Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Grateful
I know I am due for a good long post, but things are starting the up curve back into limbo.
A few notes to hold you over:
1. I am eternally grateful to my Dewalt drill (thank you Patrick). Our walls are made out of the hardest plaster of all time and it kills nails. Dewalt has been crucial in me being able to "nest" and make my room feel like home.
2. I don't have a bed. I'm going to choke someone. That is if they ever point me in the direction of whoever gets to approve financing at US Mattress. Approving the financing of a bed that costs $400 over a year should not take a week.
3. It is official, my job sucks. I knew that not many could live up to the excitement of EOP but this is ridiculous. Most of the people are good but the couple that are driving me insane are DRIVING ME INSANE! And the relocating files, physically and in the computer, makes me want to run off into the mountains and never return. And a side note... How would you feel if you had to get to work and see this hideousness everyday? Yes, those are gold people. Yes, they are in front of my building. Yes they make me want to commit illegal acts of vandalism.
A few notes to hold you over:
1. I am eternally grateful to my Dewalt drill (thank you Patrick). Our walls are made out of the hardest plaster of all time and it kills nails. Dewalt has been crucial in me being able to "nest" and make my room feel like home.
2. I don't have a bed. I'm going to choke someone. That is if they ever point me in the direction of whoever gets to approve financing at US Mattress. Approving the financing of a bed that costs $400 over a year should not take a week.
3. It is official, my job sucks. I knew that not many could live up to the excitement of EOP but this is ridiculous. Most of the people are good but the couple that are driving me insane are DRIVING ME INSANE! And the relocating files, physically and in the computer, makes me want to run off into the mountains and never return. And a side note... How would you feel if you had to get to work and see this hideousness everyday? Yes, those are gold people. Yes, they are in front of my building. Yes they make me want to commit illegal acts of vandalism.
4. One of my favorite things on that I have seen on the road out here (other than a 50 cent toll) is in the School Zone in Alexandria. There is a flashing yellow light and a sign that posts your speed. The sign also tells you that if you are speeding the light will turn red. When you get around the corner there is a stop light. Go figure, if anyone is speeding it turns red. It is brilliant in its simplicity.
5. I'm going rock climbing this weekend. I have a long weekend and have decided it's time to revive some of my activities. I have been running but climbing should be fun.
Alright, there you go. Very exciting I know. Not much to report on this end. I'm still trying to figure it all out. New pictures are up of the house. They're in the same album as the others. Check back soon!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Freddie Mac
I love my new job. I am a temp at Freddie Mac. A good description of what I do is File Relocater. I only am filing a little bit of the time but the rest of my time is spent relocating files in the computer. We have received a half dozen pallets of files and so I put them in, assign them to an underwriter and put them in a box. Woo! Sounds horrible doesn't it? Yeah, I thought so too. But then I met the people. Siv is my supervisor but most of my time is spent with three other girls, Jetlina, Saya and Dene.
Jetlina is fabulous. She knows everyone in the place and walking to lunch can take a half an hour. She's a spunky single mom of two. She moved here from Africa and then moved to Germany with the Army. She is a solid, good person and was the first person at Freddie to really take me under her wing.
Saya is the most recent temp. She is from Michigan and wants to be a large animal vet. She's really smart and we have teamed up on killing the pallets of files, one box at a time.
Dene is one of the sassiest people I have ever met. I was dubbed CARMEN (I know...) Diaz on my first day. Dene is Halle Berry, Jetlina is Oprah, Paul is George Clooney and Joe is Will Smith unless he is Dene's bodyguard, in which case he is sexual chocolate. I am pretty sure Joe is embarrassed by this but he holds up pretty well. His two daughters also work for the company and they find it hilarious. It was through Dene's SVU dramatization that I found out why I have a job at Freddie. It turns out that the two temps before me were let go, for stealing, BACON. Yes you read it right, bacon. They were under surveillance for a while and finally were caught. They were given the opportunity to apologize and pay for it and they refused. What a couple of morons.
Nancy and Susan work over by Siv. Paul, Malaka, Javier, Jose, Mike and so many others, are the ones that keep my day rolling along. It takes some very good people to turn the work we are doing into something enjoyable.
