Under the weather

It's my last weekend in D.C- the time just flew by! This last week hasn't been very exciting, I've been sick, so everyday after work I've come straight home to bed. Work has been kinda crazy, trying to figure out all the presenters for the Family Readiness Conference 2009. Even though I feel like there's a lot of things to get done, I feel good knowing I'm contributing. I'm really impressed with how much work my supervisor, Cathann, has done; I never knew how much organization and planning it took to put together a large conference. Being sick this last week, everyone at work went out of there way to ask me how I was feeling. Even with all the tasks that needed to be accomplished, Cathann worked with me on my hours, so that I could go home early one day and sleep in several days. This weekend I'm mostly staying in and trying to rest-walking pneumonia is no fun. Tomorrow afternoon I plan to take my kindle and have a picnic; enjoying the lush green of D.C. a little longer.

Next Friday, after a security de-brief, Sarah (another intern) is helping arrange a good bye type dinner. Everyone from work will be invited and we're trying to pick a restaurant close to the Pentagon.

This Monday, Rachel leaves for Peru. I'm so excited for her and I know she'll have a great time, but it seems sad to be going home without her there waiting. When she gets back we'll have to celebrate both our homecomings and look through both our pictures.

Last Thursday was my mom's last round of chemo. Once I'm home and germ free, I plan to take her out for lunch to celebrate.

While I'm sad to be leaving D.C. and will miss a lot of my co-workers, there are so many things to celebrate at home. I'm looking forward to starting my senior year, begin interning at Catholic Charities, and applying to Grad School. I miss my beautiful apartment and my room-and I'm excited to see if we stay there after our lease runs up in January.

I don't have any pictures from this last week, but I hope to take a few more. Wednesday after work I plan to hit the National Mall and seafood market one last time. Thursday evening will probably be spent packing and cleaning. Next Saturday the van will pick me up around 12 to head back to the airport, and Ann Kelley is picking me up from the airport in AZ. I can't wait to hear about her son Jonathan's wedding.

If I don't post again before I'm home, I look forward to seeing you all soon. Lots of love,

-Kate

It's been way too long since my last blog, but between a bunch of homework, work being a little stressful, and a cold-I don't want to write a long blog. I figured a few pictures with captions could suffice.

Danielle, Sarah and I (all interns) went out to sushi last week after the Secretary Gates Q&A. After sushi we wandered over to the capital to sit and talk.

This squirrel was stealing candy bar wrappers out of the trash. I almost lost my backpack in the water when I went to take a picture, but Danielle saved it!

This beautiful Castle looking building is actually a Catholic Church, and the office of Catholic Charities- the organization I'll be interning with in AZ in the Fall and Spring

In Downtown D.C. I ran into a baby possum-go figure

Everyone thought it was a big rat at first

Me being a nerd in Madame Tussaud's wax museum

...still at the wax museum...

(sadly not real)

Amy and I went to a Cubs vs Nationals game. Ben didn't like my cubs shirt

Amy bought the cubs shirts-I was forced to be a cubs fan

Apparently there are a lot of cubs fans in D.C. The game had over 36,000 people in attendance!!! The metro was a mess

We had awesome seats behind home plate. Look at the un-zoomed view

Last Sunday I went to see King Lear. This is outside the Shakespeare Theater in Chinatown

Saturday, the 25th, Amy and I went to Atlantic City. When we got there, it was super foggy

As the afternoon wore on, the sun came out. We only had about 5 hours in Atlantic City, so I didn't want to get too sandy, but I couldn't resist getting knee-high into the water

Amy and I with our ankles in the water. The ocean looked beautiful

On the boardwalk, a guy was riding his BMX in a metal sphere

Thanks for reading!

Loving Work

I'm sorry I haven't kept in very good contact with people as individuals; life is crazy busy in a good way.

Work is pretty much amazing. Even when my tasks are complicated or a little frustrating, I am learning so much. I have plenty of work, and at the end of the day I feel like I've accomplished something good. I wish I could say more, but I'd have to run it by my supervisor :0)

Yesterday, I got to go to a Q&A with Secretary Robert Gates-THE Secretary of Defense. I sat about 12 feet from him, and was one of like 11 people who got to ask him a question. Here is what I asked:

"Previously, you spoke about trying to have more assets available for injured troops in Afghanistan after visiting with several Wounded Warriors. You spoke of the addition of more helicopters for medical evacuation with the goal of trying to help injured soldiers receive care as close to the golden hour as possible. Has the amount of time soldiers are waiting for treatment continued to decrease? Would you say we are making positive strides towards helping the wounded soldiers?"

Secretary Gates Q&A Session for DoD Interns--Can you find me in the picture?

