Life has been a little intense lately. I work on an events team, planning a national conference at the end of may. My life has pretty much been devoted to this conference--even when i'm not at work, i'm sometimes thinking about it. awhile back my supervisor mentioned "keeping me on" to work until the conference. My hopes soared.
Today I made it happen. I get to go home for a few days and then return to DC and finish planning the conference...and then attend it :)
I've been saying for so long that i feel like an integral part of the team. I love this organization, and every task i've been given I've tried to do my best at. And it's paid off. And it's a great feeling. I absolutely cannot wait.
Seattle here I come :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday updates
Hello world. The week at work was really good. Our execs as well as one member of the events team (there's only 3 of us) were away on international travel so we had a lot to keep up with -- and again, I feel like an important part of the team. Watching this conference come together has been so so amazing. this has been one of the best experiences ever. Even though I'm completely broke, and I miss my family & friends, it's totally worth it.
The weekend has been a rollercoaster. Friday was awesome; we went to Philadelphia as a group and it was awesome to bond like that. We had so much fun. It was great to see where the Founders debated and signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It was also cool to see the Liberty bell. AH. loved it. I also loved the city itself; the atmosphere was awesome. Not mention it was a beautiful day outside. We went to this area called South Street, and it was sooo fun. Definitely very culturally diverse--reminded me of Dupont or something, but way more fun. People watching there was really cool. That night we got back and just crashed -- 5ish hours in a packed fan can make you sleepy!
Saturday Jamie & I went to ben's chili bowl with her coworker. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it back one more time before leaving. They showed us this video while we were there about all these historical moments & BCB being on the news. The Pres has eaten there :) I just love that place. The weather yesterday & today has been crazy. 90 degrees both days! I love it!
Last night I logged on to facebook and was greeted with some shocking news. I found out that my ex-boyfriend's freshman year roommate, Rob, was killed in a car accident. Rob was only at Simpson for a short amount of time, but while he was there, we all loved him. My roommate and I spent a lot of time with the boys of Kresge 7 and we always talked about how we missed Rob and wished he would come back to visit. He was just driving along on Friday night when he was hit head on and killed. The driver of the other car was not killed; nor was his passenger. It's so tragic and it really caught me off guard. Rob was exactly my age...which makes me think: if I were to die today did I fit enough in? It doesn't ever seem like a real possibility but when someone is taken from you so unexpectedly like that it really makes you think. RIP RK 4/24/09.
We also went out to Adam's Morgan last night, which was fun because there were a LOT of people and I got a Jumbo Slice piece of pizza :) I didn't feel too well, however, so we came home. While we were waiting for the metro, we experienced something I hope I never have to witness ever again. A man who was obviously mentally disabled, drunk, or both, ran down the escalator and threw himself onto the tracks. Luckily, Jamie saw this happen and screamed for help. The guys around us grabbed the man and helped him up onto the platform..the scariest thing was the pair of headlights coming in our direction from the tunnel...ugh, I shudder when I think about it. Had we not seen him, however, I think it would have been fine because the approaching train slowed down dramatically. The driver must have seen some kind of ruckus happening. I'm so grateful. That was probably the scariest thing I have witnessed in awhile; I dont know what I would have done had that man succeeded in his suicide mission. My thoughts and prayers are with him.
Today we went to the Eastern Market, as it may be one of our last opportunities :( . Finally got some chips & salsa that I always sample and love but never buy. I love that place; definitely going to miss it. I have a sinus headache today but I'm trying to get papers done. 2 done, 3 to go.
Hope everyone is doing well. Shout out to my girl Emily who had her 21st birthday this weekend!
The weekend has been a rollercoaster. Friday was awesome; we went to Philadelphia as a group and it was awesome to bond like that. We had so much fun. It was great to see where the Founders debated and signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It was also cool to see the Liberty bell. AH. loved it. I also loved the city itself; the atmosphere was awesome. Not mention it was a beautiful day outside. We went to this area called South Street, and it was sooo fun. Definitely very culturally diverse--reminded me of Dupont or something, but way more fun. People watching there was really cool. That night we got back and just crashed -- 5ish hours in a packed fan can make you sleepy!