I sit at my desk and am constantly hearing laughter and jokes. Everyone likes each other. I am truly grateful for stumbling upon this job. The pay is, well, crap, but it works. The best part is I'm happy to be there. I couldn't ask for much more than that.
Jetlina is fabulous. She knows everyone in the place and walking to lunch can take a half an hour. She's a spunky single mom of two. She moved here from Africa and then moved to Germany with the Army. She is a solid, good person and was the first person at Freddie to really take me under her wing.
Saya is the most recent temp. She is from Michigan and wants to be a large animal vet. She's really smart and we have teamed up on killing the pallets of files, one box at a time.
Dene is one of the sassiest people I have ever met. I was dubbed CARMEN (I know...) Diaz on my first day. Dene is Halle Berry, Jetlina is Oprah, Paul is George Clooney and Joe is Will Smith unless he is Dene's bodyguard, in which case he is sexual chocolate. I am pretty sure Joe is embarrassed by this but he holds up pretty well. His two daughters also work for the company and they find it hilarious. It was through Dene's SVU dramatization that I found out why I have a job at Freddie. It turns out that the two temps before me were let go, for stealing, BACON. Yes you read it right, bacon. They were under surveillance for a while and finally were caught. They were given the opportunity to apologize and pay for it and they refused. What a couple of morons.
Nancy and Susan work over by Siv. Paul, Malaka, Javier, Jose, Mike and so many others, are the ones that keep my day rolling along. It takes some very good people to turn the work we are doing into something enjoyable.
I sit at my desk and am constantly hearing laughter and jokes. Everyone likes each other. I am truly grateful for stumbling upon this job. The pay is, well, crap, but it works. The best part is I'm happy to be there. I couldn't ask for much more than that.
Virgnia at last!
I left David and Laura's and headed north. First stop off was to visit Abby. I haven't seen her since the girls came out to San Francisco around Christmas time and was stoked to see what she was up to. Oh crazy chemist lady, you never disappoint!
As most of you know I have now been in Virginia for about a month. It has taken me this long to really feel like I'm here to stay. When I first arrived it felt like a vacation. I have visited out here a few times and always have a blast. The three weeks before David and Lisa left for England didn't let me down.
My original plan was to apply to Wegman's, a grocery store in the area. The fact that it is retail (and retail sucks) completely sucked the wind out of my sails on that one. I just couldn't get myself to call and bug them about work again. Lisa suggested I call our friend Alec's temp agency that he went through in the past. It was the first step in probably one of the smoothest transitions, ever.
I called and made an appointment to interview with them the following day. They hired me after some testing and called me the next day with a job. The job fell through but the day after that they had another one lined up for me. The following week I started working at Freddie Mac. Freddie is a huge underwriting (among other things) company in the area. It's huge.
With the job all set (I will write more about it in a different blog) it was time to enjoy the last few weeks I had with Lisa and David. We really did a lot! Went into Georgetown, drove down to UVA and had brunch at Boar's Head, went to a BBQ and science party in one night, went to a Nationals' game and simply hung out. Every time I am out here we are running around because it's just not possible to fit it all in. It was really nice to be able to go to the park and read or go to watch the NBA playoff games in Pentagon City.
The Nationals game was a lot of fun. Walk off homer in the bottom of the 9th, thank you very much! I can't wait to take my mom to the park to see the Giants in June. I don't know if I can be a Nats fan though. What would I do when the Giants came to town? It's like inviting your husband over to dinner at your boyfriend's house. It just seems wrong. I have decided I need an AL team to get on board with. I love the A's but when push comes to shove, the Giants are my guys and I have to have a team out here or I may go crazy.
Also since I have been here I have started running again. The weather is perfect for it, for now, and so I wanted to get a head start on my marathon training before the real heat hit. That's right, another marathon! The Marine Marathon is in October. Abby is running it and I think that if I train properly, unlike before, I can really do well. Nate said he will fly out and so I am really looking forward to the entire experience.