I was honored to be able to attend the Q&A, let alone get to ask a question. Secretary Gates was very passionate about getting troops in Afghanistan the same standard of care as the troops in Iraq.

Tuesday in class I had a debate--the surprise stress for the night was when my debate partner didn't show! It was me on the more difficult pro side against two other very passionate students, eek. Oh well, at least its over, and I think my professor cut me some slack since my partner was a no show.

Besides that, life is pretty good. I got a sinus infection over the weekend, but I've been taking antibiotics and feel almost entirely better. The weather today was pretty hot, but besides today it's been staying in the low 80s and not too humid. I still can't get enough rain, wind, or green grass.

I also caught my first lightening bugs. I washed my old peanut butter jar and caught three of them in about two minutes!

People on the Metro were laughing at me and my lightening bugs, but in a good way

Part of me really wishes I could stay in D.C. for several more months...or more... but I am definitely looking forward to being back in my nice clean apartment with a bed that I fit in.

Thanks for reading

(p.s. If you couldn't find me in the picture, I'm three rows back, on the end, on the left side)

Three Day Weekends ROCK

This last week at MC&FP has been good--I love it when I get to draft important work :0)

A couple times I felt a little ill this last week, but I kept drinking lots of water, took extra vitamins, and was able to stay on my feet!

Thursday, I got off work early (since Friday was a Federal Holiday, we only had to work 28.8 hours) and went down to the National Mall. They're currently having this huge festival out on the lawn, so I went down to walk around. I even bought some of the over-priced "folk" food--never again.

Festival on the National Mall Lawn

Friday morning I slept in until 8:30 then made homemade corned beef hash and canned cinnamon rolls. Yum! It was so nice to have a slow morning with a good breakfast. Then I headed down towards Chinatown, where my first stop was the American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery

The American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery

The floor had all sorts of folk art

The Portrait Gallery had a lot of cool pictures of Lincoln-this was my favorite

I fell in love with all of the marble statues. They look like they were made out of butter instead of stone. The pure white marble even had bits of sparkle to it

I loved all of the marble statues and busts, but her hair was amazing

This painting was huge (around 12 feet wide) and gorgeous...this picture doesn't give the painting justice

A mini statue of liberty leading into a hall full of American Art

The museum's building was even a work of art. The higher

up in the building you got, the more amazing it looked

Contemporary art was one of my favorite sections

Idaho had potatoes on every one of its screens (I cracked up)

I don't know what it was supposed to be, but it was cool

This had so much detail and was over 20 feet wide

The top floor had their restoration area with glass walls

Bob Hope made out of wood

I was shocked when I came across this area-rows and rows of art in storage, but housed so that you could still see it

Computers allowed guests to look up works of art and then find the correct row

After the American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery, I walked toward Chinatown and ate some yummy Kung Pao Chicken. Then I went over to the Spy Museum, where I went on the cheesy but fun interactive spy adventure. While I was at the Spy Museum, a friend invited me to a Nationals Game.

We were in the nose-bleeds, but had a great view of the whole field

Chris and I at the game drinking strawberry daiquiris--Chris is lives in Alexandria and is interning at the White House

At the end of the 4th inning, the Nationals game has the

presidents race--it was hilarious, and everyone was cheering

After the games on Friday nights, they have fireworks. We had the perfect view

The 4th of July:

Saturday Morning I went and got my hair cut. My hair had been too long and annoying me and the cut was long past due, but I really like the way it came out.

For fireworks I decided to brave the crowds and head down to the National Mall. After changing my mind multiple times about where to go, I took a blanket, some water, a book and a subway sandwich toward the Lincoln Memorial. Chris came with me, and I even ran into Amy (my roommate).

I got down to the Lincoln Memorial around 6 and found the perfect spot right next to the reflecting pool. Half of the reflecting pool was blocked off, because they shoot the fireworks right there next to the Washington Monument.

Amy and I with my amazing view of the Washington Monument

Chris and I with the view in the opposite direction of the Lincoln Memorial

I couldn't resist showing off my amazing patriotic outfit

Fireworks weren't until 9:10, but I had fun sitting out on the lawn. It was about 75 degrees and overcast with a slight breeze-perfect weather. As it got darker, the monuments lit up beautifully

Lincoln's glowing

Right on time, the fireworks started.

The fireworks on the National Mall were THE BIGGEST fireworks I'd ever seen. They were huge, loud, bright and amazing

It was definately the best fireworks show I'd ever seen and well worth the crowds and wait

All the smoke from the fireworks looked cool around the Washington Monument

The fireworks were so bright and the finale was almost scary it was so bright and loud. I've never seen anything like it before

Thanks for reading; I hope everyone else had a great 4th as well

Revision

To revise the previous post... I ended up doing 5 loads of laundry.