Saturday Jamie & I went to ben's chili bowl with her coworker. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it back one more time before leaving. They showed us this video while we were there about all these historical moments & BCB being on the news. The Pres has eaten there :) I just love that place. The weather yesterday & today has been crazy. 90 degrees both days! I love it!
Last night I logged on to facebook and was greeted with some shocking news. I found out that my ex-boyfriend's freshman year roommate, Rob, was killed in a car accident. Rob was only at Simpson for a short amount of time, but while he was there, we all loved him. My roommate and I spent a lot of time with the boys of Kresge 7 and we always talked about how we missed Rob and wished he would come back to visit. He was just driving along on Friday night when he was hit head on and killed. The driver of the other car was not killed; nor was his passenger. It's so tragic and it really caught me off guard. Rob was exactly my age...which makes me think: if I were to die today did I fit enough in? It doesn't ever seem like a real possibility but when someone is taken from you so unexpectedly like that it really makes you think. RIP RK 4/24/09.
We also went out to Adam's Morgan last night, which was fun because there were a LOT of people and I got a Jumbo Slice piece of pizza :) I didn't feel too well, however, so we came home. While we were waiting for the metro, we experienced something I hope I never have to witness ever again. A man who was obviously mentally disabled, drunk, or both, ran down the escalator and threw himself onto the tracks. Luckily, Jamie saw this happen and screamed for help. The guys around us grabbed the man and helped him up onto the platform..the scariest thing was the pair of headlights coming in our direction from the tunnel...ugh, I shudder when I think about it. Had we not seen him, however, I think it would have been fine because the approaching train slowed down dramatically. The driver must have seen some kind of ruckus happening. I'm so grateful. That was probably the scariest thing I have witnessed in awhile; I dont know what I would have done had that man succeeded in his suicide mission. My thoughts and prayers are with him.
Today we went to the Eastern Market, as it may be one of our last opportunities :( . Finally got some chips & salsa that I always sample and love but never buy. I love that place; definitely going to miss it. I have a sinus headache today but I'm trying to get papers done. 2 done, 3 to go.
Hope everyone is doing well. Shout out to my girl Emily who had her 21st birthday this weekend!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 21st, 2009, how did you get here already?
SO I'm horrible at keeping up with this blog thing. It's not that exciting things aren't happening, its mostly that I'm lazy and I have other things to do than write in here. Oops!
Things have been good at work. Things were really stressful the week I got back (from my week at home) and for the week after that. Now things are coming down to the wire, but for some reason I'm slacking off a little lately. It may be because my executives are gone, OR because I see the end in sight and I'm not going to the conference... who knows. Today I was a little busier, but last Thursday and yesterday all I did was look for a job for the summer. :-/
I gotta say though, it doesn't feel like I have to leave. It just feels like I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. It's a big part of my life! Plus it's been awesome getting to know the other interns. I just adore T and M (who may or may not be a couple..!) and it'll be tough to not be around here anymore!
I really think I want to move out here for grad school should I decide to go. I want to be a real student out here and have a real community -- while getting a Masters (or something). We'll see. Maybe I'll live with T... :)
Class has been going pretty well, too. I don't really like the dynamic of the class because I just feel like everyone is better than me or he values their opinions more; however I did do really well on my last presentation so I will at least hopefully get a good grade.
J's birthday was last weekend, which was awesome. Her sister was in town and we went out both nights. It was fun to be out on the town. Hopefully we'll hang out next year at school, too. We're trying to figure out a way to take a trip to NY before our time here ends..fingers crossed!
We went to Mt. Vernon last Friday and it was just so awesome to see where our first President actually lived. So beautiful and definitely surreal.
This Friday we're going to Independence Hall in PA. Should be a fun little road trip. Going to see Independence Hall.