The last week before David and Lisa left was a complete blur. The last weekend they were here Abby came into town and we all ended up crashing at their hotel room in DC. I think it was when Abby said goodbye to them that it really hit me that they were leaving. The Tuesday before, I met them for dinner in DC at probably the best Mexican joint in the area, Rosa Mexicana. It was pretty damn good if I say so myself. More of a fusion place than the hole in the walls I am used to, but the guacamole and salsa were top notch. Wednesday night was dinner at Lisa's folks' house. Jill and Steve are so great and I was really happy to get to see them. Adrian, David's mom, and Monica, Lisa's sister, were also there. The food was great, of course. Jill is an amazing cook and always goes all out. After dinner we went down to the basement to keep Bella company.
Bella is Lisa and David's cat. The original plan was for her to stay with me at the townhouse. The problem was that Bella hates me. Lisa will deny this, but it's true. She's not a bad cat, and I see her being nice to other people, but the only time she didn't hiss at me when I was within a five foot radius of her was in the basement with Lisa sitting right next to me. Her last night in the townhouse I woke up to her about six inches from my nose. She had her front paws on the couch and I know she was expecting to see Lisa or David there. When I opened my eyes it must have occurred to her that it was me because she hissed right in my face. Honestly, I'm a bit scared of her. I tried being friendly, but there is something about me that just doesn't agree with her. I get it, there are a few people I don't like and really don't have a good reason, so I can't get too upset.
After dinner I followed Lisa and David into DC to meet up with Jeff for a drink and some more goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. They suck. I can't stand dragging them out and so I probably come off a little cold. The alternative is a blubbering mess so I figure people will understand. We hung out for a bit, listening to some pretty good jazz and drinking some pretty good wine. At the curb we went our separate ways. They are now in England and I am so excited for them. David will be back in a few weeks to get Bella and then I won't see them again for quite some time.
Here's to new beginnings!
As most of you know I have now been in Virginia for about a month. It has taken me this long to really feel like I'm here to stay. When I first arrived it felt like a vacation. I have visited out here a few times and always have a blast. The three weeks before David and Lisa left for England didn't let me down.
My original plan was to apply to Wegman's, a grocery store in the area. The fact that it is retail (and retail sucks) completely sucked the wind out of my sails on that one. I just couldn't get myself to call and bug them about work again. Lisa suggested I call our friend Alec's temp agency that he went through in the past. It was the first step in probably one of the smoothest transitions, ever.
I called and made an appointment to interview with them the following day. They hired me after some testing and called me the next day with a job. The job fell through but the day after that they had another one lined up for me. The following week I started working at Freddie Mac. Freddie is a huge underwriting (among other things) company in the area. It's huge.
With the job all set (I will write more about it in a different blog) it was time to enjoy the last few weeks I had with Lisa and David. We really did a lot! Went into Georgetown, drove down to UVA and had brunch at Boar's Head, went to a BBQ and science party in one night, went to a Nationals' game and simply hung out. Every time I am out here we are running around because it's just not possible to fit it all in. It was really nice to be able to go to the park and read or go to watch the NBA playoff games in Pentagon City.
The Nationals game was a lot of fun. Walk off homer in the bottom of the 9th, thank you very much! I can't wait to take my mom to the park to see the Giants in June. I don't know if I can be a Nats fan though. What would I do when the Giants came to town? It's like inviting your husband over to dinner at your boyfriend's house. It just seems wrong. I have decided I need an AL team to get on board with. I love the A's but when push comes to shove, the Giants are my guys and I have to have a team out here or I may go crazy.
Also since I have been here I have started running again. The weather is perfect for it, for now, and so I wanted to get a head start on my marathon training before the real heat hit. That's right, another marathon! The Marine Marathon is in October. Abby is running it and I think that if I train properly, unlike before, I can really do well. Nate said he will fly out and so I am really looking forward to the entire experience.