And those of you asking about cookies... I didn't buy the stuff because I realised I would have to buy everything from flour to sugar to egss to baking soda (and the cookie sheet here sucks), but Danielle-the other intern @ MC&FP lives in Falls Church and agreed to let me come make cookies with her sometime next week. Then I can eat some and send some to my bro!

P.S. It was raining when I got out of class... listening to Enya in the rain is one of my favorite things in the whole world. The rain makes me feel energized....like I could run 5 miles, even though I have no intention of running anywhere.

Yawn... Another Week Gone By

Yawn...it's Sunday Morning and I'm tired. I guess that's what happens when you spend your time flying from one thing to the next

Time sure is flying here! I had to double check the calendar twice; it doesn't feel like June 28th. I've been here a month, and I'm still staying busy, having fun, and have a whole list of things I want to do. This last week at work went well; I was able to help create several spreadsheets for other people in the office-it's always nice feel useful.

Yesterday, another intern and I went to Six Flags America. They had a special online deal of buy-on-get-one-free admission, and the park is only an hour and a half metro/bus ride away or 45 minute drive. Six Flags America was lots of fun and yesterday was a super hot and sunny day; thankfully this six flags has the Hurricane Harbor (water park) inside it for free! I went on all of the main roller coasters, several huge water slides, and even got a turkey leg for lunch (it was super moist and delicious). I put on sunscreen several times--so I got a little burnt on my face, shoulders, and hairline, but not bad.

Today I'm going to mostly stay home. I need to do about 4 loads of laundry (our washer is tiny, and I need to wash clothes, sheets, and towels), and I want to clean my bedroom and bathroom. I also am planning on walking to the grocery store to buy ingredients to make cookies and more lunch stuff.

I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the upcoming 3 day weekend and the 4th of July.

Thanks for reading!

A Train Accident, Loads of food, and Mr. President

The Metro Train Wreck

As I’m sure most of you saw, two red metro trains collided Monday. Currently, there are reports of 76 people injured and 9 deaths; two riders are still in critical condition. The responses here are all the same—everyone was worried about people who commute to Maryland and felt overwhelming worry and compassion for those involved. TWC student interns were just getting out of programming when the trains collided; they are asking everyone to call/e-mail their RAs or Program advisors to make sure that everyone is ok and accounted for. The Washington Post has numerous articles, full of eye-witness reports of people (a pentagon civilian employee and a student intern at the American Sleep Apnea Association among them) on the trains; many who were uninjured spent their time trying to comfort and help those less fortunate.

I feel terribly grateful and lucky that I was not on the train, but somewhat disturbed by several of the reports coming in. The trains are supposed to be ‘impossible’ to crash, with computer systems that automatically enable the brakes if two trains are too close. There are also emergency breaks that the operator can hit, but people on the train say they neither heard nor felt any breaking. While my worry is not that this is likely to happen again, or to happen to me, I feel such sadness for those who were not helped despite supposed preventative measures. The train that ‘rear-ended’ the other was nearly 30 years old.

Going to class yesterday night was an aggravating process. The Brookland/CUA stop was closed, and the entire red train was backed up. It took well over an hour to get there, taking different metros, and then a shuttle to the final stop. There were people pushing and shoving… I felt like a sardine most of the trip.

Friday- Seeing the President x2

Friday, the President of the United States Barack Obama (yes, you read that right) came to my office building in Rosslyn. My office is on the 6^th floor, and he was visiting the 2^nd floor, so unfortunately I didn’t get to see or meet him, but I did get to observe all the preparations that went into planning his arrival. The week prior, we were sent an e-mail saying that the building had been randomly selected for a ‘government mandated drill’ in the parking garage… that they would be checking cars on Friday, and to allow extra time to get to work. As the day progressed, we realized this was not a random screening. There were secret service all over; my side of the building looked down to where the president would be arriving. My fellow intern, Danielle, was first in realizing that the President was coming to our building; she had to run outside for an errand and saw a tent being built and a sign on the 2^nd floor stating ‘Welcome Mr. President’. We watched a lot of the events unfold from the sixth floor, including the bomb sniffing dog smelling all the cubicles. We even saw the gentleman with the big guns (snipers) walk over, and then later saw them on our roof. As the time for President Obama’s arrival drew closer, Danielle and I went outside to try and stake a spot to watch from. We ended up having to move several times as they pushed everyone farther away from the street, but eventually Danielle was on the corner and I was standing on a bench behind a parking sign. The streets were blocked off, and we got to watch his whole motor brigade arrive; what a sight!