I think that's all I got. More later.. (as always)
Things have been good at work. Things were really stressful the week I got back (from my week at home) and for the week after that. Now things are coming down to the wire, but for some reason I'm slacking off a little lately. It may be because my executives are gone, OR because I see the end in sight and I'm not going to the conference... who knows. Today I was a little busier, but last Thursday and yesterday all I did was look for a job for the summer. :-/
I gotta say though, it doesn't feel like I have to leave. It just feels like I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. It's a big part of my life! Plus it's been awesome getting to know the other interns. I just adore T and M (who may or may not be a couple..!) and it'll be tough to not be around here anymore!
I really think I want to move out here for grad school should I decide to go. I want to be a real student out here and have a real community -- while getting a Masters (or something). We'll see. Maybe I'll live with T... :)
Class has been going pretty well, too. I don't really like the dynamic of the class because I just feel like everyone is better than me or he values their opinions more; however I did do really well on my last presentation so I will at least hopefully get a good grade.
J's birthday was last weekend, which was awesome. Her sister was in town and we went out both nights. It was fun to be out on the town. Hopefully we'll hang out next year at school, too. We're trying to figure out a way to take a trip to NY before our time here ends..fingers crossed!
We went to Mt. Vernon last Friday and it was just so awesome to see where our first President actually lived. So beautiful and definitely surreal.
This Friday we're going to Independence Hall in PA. Should be a fun little road trip. Going to see Independence Hall.
I think that's all I got. More later.. (as always)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Good Day, Bad Day
Yesterday was an awesome day.
It was great to go back to work, and see everyone.
The first awesome thing about it was that I had to prepare for, and lead, a meeting in front of the President & CEO. They said I did well--and the project I'm in charge of is so far successful. It's an amazing feeling.
I also just got a LOT done yesterday. So much that my bosses thanked me profusely when I left work. It felt good to have a week off because it refreshed me; now I'm back at it and as efficient as ever.
There's also going to be an intern video clip that I will be appearing in, to be posted on the intern part of the web site. should be fun! :)
Today was a little less awesome, but hey, that'll happen. I had a headache and was cold all day, and then my phone died. My charger was supposed to be coming in the mail, but I got one of those slips of paper instead that told me to go to a post office...so i walked there, waited in line for 45 minutes, just to be told that it "wasn't there yet." I live four blocks from the post office! How could it not be there? And it was express mail...whatever. So, problem solver that I am, I went to Union Station and the verizon there charged it for me while i walked around....temporary solution anyway.
Just a long day. But already Wednesday tomorrow, and no classes this week. So that's good.
Dad's recovering well, which I'm thankful for. My heart goes out to the Zimmerman family who lost a family member this week. If you read this, please take a moment to pray for these amazing people.
It's ten o'clock and it's definitely already bed time!
It was great to go back to work, and see everyone.
The first awesome thing about it was that I had to prepare for, and lead, a meeting in front of the President & CEO. They said I did well--and the project I'm in charge of is so far successful. It's an amazing feeling.
I also just got a LOT done yesterday. So much that my bosses thanked me profusely when I left work. It felt good to have a week off because it refreshed me; now I'm back at it and as efficient as ever.
There's also going to be an intern video clip that I will be appearing in, to be posted on the intern part of the web site. should be fun! :)
Today was a little less awesome, but hey, that'll happen. I had a headache and was cold all day, and then my phone died. My charger was supposed to be coming in the mail, but I got one of those slips of paper instead that told me to go to a post office...so i walked there, waited in line for 45 minutes, just to be told that it "wasn't there yet." I live four blocks from the post office! How could it not be there? And it was express mail...whatever. So, problem solver that I am, I went to Union Station and the verizon there charged it for me while i walked around....temporary solution anyway.
Just a long day. But already Wednesday tomorrow, and no classes this week. So that's good.
Dad's recovering well, which I'm thankful for. My heart goes out to the Zimmerman family who lost a family member this week. If you read this, please take a moment to pray for these amazing people.
