Crow, Jordin Sparks, Celtic Woman and a few others, Secretary Salazar and President Obama both spoke, the entire Obama family pressed the button to light the national tree, and Michelle read The Night Before Christmas to a handful of adorable children. It was a fun event all around.

I'm beginning to thing about how to make the most of my time while in IA/NE over Christmas and New Year's Eve, so please let me know if you'd like to claim any specific time with me. Also, I'd appreciate hearing if anyone is still reading this blog when I write. I'm thinking about making a New Year's resolution to keep it update more often to keep more people informed of what's going on out here. That way when I call to chat with you, I will be able to do more listening. And yes, I do know how!

Thanksgiving 2009

After my plans for celebrating Thanksgiving with my friend Anne fell through just four days before the holiday, I feared that I would be preparing a feast for one. However, things worked themselves out and I ended up hosting a gathering in my apartment. Three of the girls in my small group came over to watch the Macy's parade and enjoy a potluck meal. We cheated on a few items (pre-made mashed potatoes, stuffing from a box, and gravy from a jar), but still enjoyed a full spread.

We decided to see a matinee showing of The Blind Side. It was a terrific movie based on a true story and was an extremely fitting movie for the holiday. I highly recommend it.

As usual, it was hard being away from family for the holiday, but I enjoyed spending time with my church family (well, part of it at least). The four of us also attended/crashed a gathering last night to kick off the Christmas season. It was a "classic" party where we dressed to the nines and watched a classic Christmas movie (Holiday Affair with Robert Mitchum). I absolutely love getting dressed up and meeting new people, so this event screamed AJ. It was a lot fun, and I hope to see some of those new faces again. Spending time with people from church is a refreshing change from hanging out with kickball acquaintances.

This week I have tickets to see the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. I won "the lottery" in order to get tickets to this event, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing comes up at work while I'm holding the office myself...otherwise, I won't be able to attend. We may not be able to see the stage with performers, but I'm excited for the opportunity to witness this occasion.

I've started counting down the days to my trip back to the Midwest for Christmas. I'm hoping to see all of you then!

xoxo,

~amyjo

Approaching Holiday Season

I am proud to say that I have, in fact, purchased a few Christmas gifts already. With Christmas Day still well over one month away, this is quite an accomplishment for me. I like to live one step at a time, so I'm still on a timeline to be gearing up for Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving, I fear, will be a tough holiday. Last year I spent Thanksgiving with the people who had become part of my DC family. Included in that group was my current roommate Cat, "former roommate" Jenny, and Jenny's mom Laurie. We borrowed a friend's home for the day and made a traditional Thanksgiving feast for 40, though there were only 6 of us around the table. It was a truly memorable occasion. I am so thankful for the beautiful pictures we have from that day.

As many of you may already know, my dear friend Jenny went home to the Lord after a long battle with cancer. She was a wonderful person who will be missed by many during this holiday season. Cooking was always something Jenny found joy in and we had so much fun last November. It was great recalling that memory with a handful of people at Jenny's funeral services. Apparently she had already shared that story with those dear to her. I'm honored to know that she cherished that day as much I do.

Cat will be traveling to Colorado to celebrate Thanksgiving with her immediate family. Father Abraham (as I like to call him) paid for half of her flight home so she was able to fly back on some of the most expensive flight days of the year. I did a quick search today to see what a ticket to Omaha would be...the cheapest was $610 with 1 stop each way, while a non-stop ticket was $1,500. Yep. That's right! One thousand five hundred dollars for the long-weekend, round-trip fare. I could hardly believe it myself. I'm sure you can understand why I won't be making a cameo appearance in the Midwest for some turkey and mashed potatoes.

I'm still uncertain as to where I will be spending the holiday, but I am hopeful that my plans will work themselves out before the big day arrives.

Promotions

I apologize in advance for the obscure connection I've made and will share with you below. Yesterday after receiving sad news about a dear friend and wanting to journal about it here, I realized that I had not yet blogged about the review at work I had almost two weeks ago.

Subject 1: The Good

My review at work was a delayed one-year review. My boss was full of positive feedback and said she felt like I've learned and grown a lot while working for her. I was a bit taken back by what she was saying as I've been feeling busy, yet overwhelmingly unchallenged at work as of late. Luckily for me, my boss agreed that my time has come for more substantial responsibilities in the office. She said we would work together on coming up with a few issues that would be just mine and that she would begin delegating more of her responsibilities (but just a little at a time!) to my co-worker and me.

Because she felt I've done well with everything that's been given to me and is expecting bigger and better things to come, I also received a substantial pay increase. Hooray for a raise!!! But in all seriousness, I am equally excited about more challenging work and a bigger paycheck. Although my official title remains the same, I consider this to be a promotion. For that, I am very thankful.

Subject 2: The Bad

Yesterday's sad news is about my friend Jenny who has been battling her second fight against cancer since the beginning of this year. Although she's had surgery and endured countless variations of chemotherapy, the disease has gotten the best of an amazing girl. Her dad called us last night to let us know that Jenny had been admitted to the hospital after having trouble breathing. Testing results revealed that her right lung is no longer functioning and it would only be a matter of time before she would be unable to continue breathing on her own. Jenny's made it very clear that she does not want to placed on any means of life support, so she's currently on hospice care until our Father calls her to heaven.