The last week before David and Lisa left was a complete blur. The last weekend they were here Abby came into town and we all ended up crashing at their hotel room in DC. I think it was when Abby said goodbye to them that it really hit me that they were leaving. The Tuesday before, I met them for dinner in DC at probably the best Mexican joint in the area, Rosa Mexicana. It was pretty damn good if I say so myself. More of a fusion place than the hole in the walls I am used to, but the guacamole and salsa were top notch. Wednesday night was dinner at Lisa's folks' house. Jill and Steve are so great and I was really happy to get to see them. Adrian, David's mom, and Monica, Lisa's sister, were also there. The food was great, of course. Jill is an amazing cook and always goes all out. After dinner we went down to the basement to keep Bella company.
Bella is Lisa and David's cat. The original plan was for her to stay with me at the townhouse. The problem was that Bella hates me. Lisa will deny this, but it's true. She's not a bad cat, and I see her being nice to other people, but the only time she didn't hiss at me when I was within a five foot radius of her was in the basement with Lisa sitting right next to me. Her last night in the townhouse I woke up to her about six inches from my nose. She had her front paws on the couch and I know she was expecting to see Lisa or David there. When I opened my eyes it must have occurred to her that it was me because she hissed right in my face. Honestly, I'm a bit scared of her. I tried being friendly, but there is something about me that just doesn't agree with her. I get it, there are a few people I don't like and really don't have a good reason, so I can't get too upset.
After dinner I followed Lisa and David into DC to meet up with Jeff for a drink and some more goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. They suck. I can't stand dragging them out and so I probably come off a little cold. The alternative is a blubbering mess so I figure people will understand. We hung out for a bit, listening to some pretty good jazz and drinking some pretty good wine. At the curb we went our separate ways. They are now in England and I am so excited for them. David will be back in a few weeks to get Bella and then I won't see them again for quite some time.
Here's to new beginnings!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Ladson
On my way to South Carolina I stopped off in Atlanta to visit Roz. Lucky for me, Eddie and Chip were at her place for brunch. I really like hanging out with them. Eddie and Chip remind me a lot of my dad. They are all very smart and every time I talk to them I learn something new. It was a great meal and great company. Roz made sure that I was sent off with food for the road and Chip and Eddie made sure that I had an emergency TV for Virginia. I didn't think it was needed either, but with the tornadoes down south I'm feeling a little better about the yellow TV, flashlight, radio, lamp combo. On my way out of town I stopped by Sweet Water Brewery. Since it was Sunday they were closed, next time.
Pulling up to David and Laura's place felt like home. It is the only place on my entire trip that I had been to before. A couple of years ago I spent Thanksgiving with them. Not to mention that David is my self-appointed guardian and Laura has easily become one of my best friends over the years.
My bonus was to get to see Sierra and Luna. They are David and Laura's sweet Husky pups. Sierra is the nutty spastic, slightly chubby one and Luna is the princess, sleek one with one blue and one brown eye.
The next day David had to go to work so Laura and I went to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and grub. When David got off of work we went to the set of Army Wives for Laura to fill out some paperwork to be on the show. Then off to Charleston for smoothies and some shopping. It was so nice to chill out and see them. Walking along the pier and down by the market.
For dinner we went out for buffalo wings and trivia. I almost beat David, so close! I got the rib wing combo, damn good!
More than once, or a more times than I can count would be more accurate, they have suggested that I move down there. Someday perhaps. For now I am so excited to be on the same coast as them.
Pulling up to David and Laura's place felt like home. It is the only place on my entire trip that I had been to before. A couple of years ago I spent Thanksgiving with them. Not to mention that David is my self-appointed guardian and Laura has easily become one of my best friends over the years.
My bonus was to get to see Sierra and Luna. They are David and Laura's sweet Husky pups. Sierra is the nutty spastic, slightly chubby one and Luna is the princess, sleek one with one blue and one brown eye.
The next day David had to go to work so Laura and I went to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and grub. When David got off of work we went to the set of Army Wives for Laura to fill out some paperwork to be on the show. Then off to Charleston for smoothies and some shopping. It was so nice to chill out and see them. Walking along the pier and down by the market.
For dinner we went out for buffalo wings and trivia. I almost beat David, so close! I got the rib wing combo, damn good!
More than once, or a more times than I can count would be more accurate, they have suggested that I move down there. Someday perhaps. For now I am so excited to be on the same coast as them.
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