It's ten o'clock and it's definitely already bed time!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
It's Routine Surgery, Really
But nobody can deny that heart surgery is serious. Any kind of surgery is, in my book! I know this blog is supposed to be about my adventures in DC, but as long as I have a blog, I might as well write it all down so I remember the experience. I have this sad habit of not remembering significant happenings in my life--so I'm making it a point to remember this one.
For the faint of heart or easily bored, I suggest skipping the following 2 paragraphs. What I'm going to do is describe the surgery, how it went down, and what's happening now.
What dad has is mitral valve regurgitation, which caused the blood to flow in the wrong direction in part of his heart--making his heart work harder & causing swelling, as well as an irregular heartbeat. The doctors thought they may be able to fix everything with medicine, but that didn't work, so my dad elected to have the surgery. They were unable to repair the valve, so they instead inserted a bovine valve (pig!) which is the closest option to the real thing. This is better than a metal valve, the other option, because now he can be on fewer meds that cause him discomfort. They hooked him up to a heart-lung machine, which keeps the blood circulating throughout the body and provides necessary oxygen to the heart, lungs, brain, etc. all while the heart is stopped so they surgeons can work on it. Amazing, I think!
The next part of the surgery was called maize--which was a procedure done by making burn marks and hopefully shocking the heart back into a normal rhythm. Irregular heartbeat was what brought on this whole problem. It's a 50-50 chance that the maize will keep his heart in a regular heartbeat.
Lastly, they had to cut off an appendige (sorry about the graphics) in order to reduce the swelling. I have always said he has a big heart.. :) But literally, a swollen heart has to work harder--this will make it more efficient and relieve stress.
The surgery itself is routine, like I said, but it's invasive and painful for the most part because they have to break the sternum bone--which is the thick bone protecting your heart. This is where dad's at right now--in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), waiting to get better enough in order to be able to remove all the tubes and things that are connected to him.
Again, I'm sorry if I bored any of you. Just good to have it down on "paper."
It's amazing to me how much support my family has gotten throughout this process. I'm in awe. My dad is a hero; I know he'll pull through this well. I'm glad that the surgery part is over and now we can focus on the healing process. It will be hard to go back to "normal life," but I feel better knowing that we have a good support system at church, at the hospital, and in the community.
It's like I just kind of pressed a "pause" button on my life the past few days. It's been in and out of the hospital, not much sleep, making our own lunches and getting quite cozy in the surgical waiting room. I've found it as a blessing-- my dad gets his heart fixed, and it brings us all together as a family. It's been awesome.
Work and Washington will be there waiting for me when I return. I will have just a month left in the city when I get back.
Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a wonderful day. <3
For the faint of heart or easily bored, I suggest skipping the following 2 paragraphs. What I'm going to do is describe the surgery, how it went down, and what's happening now.
What dad has is mitral valve regurgitation, which caused the blood to flow in the wrong direction in part of his heart--making his heart work harder & causing swelling, as well as an irregular heartbeat. The doctors thought they may be able to fix everything with medicine, but that didn't work, so my dad elected to have the surgery. They were unable to repair the valve, so they instead inserted a bovine valve (pig!) which is the closest option to the real thing. This is better than a metal valve, the other option, because now he can be on fewer meds that cause him discomfort. They hooked him up to a heart-lung machine, which keeps the blood circulating throughout the body and provides necessary oxygen to the heart, lungs, brain, etc. all while the heart is stopped so they surgeons can work on it. Amazing, I think!
The next part of the surgery was called maize--which was a procedure done by making burn marks and hopefully shocking the heart back into a normal rhythm. Irregular heartbeat was what brought on this whole problem. It's a 50-50 chance that the maize will keep his heart in a regular heartbeat.
Lastly, they had to cut off an appendige (sorry about the graphics) in order to reduce the swelling. I have always said he has a big heart.. :) But literally, a swollen heart has to work harder--this will make it more efficient and relieve stress.
The surgery itself is routine, like I said, but it's invasive and painful for the most part because they have to break the sternum bone--which is the thick bone protecting your heart. This is where dad's at right now--in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), waiting to get better enough in order to be able to remove all the tubes and things that are connected to him.