My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Jenny, her family, and all of the people who hold her dear in their hearts. We all know that's she fought the good fight and will understand when it's her time to be released from this world of constant battle. Jenny deserves her promotion to a better life, and we will celebrate all of the blessings she's provided in our lives.

Although you may struggle with the connection I've made between these two subjects, please understand that it makes sense to me. This week's message at my church was to remember to keep the big picture in mind - to not let Satan draw your attention away from God's purpose for you. Jenny has fulfilled her purpose and is being called home, but I'm still seeking where to join God's work. Until his plan is revealed for me, I will continue to focus on my blessings. And I challenge each one of you to stay focused on the big picture and remember to count your blessings.

New Laptop

I am proudly writing you this post from my brand new MacBook Pro. Yes, I've been talking about getting a new laptop for quite some time now, but I finally did it! I was finally able to overcome the *expensive* hurdle by rationalizing the expense with money saved by not going to Vegas with my kickball team over the long weekend. So as some of you were taking a leisurely federal holiday off and others were hard at work, I spent several hours of my Columbus Day in the Apple store securing my newest possession. She's beautiful! (See: http://www.apple.com/macbookpro) I spent a little time adjusting settings and so forth, but then I decided to watch the most recent episode of Gossip Girl :)

Most of you know me well enough to know that I've never been the most tech savvy child. Although I am extremely excited about my Mac, I have a lot of learning to do. More to come on how that's going at a later date. For now, I'm simply enjoying the glossy shine of my new computer!

Work has been quite hectic for the past month or so. We had a number of clients in Washington throughout the month of September and my bosses have been/will be traveling portions of 3 weeks this month. Scheduling (for clients and bosses) is one of my responsibilities, so I've been busy making sure all of the logistics are in order. Although I haven't had much influence or even been fully clued in to the business matters being discussed, I do see my role as an important piece to the puzzle. Hopefully all of my meticulous planning will pay off whenever my boss and I have a chance to sit down for my one-year review, which is approximately 2 months overdue now.

I don't recall all of my extra-curriculars since I last blogged, so sorry if you haven't had the chance to speak with me over the past month. I will let you all know that I experienced my first indoor wine festival last weekend. Considering I can count the number of wine festivals I've attended on one hand, it seems snobbish to say that I hated it, but I really didn't love it. Outdoor festivals are a million times better. You're welcome for the insider knowledge ;) Moral of that story: Most of the wines I liked at this weekend's event were ones that I had already sampled at previous tastings. I walked out with two bottles of red wine and a business card of a man who plans to tell me about his favorite wine festival. Maybe that event will be worth it!

My co-worker Ralph stayed home last Friday because he was feeling ill. He received his seasonal flu shot several weeks ago before traveling season began, so he self-diagnosed the cause as H1N1. It's very likely that he carried it back with him from Texas. We all panicked a bit in the office last week, but none of us are showing signs of the virus. Fingers crossed that my boss Barbara is not infected while in Texas this week and that none of you contract the virus this flu season.

Blog Recap: MacBook Pro = 2 thumbs up

H1N1 = 2 thumbs down

Season Change

The start of a new month was also the start of a new season. Cooler temperatures and sunny skies in DC have made for some lovely Fall September days. I've been doing my best to enjoy the outdoors. Yesterday I laid by the pool for a few hours, and on Friday evening I went to an outdoor movie. Hopefully the weather stays like this for a while, because I'm thoroughly loving it!

I attempted my Taming of the Shrew outing, but it turns out everyone and their mother also knew about the free performance. The tickets had all been given out by the time I made it to the theatre. Bummer. Maybe I'll need to justify spending some money to get a little culture in my life...

My friend Michelle is coming back tonight after a two-month summer hiatus. She was digging up bones in Poland and spent some time with her father in Germany. I'm sure she'll have some good stories to tell us judging from the pictures she's already posted. Another friend of mine traveled to Costa Rica last week. He had some pretty amazing photos to share as well. I can't wait until I have enough money to get to travel to places like these. Some day...

My boss returned from her extended vacation and came back to work on Thursday. As it turns out, I overlooked one of my projects to complete while she was out of the office. That didn't go over so well. It's one of those things that has been ongoing for a few months now, and I just keep getting stuck. I'm not sure how many times I've thrown my hands up and cried mercy, but I'm hoping to complete the task well in order to redeem myself with my boss. I should be having my one year review with her in the near future, and I don't want this to jeopardize anything. I'm sure that I'm probably making this out to be more than it really is, but I definitely don't like not pulling my weight. With Congress back this week from summer recess, I'm sure things will be back to busy Washington in no time at all. But then again, that's why I love it here :)

Quality Recess

As August is coming to a close very quickly, I just wanted to say that this summer recess treated me very well. Some of my co-workers were giving me a hard time today about never coming into work on Fridays in August. They are happy that I'm "gracing them" with my presence tomorrow. Meanwhile, my boss is still out on vacation through the first few days of September...

My trip back to the Midwest was absolutely fabulous. I don't think I took more than maybe 10 seconds to relax just so I could fit everyone/everything into a few short days, but that's just how I roll these days. I still wasn't able to meet up with a few important people, so I'm already making promises for when I'm back at Christmastime. My tickets are already booked! Start getting excited now :)

Last weekend at Smith Mountain Lake was an enjoyable way to celebrate my 24th birthday. The 5 hour drive each way wasn't ideal, but I survived. My friends and I went to a wine tasting event at the marina. We were by far the youngest crew there, but we all had a good time. Maybe we'll be hitting up a few more of Virginia's wineries in the future.