Later, that same night, two other interns and I were walking down the street near the White House when we came to a street with cops blocking the intersection. We couldn’t cross, but two minutes later, the whole motor brigade drives by. I guess the President’s car likes me. :0)

My office building

View from the 6th floor of police re-routing traffic

The Snipers arrive

The dog with the expensive nose--his handler was very nice

Danielle and I standing outside our office building before we got moved farther away

In front of the tent the President pulled into

The growing crowd

They said move behind the Parking sign, so I stood on the bench

Binoculars examining the crowd

The President's motorcycle brigade

He arrived

His limo

Seeing the President's Motorcade later that night

Weekend in Pennsylvania

Saturday morning, I traveled to Philadelphia by Amtrak. I rode the metro to Union Station (about a 45 minute ride) and my train left at 10:20. The two hour train ride went by very quickly; the seats are comfortable and the view was beautiful. I would highly recommend using the Amtrak to take a trip—it can be a tad expensive, but my Aunt and Uncle were very generous and bought my ticket for me. I got into Philly shortly after 12, and both John and Val (the aforementioned aunt and uncle) were there waiting for me. We went to Chinatown for Dim Sum and gorged ourselves; it was amazing. After Dim Sum we stopped at a Chinese Bakery and bought a coconut bubble tea to share, John got a custard bun (a bun with custard in it, lol) and some almond cookies for later. The drive back to their house took approximately an hour (they live just outside of Reading), but was filled with gorgeous buildings, green trees, lakes, and rolling hills—all picturesque views. It was an overcast day (which always makes me smile) and their two dogs Zoey (an 11 year old mutt) and Dempsi (twenty month old boxer) gave me a warm greeting. We started to take the dogs for a walk, but it started raining and we turned around. We went into the backyard, which has no fences but backs up to forest, and Dempsi and I played in the rain while John and Val sat under an awning. Dempsi and I played Frisbee and ran around the house in the pouring rain until every bit of me was soaked…at one point I even slipped in the wet grass and ended up flat on my back laughing.

After a warm shower and a change of clothes, the three of us went to dinner—we shared some cheese fries with old bay seasoning for an appetizer (which was really good) and then I ate an order of ribs, mmmm. We rented Slumdog Millionaire on the way home, but both John and I fell asleep. I felt as old as them (that’s a joke, if they’re reading this; they are very young and not obese at all).

Sunday morning Dempsi has so much energy, he had to run on the treadmill to “take the edge off”!!!! While Val and I watched Dempsi, John cooked us all breakfast…we had scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage and salsa as well as hash browns and yummy mimosas. We then all took the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood, ran a few errands in town, and then sat outside to enjoy the day. That afternoon my cousin Peter (my dad’s sister’s son), came over; unfortunately his wife is having morning sickness and couldn’t join us. We had a clam bake: lots of clams, lobster, sweet potatoes, broccoli salad and bread. My aunt and uncle have great taste in food… I think I’m in love with old bay now. It seems to go on everything! We even ate the almond cookies for dessert.

All too soon, it was time to drive back to Philadelphia to catch my train back to D.C. I asked my uncle where I could get some authentic Philly Cheese Steaks to take back with me, and we stopped by a restaurant near University of Pennsylvania that was his favorite place in College. I bought 2 Philly Cheese Steaks with provolone cheese and carried them in by backpack home.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend—full of fun and food, my favorite combination. The Cheese Steaks even reheated quite well in the oven. Who could ask for more?

Video of Dempsi on the treadmill

Uncle John cooking breakfast in the kitchen Sunday Morning

Cooking Seafood

I found a seafood marina in Downtown D.C. online and walked there after work. It was about a half mile there... but I accidentally took a long walk back. IT WAS STILL WAY WORTH THE WALK!!!

I bought 12 Maryland Blue Medium Crabs for $12, and they threw in 2 extra crabs as well as a bag full of old bay seasoning. I also bought 3 mallets for $2, and 4lbs of Mussels for $7.50. YUM.

The cooking and cleaning of the crabs turned out to be quite an adventure. I'd never cooked fresh crab before, and several of the crabs did not want to go into my VERY SMALL pot. I dropped two in the process of avoiding getting pinched, but they got rinsed and thrown in anyways. I had to cook the crabs in intervals since my pot wouldn't hold more than 3 or 4 crabs at a time.

Here are some of the live crabs

The bag full of seasoning

The only time I felt guilty steaming them was when they would claw at the lid

I cooked the mussels similar to how Uncle John cooked the clams this weekend--olive oil, garlic, bacon, cilantro, onion powder and white wine... with bread to dip in the sauce. MMMM

Thanks for Reading!!!!