5.31.2010 - Day 38

Life is great. Not perfect, but definitely going well. Things are on the up and up (and this Euro Techno Pop is definitely helping, it makes me so happy!). This weekend has had some ups and downs, but it has been largely enjoyable. I wouldn't have anticipated a four day weekend to be so...difficult to enjoy. I think it just took lots of energy to take full advantage of the weekend. Saturday was my lazy day but since then it's been great - and Friday was good too!

First things first: work. I've really been enjoying my internship. So much that I'm looking into pursuing employment at an agency, located in SLC, that works in association with IIE. I really feel I'm getting a hang of things and, well, that I am doing things well. I hope to take this drive I have right now to work tomorrow (hopefully I won't sleep it off :P). I also feel like I'm starting to develop relationships with my coworkers. We had a new seasonal worker arrive this week and having a new face has really inspired more conversation and the office feels more social now - or at least our giant six desk cubicle does.

Friday we had off from work AND school (we've earned it doing extra briefings for two weeks). The morning was practically perfect in every way. I started off waking up, well rested and then headed out to finish my tour of the Phillips Collection (an art gallery) and then visited two other smaller art galleries. Afterwards I walked back to my apartment, changed and headed to a yoga class. It was so refreshing. It has been quite a while since I last got to do yoga. To top it off I used my coupon for a free mini frozen yogurt and, with raspberries, it was scrumptious. The rest of the day I spent at the National Archives with a group from the Barlow Center (of the few who didn't go to NYC) and then ate dinner at the famous "Ben's Chili Bowl", where only Bill Cosby and the Obama family eat free. To finish the night I went to the Austrian embassy for a jazz performance by a famous Austrian jazz musician for his premiere performance in DC. He played the piano and then, after intermission, was accompanied by his son on violin. Violin in jazz is very different. At times I wondered how that small instrument could make those sounds; occasionally it sounded like an electric guitar - wild, I know.

Saturday was much more laid back, I really didn't do much. I made it to the National Zoological and that was...full of animals? It was nice because it was free, but I didn't think it was any greater than Hogle zoo, just more spread out - or so it seemed. For such a small area, DC does have a lot of parks. I wonder what the percentage of parkland is here in the district?

Sunday was a much more eventful day, and I really enjoyed it. To begin I headed off to the National Cathedral, for mass - it turns out that the Cathedral is Episcopalian, NOT Catholic like I had presumed. The service was pleasant, the stained glass beautiful, and the music appealing. I sat very far back so anything that wasn't said through a microphone was just a jumble of echoes by the time it reached me. Following mass I toured the building some and wandered through the garden, the Bishop's Garden, I believe it was called. It was very nice, but very hot so I sought out shade and didn't linger long.

I caught the bus and headed to church (LDS).

Following the meeting there I rushed back to my apartment to change and met a few new friends - Derek, Mark and Neil (the latter two I'd not yet met) - near the Smithsonian Castle for a picnic lunch. The food they had brought was stored in a cooler in their car. It took FOREVER to cross the street. There was some parade of sorts, we assume related to Memorial Day, of motorcycles. We had to wait until an officer stopped traffic to allow us to cross. I think the bikers thought we were watching them - ha! After lunch, a good thirty to forty minutes later, there were STILL bikers on parade. The event must have lasted an hour or more.

After that ordeal we made it back to the Mall and headed for the National Museum of Natural History. They had already seen most of the museum so we just hit what they had yet to see. Next we went to the Hirshhorn Museum of Art (and parted ways with Neil and Mark) followed by the Air and Space Museum. Honestly, I don't care so much for these giant museums, too crowded and too much to ever really take in. But I'll still go, for the experience, you know?

Shortly after leaving the Air and Space Museum, we met up with another friend, Ashish. It was great to just talk, and I'll admit we had some great conversation :) We wandered the Mall and saw lights up by the Capital and decided to check out the ongoing concert. By the time we arrived there the event was coming to a close, but we did hear Lionel Richie (I think that's who it was...) sing a patriotic song, I forget which. That concluded our night :)

Monday, 5/31, Ashish and I went to Annapolis, MD. Did you know that was once the capital of the nation for a total of nine months? It is the only state capital building that has been used as both a national and state capital building. We mostly wandered through the city and enjoyed some of the sights. We went on a boat tour of the harbor and saw the bay bridge, the Naval Academy, and lots of water, among other things. Apparently the water in the bay is not as salty as other parts as there is a large river that empties into it, and no, I don't know its name...

I had a real Maryland Crab Cake. It was good meat, but a little much without any veggies to balance it out. We got ice cream; I had Turtle Cheesecake...it was sooo yummy. The best cheesecake ice cream I've ever tasted, hands down.

So, obviously this post is rather late in surfacing :/ but better late than never, right? And just think, you'll get a whole new one in just a few days!