I concluded my week long birthday celebrations with my kickball team last night. Some of the guys like to joke that woman have an expiration date at 25 years-old, and they warned me that I was dangerously close now. I don't feel any older than I did at the beginning of the month, but I guess that's how it always is. We won our first game and everyone loved my birthday brownies, so it was a successful evening.

Even though August is coming to a close, it appears as though my "fun" schedule won't be coming to an end. Here's what I have in store for September...

*Opera in the Outfield (http://tiny.cc/yKz77)

*Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew (http://www.shakespearetheatre.org)

*Walking with the Dinosaurs (www.dinosaurlive.com)

*Weekend fall retreat through church

*Kickball on Wednesdays

Wardrobe at Work

While walking into my roommate's bedroom last week to show off my mid-week Macy's shopping spree purchases, Cat immediately said, "That looks like an AJ dress!" before I even got to showing her the dress I wore to work yesterday.

Background info: I like to wear things that are unique. Not everyone would wear or could pull off some of the things that I choose, but that's the point. My pre-DC work wardrobe was a bit drab, and I've been trying to liven it up.

So I came to work yesterday wearing my "AJ dress" and got mixed reactions. Carolyn thought the dress was really fun but admitted she could never pull it off. My boss Barbara , however, asked me if I had made the dress. When I replied no, she asked if I had painted the fabric of the dress to make it "look like that." I didn't know whether to be flattered or offended. (Sidenote: Carolyn & Barbara are both in their 60s.)

Fast forward to today...I decided to wear my flower headband that I purchased for Gold Cup. It's good-sized and purple, so it definitely makes a statement. Again, Carolyn said she was a fan and Barbara threw out another crazy comment. She said, "What is that in your hair? You look like you could be a Vegas showgirl." Flattered or offended? I'm going with offended this time, especially after two comments of this nature two days in a row.

The upside: I guess I succeeded in spicing up my wardrobe!

Summer Update

It's been quite some time since you all last heard from me, so I thought I'd do a quick summer recap...

I spent the Fourth of July in Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg learning the history of how our nation came about. Very fitting for the holiday! The original Jamestown settlement was very historic and I loved all the fun facts. Weird I know, but that's just me! And our fireworks show in Williamsburg had FOUR finales, which made for an awesome end to the day. Then I spent the night in a hotel in Richmond with my church small group girls. It was our first official overnight extravaganza together. Everything went smoothly minus the faulty air conditioner in our room that kept Michele awake and the rain the next morning that prevented us from having any fun in Richmond. Over the weekend journey, I learned that I get car fatigue after only about 2 hours in a car. I've become a creature of public transit. It's my life now.

For most of the remainder of July, I hung out around home (with the exception of a serious kickball tournament, a sprained thumb from playing catch with a football, and several Cubs/Nats games) while many of my friends went on numerous vacations. It was a little disheartening at times, especially when I spent several Friday nights alone in my apartment. Alone time is good for everyone, but I can only handle it in small portions. So I am happy to report that August was/is/will be quite a busy time for me.

I attended a housewarming party for friends the first Saturday of the month, and also met another one of my roommate's college friends. Still haven't met one that I didn't like!

Last weekend I went on my first coastal beach vacation. It was our second small group getaway, but this was on a much grander scale. We stayed in one of the girls' grandfather's beach house that was literally a five minute walk from the ocean. The weather was perfect the entire time we were there (including hot enough to make us want to drive home yesterday). I happily have no intense sunburn to report :) My favorite part of the weekend was watching the sunrise over the ocean and seeing a whole slew of dolphins. It was well worth waking up in the 5 o'clock hour!

This coming weekend I will be traveling to Omaha/the farm/Des Moines to celebrate birthdays (my niece Lexi's, mine, and my mom's) and see friends. As always, I can hardly wait to spend time with loved ones that are a thousand miles away from DC. And, I can't wait to use my new carry-on bag...it's extremely adorable :)

And next weekend, a few of my friends and I rented a lake house in Virginia somewhere (4 hours away, I'm told) to celebrate my birthday and get away from the city. We may do some boating, hiking in waterfalls, and/or visiting wineries. All sound intriguing to me, so I'm hoping for a great birthday weekend.

Finally, kickball will be starting up again at the end of the month. I'm excited to get back together with the whole team again, as it's been hard to round everyone up during the summer. And I am still deciding on whether or not I'll be going to Vegas over Columbus Day weekend for the big tournament we qualified for last season. Although I've never been, and I feel like this would be a fun group to go with, I'm a little nervous about the money situation. If only it weren't so expensive to fly...

Metro Matters

As many of you are already aware, there was a tragic Metro accident last Monday. Nine people lose their lives and many were taken to hospitals and treated for injuries. The accident occurred around 5pm on the red line. Yes, I do take the red line to and from work each day, but the accident site was on the other end of the line. As the week went on and more and more details regarding the accident were reported in the news, I felt compelled to read the articles and review the pictures. Each time after doing so, I asked myself, "Why are you doing this?" It was disheartening and quite unsettling to know that this could have happened anywhere on the Metro and at any time. Scary to think, but I really do live or die by the public transportation system in the DC Metro area. I am thankful to say that I'm still currently living by it, but my prayers are with those who lost their lives and those whom they left behind.