Again, I'm sorry if I bored any of you. Just good to have it down on "paper."
It's amazing to me how much support my family has gotten throughout this process. I'm in awe. My dad is a hero; I know he'll pull through this well. I'm glad that the surgery part is over and now we can focus on the healing process. It will be hard to go back to "normal life," but I feel better knowing that we have a good support system at church, at the hospital, and in the community.
It's like I just kind of pressed a "pause" button on my life the past few days. It's been in and out of the hospital, not much sleep, making our own lunches and getting quite cozy in the surgical waiting room. I've found it as a blessing-- my dad gets his heart fixed, and it brings us all together as a family. It's been awesome.
Work and Washington will be there waiting for me when I return. I will have just a month left in the city when I get back.
Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a wonderful day. <3
Sunday, March 22, 2009
keepin up
Jamie and I have been running. Ok, actually Jamie has always been running, but i've taken up going with her. I can now officially run to the washington monument and back..quite the accomplishment seeing as Capitol Hill (the actual hill) is killer.
Work is up and down. On the best days, I feel like an integral part of the staff, and I feel accomplished, and I do important things. Other days, I'm updating a spreasheet for six hours...and likewise, some days I love it and it goes by quickly, and other days it's dragging on and I can't stay awake.
The recent arrival of our new Executive Team Assistant, M, has made an already positive work environment even better. M and I really get along--and we enjoy being "newbies" together.
I'm midway through my internship, and I have mixed feelings about that. I love this conference...and I also really miss home. Both homes. Formal looked like so much fun!
My dad's surgery is getting closer- I'm going home on Saturday. My entire immediate family will be home..first time since I graduated high school. (almost 3 years!) Should be nice to see the hippie brother.
:)
<3
Work is up and down. On the best days, I feel like an integral part of the staff, and I feel accomplished, and I do important things. Other days, I'm updating a spreasheet for six hours...and likewise, some days I love it and it goes by quickly, and other days it's dragging on and I can't stay awake.
The recent arrival of our new Executive Team Assistant, M, has made an already positive work environment even better. M and I really get along--and we enjoy being "newbies" together.
I'm midway through my internship, and I have mixed feelings about that. I love this conference...and I also really miss home. Both homes. Formal looked like so much fun!
My dad's surgery is getting closer- I'm going home on Saturday. My entire immediate family will be home..first time since I graduated high school. (almost 3 years!) Should be nice to see the hippie brother.
:)
<3
Sunday, March 15, 2009
just another sunday
So C's visit was awesome. It was so nice to have someone here from home. Sad to see her go!
Friday night was a lot of fun, too, except I swear this bar we go to, McFaddens, is cursed. C lost her coat and phone (which I later found..on the curb outside. wtf?) and managed to chip her tooth on a beer bottle. I think she had a good night, overall though...haha.
Saturday we kicked back and took it easy and today we went grocery shopping and completely cleaned the entire apartment. I also did three loads of laundry, which is like, my entire DC wardrobe. good times!
I'm having some troubles with the Metro..delays on my train for tomorrow so I have to go early..and my smarttrip deactivated so i have to mail in some form to get my money back..AND some guy jumped in front of a train the other day, which is like my worst fear everrrr.
other than that..life is good. Dad's doing well. Going home soon. :)
<3
Friday night was a lot of fun, too, except I swear this bar we go to, McFaddens, is cursed. C lost her coat and phone (which I later found..on the curb outside. wtf?) and managed to chip her tooth on a beer bottle. I think she had a good night, overall though...haha.
Saturday we kicked back and took it easy and today we went grocery shopping and completely cleaned the entire apartment. I also did three loads of laundry, which is like, my entire DC wardrobe. good times!
I'm having some troubles with the Metro..delays on my train for tomorrow so I have to go early..and my smarttrip deactivated so i have to mail in some form to get my money back..AND some guy jumped in front of a train the other day, which is like my worst fear everrrr.
other than that..life is good. Dad's doing well. Going home soon. :)
<3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