The unfortunate accident caused major delays on the red line all week. Such delays make everyone using the Metro irritable. Time is such a precious commodity, and many commuters lack the patience to behave politely throughout the less than positive circumstances. Just like the others, I had to forcefully get on the Metro each morning and evening, as I would have been left standing on the platform for hours if I politely allowed the pushy ones to get the best of me. I didn't appreciate the amount of touching and sweating (the train cars were all at least 80 degrees or warmer) in the beyond full capacity trains, but I reminded myself often that things could be worse. Others forgot that simple thought and chose to be rude all week long. It was quite trying on my patience, and it put me in a less than desirable mood for starting the work day. Thankfully I made it through the week relatively unscathed and am thinking optimistically for the week ahead.

My roommate has been gone on a college reunion adventure since last Wednesday evening, and I'm more than ready to have her back home. I've had sufficient enough alone time and cleaning time, and I would really appreciate sharing my weekend tales with someone. Living alone definitely isn't for me!

I'm excited about the Fourth, even though I do not yet have plans. It's such a great holiday! Let's just hope the rain stays away in DC this year :)

All alone

It's hard not to miss my dad today, as I've been home alone and entertaining myself by reading on Facebook how my friends and family are celebrating Father's Day. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that so many people get to spend the day honoring their loved ones and having fun. I hope my family is doing the same.

Eleven years. That's a lot of life my dad wasn't able to share with me. I'm sure he's been keeping his on me from heaven, but I wish he were here to experience what my life is like as an adult. I doubt he would share in my thrills of the city and the political realm I'm surrounded by, but I know he would be happy to see that this is what makes me happy.

One of the bosses in my office recently experienced the death of her second mother. This was a woman who gave her her first job and believed that she would one day become a very successful lobbyist. This boss had a conversation with the woman's actual daughter while at work this week and she totally broke down. I was unsure of how to react or respond, but I just offered her a hug and let her say whatever she needed to. Death of loved ones is always tough. It's helpful to rely on those around you to keep you going, but unfortunately I don't have anyone to offer me that hug now. I'm looking forward to church later, because this being alone stuff is not good today.

I've also been thinking a lot about my friend Jenny this past week. We learned that her tumors are growing and her doctors are telling her that we have to look at her cancer as a treatable disease rather than a curable one. We briefly heard this statement before she changed her chemo drugs, but dismissed the thoughts because we still had alternative treatment plans. Those plans are running low and those words are not as ignorable any more. Jenny may seek a second opinion from a doctor in NYC, but she's already seen some of the best doctors in the country. We continue to keep her in our prayers and hope for a miraculous recovery, but the reality of the situation is extremely trying. My roommate shared many more experiences with Jenny while in college together and living in Bethesda together for a few months, so she's taking this even harder than me. It's difficult providing any sort of comfort when I struggle with handling the reality of it all myself. If only we could make it disappear. Please keep Jenny in your thoughts and prayers for me, as she needs them now more than ever.

Sorry for such a serious blog on what is meant to be a joyous day with family. Appreciate all of your blessings, as you never know what lies ahead tomorrow.

Missed May

May simply flew by, much like every other month of 2009. I can't believe June will be here next week, but I am very excited for summer. Nicer weather always brings many more opportunities to have fun and stay busy. All the rain this month left me desiring more, and I definitely had a few low points.  Most troublesome being, my wallet was stolen last week and I've been struggling to replace everything inside. I haven't had adequate access to my money, nor have I been able to enjoy going out with friends for lack of adequate ID. I also missed out on a big family gathering in Iowa on Mother's Day weekend, which brought on some very strong feelings of missing my family. That's definitely the hardest part about "living the dream" in DC. A brief visit from Aunt Marla and Uncle Mike helped out some. Thankfully, I am also in the position to take a few days off from work and will be flying back for a long weekend to attend a friend's wedding and spend time with family. I will also finally be able to replace my driver's license. I can't wait for next Friday!

My roommate Cat continues to have an abundance of visitors. I love meeting all of her friends and seem to get along with most of them very well. However, I have definitely realized that I don't like unstructured visits. So often, we spend so much time talking about things we can do and thinking about making a plan that we waste a lot of time that we could have been actually doing things/going places. If, and when, my friends are able to come visit, I will be sure to have at least a few things planned in order to avoid wasting such precious time with weekend guests.

Along with these visitors, we have been reminded of exactly how small this city can be. Rachel (Cat's friend) actually interned with someone I met at Union Pub and someone else who went to college with several people on my kickball team. Okay, that doesn't sound extremely exciting, but it makes more sense if you had any idea of the people involved. I continue to be amazed by how everyone is connected through just a few people. 

Work continues to be a bit challenging with my boss, but things have definitely improved. A friend of mine started grad school this past week and my co-worker Elizabeth is taking the GRE next weekend. This sparked my thinking in what is next for me, but I haven't gotten past just posing the question. I didn't think my "dream job" right out of college would turn into just a job so quickly. The Recovery Act (aka stimulus bill) has been our best friend and our biggest nightmare all at the same time. If I didn't need to keep such close tabs on that bundle of funding, I'm not positive what I would be doing each day at my job. Better to be busy, but it's definitely trying on our attitudes.

Last night I went to my first outdoor movie this year. Unfortunately, Screen on the Green lost its sponsor and will likely not be happening, but there are plenty of other outdoor movie locations. Elizabeth and I went to Rosslyn last night. We enjoyed some delicious burgers at Ray's while it rained, purchased two beach chairs at CVS on our way to the movie (so we weren't forced to sit on the wet ground), and laughed our way through The Blues Brothers. We'll definitely be going back to the I Love the 80s movie series several more Friday nights, because we had a lot of fun. But next time, we'll dress warmer!

I hope May treated all of you well. I look forward to seeing some of you very soon and hope to speak to the rest of you in due time as well. Please feel free to call anytime!

  

Kickball Season!

That's right, kickball is back! The season got off to a rough start after we were rained out the first week, but our first game was last night. Tough loss 6-5, but I had a great time. Our team doubled in size since last season. So we have a lot of new faces = a lot of new friends! It should be a good season :)

Work hasn't been the most enjoyable place for me the past week and half. My boss returned from her Easter vacation in Cali a different person than when she left. I thought her brain just wasn't turned on the end of last week, but this week has continued to be rough. We are having some communication troubles. I'm definitely not used to this being an issue with anyone, so it doesn't go over too well when I spend 8+ hours with her struggling to make it through the day. I couldn't be more excited that tomorrow is the end of the work week. Let's just hope we get back on track next Monday.

I have a busy weekend ahead. My roommate is turning 23 on Sunday, but we are celebrating the occasion tomorrow evening. We have another friend's surprise birthday party on Saturday night. By Sunday, I'm sure all I'll want to do is veg on the couch until church. I'm excited, as this is the first weekend in a really long time that Cat hasn't had to work at least one night, so we'll have lots of quality time together.

My Easter date guy turned out to be a bust, but I didn't lose much sleep over that. It's crazy how many of the girls in my small group have had new guys come into the picture, because nearly all of us were single the first time we met. This definitely wasn't the right fit for me, but I'm happy that my girls are enjoying their new relationships. It's always exciting to share our news each Monday night. Hopefully as the weather continues to be nice, we will all get the chance to hang out in more social situations together. I can't wait for Screen on the Green and other outdoor movies!

I hope all of you are well, and I'll be back with another update soon :)

Easter #2 in DC

Surprise! I'm back.

Many things have occurred over the past month that I have yet again failed to keep you all informed of. My apologies. Here are a few highlights...

*My co-worker and I watched the motorcade travel down our street. We stood apart from the crowds on the corners and waved at Barack like adoring fans at a concert. Unlike my motorcade story from Inauguration weekend, eye contact was made and he even shot us a big grin. After a moment of shock, Elizabeth and I both screamed (adoring fan style) on the steps. This led to the amusement of secret service agents in the vehicles behind Barack's car. We didn't really care! Then we went back inside for a routine day of work in the office down the street from the White House.

*I led my small group a few weeks ago. Only about half of us were there, so it was a little less intimidating. It went well and I continue to enjoy getting together with the girls both on Monday nights and outside of our normal small group meetings. It's good to have a few more good girl friends out here who I know I can lean on if need be. Several of us enjoyed some Cherry Blossom festivities together...mainly the parade and a few live performances on the stage near the Tidal Basin.

*I went to a Cherry Blossom reception on the Hill. Met a few interesting people, including a guy. We hung out several times last week and attended Easter mass at the Basilica together. There were SO many people...I'd say several hundred were standing in the aisles and near the exits. We got extremely lucky and found seats in the second pew from the front, one section over from Newt Gingrich who was proudly sitting front row center. Nathan was a lot more excited about seeing the former Speaker of the House than I was, and he even made me go over and take his picture with Newt. I shook Newt's hand and wished him a Happy Easter, and then we were on our way. Only in DC!

*I made "Easter dinner" for my roommate and I when she got home from Orlando. We decided to go see the movie Hannah Montana after eating. It was definitely a guilty pleasure movie experience, but we laughed about it while there and are still laughing about it whenever we tell our friends that we saw this tween/teen sensation flick. Several of them are secretly jealous they didn't get to come with us. This makes Easter number two for me in DC! Crazy to think that I've been here over a year now, but I continue to enjoy everything this city has to offer. Although I would have loved to spend the holiday with family, my Easter was still a success.

*I met up with a friend from college who's been interning in DC this semester. We went to Union Pub and randomly met two people that attended Iowa State. We exchanged information and are now Facebook friends. Maybe we'll run into each other again, as I am continually reminded exactly how small of a place this city is.

*Yesterday, Elizabeth and I strolled down to Lafayette Park (directly across from the White House & Treasury Building) to check out the DC Tea Party. There were a lot of crazies present, despite the cold and rainy conditions. We couldn't get close enough to hear what was being said over the rain, so we came back to the office and watched the live coverage on CNN. Highlights included a woman referring to the IRS as the Internal Redistribution Service over and over again and a conservative talk radio personality wearing an "America" rain jacket.

*Yesterday was also supposed to be the first day of the new kickball season. The heavy rains prevented us from playing on the Mall, but I did get a chance to meet some of my new teammates last night. They all seem like nice guys, but we'll see where that leads us in the weeks to come. I'll try my best to keep you posted.

xoxo,
~amyjo

My March Madness Continues

I didn't think it was possible, but this week was even more stressful than last. However, it did include some fun times...

1) I went to a Caps game on Tuesday. Although they are amidst a slump, it was a good reason to leave work on time and hang out with friends.

2) I can finally see the end of filling out appropriation forms, and I look forward to telling you when they are all complete.

3) I found out that I will get the opportunity to meet some clients while they are in town for a conference beginning next weekend.

This afternoon, I'm attending a St. Patrick's Day parade. A little early I'd say, but it should be a good time. And tonight I'm helping kickball friends celebrate their 30th birthdays. Crazy to think that I have friends that are turning 30, but I'm sure crazier things have happened!

Snowfall in March

I woke up this morning to a beautiful sight out my 10th floor window of large snowflakes falling the from sky. To most of my readers, this would come as no surprise. However, several factors make this an odd occurrence.

1) My co-workers commented earlier this week that we've had such a hard winter. (The irony...I can count the number of times it's snowed on two hands.)

2) It was so warm on Friday that we built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for smores at midnight.

3) I've been in DC long enough that I felt no shame using my umbrella while walking to church in the snow...normal behavior for average people walking the streets.

My week was ridiculously busy. The only day I left work before 6:30 or 7 was in order to attend Ash Wednesday mass. When I left the office at 7:15pm on Friday, I couldn't have been more excited to breathe fresh air. The good news about all of this is that last week was by far one of our busiest to date. The not so good news...we continue to have more deadlines to meet and more clients in town for the next several weeks. Again, I say to you, I enjoy contributing to the success of our work for the cities we represent. But when I finish something less than to the best of my ability, things are just too busy.

For Lent, I've decided to attend mass on a regular basis. On Wednesday, I went to mass at my old Catholic church on The Hill. Father Burn (my favorite priest at St. Peter's) was presiding, but I left wanting more after hearing the same sermon I heard last year for Ash Wednesday. After attending Our Lady of Lourdes down the street this morning, I was also left wanting more. It doesn't make sense to me that nobody speaks or sings to worship loud enough for their neighbor to hear. I need more than that. I need to feel that those around me are passionate enough for the Lord to put some effort into praising Him. I'm keeping all those of faith who don't outwardly show their inner fire for Christ in my prayers, and I'm hoping to grow closer to the Lord this Lenten season.

May all of you have a blessed Lent! 

Bumps Understood

I made a realization today about the annoying raised path near the edge of every Metro platform. It's important for me to note that I've complained aloud and grumbled to myself time and time again that this large bumpy strip hurts my feet when I speed walk across it in an attempt to breeze by those "tourist-pace" people between me and the exit. I never took the time to figure out why this pathway wasn't smooth like the rest of the platform, nor did it ever cross my mind that it served an important purpose.

Today after work, I witnessed a blind man navigating the Metro. While walking along the platform, he tapped and dragged his cane in rhythm to and from the smooth surface and the bumpy surface. Those annoying bumps to me were a matter of life and death to him. If they weren't there for his safety, he could very easily walk right off the platform and into the path of a moving train.

From this experience, I'm taking away two very important lessons:

1) My convenience isn't always the most important. Take a deep breath and slow your life down once in a while.

2) Cherish the gifts you have (such as sight), rather than dwelling on those you don't or those things that bring you down. Your joy in life relies on it.

Scheduler

This past week at work was quite intense. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, FY 2010 appropriation request deadlines have been looming, and we have a handful of clients coming to Washington next week. I feel as though my job title may well have been "Scheduler" the past few weeks, as I've spent a great deal of time and energy making sure our clients get in to see everyone. But as hectic as things have been in my office, I still do my best to be as polite as possible whenever communicating with people outside my office. I'm continually shocked by the number of people who do not make an effort to do the same. 

The poor attitudes I've experienced are most likely caused by people working in a job that they don't enjoy, and this is something I constantly struggle with. After meeting up with my old senate gang for happy hour this week, I was reminded of the number of people that I know personally who are in the same boat. But with the current economy, job security is crucial. It definitely isn't the time to be quitting a job to find something you better enjoy; however, I think this is even more reason for everyone to make the best of their current jobs. I just wish people were a bit more optimistic, that's all.

With that said, my optimism continues to be tested. This week, my good friend Jenny made the decision to be admitted to the hospital. Symptoms from her first week of chemo proved to be too difficult to manage at home, and she felt like the hospital was the best place for her. It's hard for us to show Jenny support from so many miles away, but we do the best we can with what we have. Continue to keep her in your prayers, as her treatment road ahead may be long and hard considering how rough it has begun.

In such trying times, I am very thankful for the friends I have made out here and the church family I working on building. The girls in my small group all seem like great people, and I'm excited to get to know them better and have deeper discussions with them. More to follow on that later.

......I can't wait until spring/warm weather!! 

Love & Loss

To say work last week was crazy would be an understatement. By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, we all felt like we'd run a marathon. Not only was I trying to keep up with the ever-changing news on the stimulus, but I was also busy spending time with a friend who was visiting DC for a dental conference. This led to very little sleep and added stress to an already busy week. I couldn't have been more excited to leave the office and head to HH with Elizabeth.

We were in for a big surprise upon meeting her friends at a pool hall we'd never stepped foot in, and purposefully so. This place must have formerly been a truck stop. It was complete with men in cut-off shirts and a cigarette machine--do any of you readers know if this is still legal?--and I was completely out of place in my work attire. Nonetheless, Elizabeth and I made the best of the situation and enjoyed playing some pool, but I proved myself wrong in feeling even more excitement walking out of the pool hall than I felt leaving work.

Now for some love...Valentine's Day. I woke up and made heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes for myself and my roommate. It was cute and a fun way to start off our day. Cat and I then took off for Friendship Heights in a quest to find the perfect dress for her first official Valentine date. We spent hours searching and trying on dresses. I compared the experience to helping my sister find the perfect wedding dress, but actually found shopping for my 5 foot gf a whole new kind of challenging. Everything I would normally run from on a rack was exactly what she needed. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in finding her a new dress. As a last minute thought, I suggested we take a quick look at the shoes. I was immediately drawn to a purple pair of Jessica Simpson pumps that I insisted Cat buy to wear with a dress she had at home and our all-day shopping experience was validated with a five minute splurge shoe purchase.

I was forced to turn over my Valentine to her evening date, but I recruited a few guy friends to take Elizabeth and I out for dinner last minute. It would have been a shame to stay in on a Saturday evening just because nobody had asked to be my Valentine. The four of us had a great casual outing and then had Cat and Brock meet us for a few games of pool (a lot for one weekend, I know). Although my friends were much more competitive than Elizabeth's when it came to shooting pool, there was still a lot of love shared on Valentine's Day.

And now on loss...

I received a phone call from my sister last night. She had news that someone we both knew fairly well died while in labor with her third child. The baby also did not survive. This news was very saddening and difficult to wrap my mind around. I can't imagine how this father is to deal with the loss of an expected baby, the death of his lifelong mate, and the newness of being a single parent all at once. My heart breaks for him and those closest to their family, as I know their struggles are more than ten-fold of those I am feeling. This situation, along with the recurrence of my great friend Jenny's cancer, really makes me ask why such good people are forced to handle such difficult situations. Although I've witnessed the effects of everything happening for a reason, it doesn't make it any easier to digest.

Tonight I am attending a small group gathering of females in their mid-twenties from my church out here. I'm excited to meet some new people and to attempt growing in my personal relationship with the Lord. Fingers crossed this will be a good fit for me!

 

Movie Date + Church Date = Dating Expert

My Sunday began with making pancakes for breakfast after a fun night of bowling on Saturday night. Let's just say, the Bethesda bowling alley put Iowa bowling alleys to shame.

Then Cat and I met Elizabeth in Arlington to see "He's Just Not That Into You." Although we had heard the movie wasn't getting the best reviews, we decided to go anyway. The film critics may have taken issue with the fact that the movie didn't fully develop the characters or that stereotypes ran the show, but I felt like the movie offered a little bit of truth for everyone in the audience (which was about 98% female). The only issue I take with the film is that those women in the audience with significant others are left doubting whether their man really is into them. The last thing women need is another reason to question our relationships, because we are all guilty of analyzing (and even over analyzing) them until we are blue in the face. Currently, I do not have a relationship to do just that over, but Cat and Elizabeth are worried enough for all three of us. I'm doing the best damage control possible!

After the movie, the three of us grabbed a bite to eat before heading to church. Last week, John (one of the younger members of the staff) started a two week series on dating. The first message was meant to be all about finding the right person. Although John had a number of valuable things to share, the main thing I took from that message was you need to make yourself the best person you can be in order to prepare yourself for meeting that right person. Ok, I've heard this once or twice before. This week's message was focused on how to go about the actual dating after you find that potential someone. John's words this week were, hands down, one of the best sermons I have ever heard.

The key phrase Todd shared was this...The holier you are, the happier you'll be. He said this phrase holds true with respect to more than just dating, but discussed it specifically with respect to dating. And then he said the one thing you need to establish to have a good dating relationship is "clarity." As with many religious themes, there were three parts to this clarity: clarity in communication, clarity in boundaries, and clarity in community. I'll leave my summary at that, but I strongly encourage you to visit http://www.frontlinedc.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=712 and listed to John's message. Hopefully you will benefit from his words even half as much I have, because I know it will be well worth your time. 

 

Still Alive and Kicking

Hello, hello!

As it's nearly been three months since my last entry, I apologize for my extended hiatus. I'm sure my faithful readers are wondering what I've been up to since November. I'll do my best to get you up-to-date in this entry.

Thanksgiving was spent with my "DC Family." One of my friend's mom's came out to visit and helped us prepare a full Thanksgiving feast for 25, even though there were only 6 of us. Although it was difficult to be away from my immediate family for the holiday, I knew I would get to spend quality time with them over Christmas.

Much to my dismay, I had the opportunity to see my family much sooner than planned. The day after Thanksgiving, one of my cousins got in a terrible car accident. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, was miraculously revived, but then died in the hospital over the weekend. This news was very shocking, and I had a difficult time handling it out here alone. Doug's funeral was planned for two weekends after the accident, giving us all the opportunity to take off work and book our tickets to Denver. Although death of a loved one is the last possible situation you would want to bring your family together for, I did enjoy seeing nearly all of my extended family and felt extremely fortunate to be able to be there for Doug's immediate family, especially his daughter Hannah. We all struggled to understand why it was his time to join the Lord in heaven, but I know from personal experience that the loss of a father at such a young age is life-changing. My family in Colorado remains in my prayers, and I hope they are continuing to feel a little better each day.

The weekend after my Denver trip was the beginning of my Christmas adventures in the Midwest. When I woke up the morning of my flight, I had a bad feeling that something was going to go wrong. I had Ben (a close friend, at the time) take me to the airport early, but everything went smoothly until Omaha. My luggage did not make it to my second airplane, leaving me to manage with clothing still in my room at the farm for the next several days, as I went straight to Des Moines later that evening to spend time with friends from college. I couldn't have been more excited to go to Amanda and Miranda's new apartment for a Christmas gathering with a group of my closest friends, but unfortunately lost luggage wasn't the cause of that feeling I'd had in the morning. 

About 20 minutes from my destination, I was forced to stop on the Interstate for an unknown reason over the next hill. About 20 minutes after being stopped I realized there must have been a serious accident as a several police cars and three ambulances passed by me on the shoulder. An hour after stopping, I assumed the accident was nearly cleared from the road and I'd be moving shortly. If only. Four and half hours and two cries later, I finally got to continue on my way. I drove past a semi-trailer still on fire and detached from it's cab and another semi-trailer with damage to it's back door. For my first time behind the wheel in 6 months, this experience was traumatizing enough to make me never want to drive again.

I got past that feeling and drove the final few miles to see my friends, who were all of course asleep by the time I arrived. Fortunately, I was able to get a smaller group of people together for lunch the following day and got to spend a few quality days with my Rach. Although we both wanted that time to be a few weeks instead of a few hours, we had a great time together as always.

This brings us to Dec. 23, when I had the opportunity to pick up a friend from the KC airport with another one of my college friends. All of this drive time was a bit nerve-wracking after my first driving experience, but everything went smoothly and I made it back to the farm late that evening in time to begin Christmas celebrations with my family. I was back and forth between Harlan and Omaha for the remainder of my visit, seeing great friends from high school and friends from my internship program out here. Although spending time with everyone I love so dearly was great, I headed to the airport anticipating a move upon returning back to DC.

I ran into more trouble as my flight was delayed and overbooked, forcing me to reschedule my flight for the following day, New Year's Eve. I flew through Dallas to DCA and arrived in Bethesda at 3pm. My new roommate (details on this later) Cat helped me pack up my apartment and we made it to her place with a full carload by 6pm, just in time to get ready for the night's festivities and head out. We spent the evening with kickball friends, but were a little distracted because our friend Jenny was unable to make it back to DC.

Sadness, take 2. Our good friend Jenny found out that her bone cancer had come back after over 6 years in remission, and she had immediate surgery to remove the greater part of one of her ribs. The surgery went well, but the road to follow will be long and hard. Jenny was able to return to DC the night before the Inauguration to enjoy that with us. She had several consultations out here and made the decision to go forward with a 6 month chemo treatment back home in St. Louis. She packed up her room and left Tuesday morning this week. My housing troubles apparently were for this reason, as I am now living with Cat in Jenny's old room. We are hopeful that Jenny's treatment will go well the next few months and she will be able to come back *home* to us soon and finish her treatment out here. Please keep her in your prayers for me.

***INAUGURAL TIME***

I couldn't have been more excited to be in the nation's capital for one of the most historic Presidential Inaugurations. Everyone here thought the time would never come, but we were all thrilled when it finally got here! Cat and I joined several thousand of our closest friends on The Mall for the "We Are One" concert the Sunday before Inauguration. On our way to the concert, we just so happened to run into the Obama's outside the Blair House. Michelle waved to Cat and I from the motorcade!!! This was definitely the highlight of our experience, as not too many people are able to say this happened to them. We continued on to The Mall and got to see handfuls of famous musicians and Hollywood personalities. This day will be the memory of a lifetime, and I look forward to sharing it with people as I get older. I loved being with so many people and getting excited with them about the new direction our nation will embark upon.

Inauguration day was absolutely freezing, and we decided that it would be in all of our best interests to watch the swearing in and parade from the comfort and warmth of a coffee shop just outside of were the millions of people lined The Mall and the streets. We cheered and laughed with a large group of people and then enjoyed several hours of an all you can drink Mimosas and Bloody Marys at a bar down the street. There were people EVERYWHERE, but our day turned out to be amazing. Several of my close friends had the opportunity to attend Inaugural Balls, but they turned out to be a bit over-rated. All in all, it was a fabulous experience :)

Finally, a little about work. The stimulus bill has been a HUGE topic of interest for us, as there is a lot of money at stake for our cities. We have been having a handful of client visits/appointments on the Hill. I was fortunate enough to meet one of our new mayors and someone I speak to on the phone on a regular basis. It's good to put a face with the name, and I look forward to doing the same with more of our clients in the future. Appropriation time is also upon us, and I have been busy filling out those forms for a few of our cities. I feel like the contributions I have been making to our office are significant, and I look forward to continuing my work. Although I don't always appreciate staying at work up to an hour late, I do enjoy keeping busy.

I am now off to unpack my things and get settled in here. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long to hear from me again!

All my love,

amyjo