Oh goodness.
Saturdays are my rest and recover days. Y'all know this - I don't do anything but clean my room, watch stuff on the iPad, and sleep.
I was so tired last night that I forgot to turn my weekend alarms back on (which I turned off last week because I was picking up KNicole), and slept through brunch!! I was DEVASTATED.
I slowly got up and showered, and decided to dry and straighten my hair. I was going to go meet my parents at the WWII memorial and my Dad had said it wasn't going to get above 49*...so I figured it would be perfect "hair-down" weather.
We were both wrong. It was almost 60* as I left TMH - I barely made it 3 blocks before I had to put my hair up. So much for that.
There are tourists everywhere today. The worst place for them is the metro - they have no idea what they're doing and they get in the way. What's even worse is that they don't seem to care. Jerks.
I got to Capitol South and was blocked by a gaggle of kids talking to some kids already on the train. I had to SHOVE past them to make it on the train in time. Gracious.
I finally found my parents, and was probably the ONLY person in DC wearing a tank top (I had to strip down due to the ridiculously humid weather). I did get a compliment from a middle school/high school girl on my tank top though. Thanks VS Pink.
From the WWII Memorial, we went to the Vietnam Memorial. My dad has a friend whose name is on the wall, and it was emotional for him to talk about the last weekend he spent with him before he left for Nam.
Then it was off to the Lincoln Memorial. We walked all the way around it and that was cool because we could see the Washington Monument and MY Capitol. I've become very possessive of it lately. Yes, the men and women that meet inside of it may not be able to figure out what to agree on, but the building itself is beyond amazing and deserves our respect. Period.
Anyways...from Lincoln we went to the Korean Memorial, then to MLK Jr.'s, around to TDR's, which is my favorite -the way it's set up to be all throughout nature - I don't know, I just really liked it.
And then it started to sprinkle. Just as we started towards the Jefferson Memorial. Luckily we got there before it really started coming down, unfortunately, it was still going when we left. I was starving, and exhausted - it literally felt like my body was about to shut down - and we decided to head to the subway to get to Ben's Chili Bowl. When it really started coming down my dad gave me the umbrella because he had a hat on. Thankfully, it stopped a block and a half later.
I just want to say that I really appreciate and enjoy all of the memorials to our soldiers. I think that they are a great reminder of all that it has cost to maintain what we have now. The VN wall really puts it into perspective - it always gives me goosebumps to read the names. (One was Furnace Freeman Jr., which means there were at least two men running around with the first name FURNACE at one point or another. Neither of which prolly EVER thought there would be a random shout out on blogspot one day). But it's things like that that I really enjoy about it. Furnace lives on through a random girl that saw his name memorialized on a wall in Washington DC. I don't know him- but I now have my own story about him. It's pretty cool.
When we got on the metro, we were sandwiched in on the train, and I barely made it past the millions of people and the bike that were on the train (the first 2 men blocking me kept offering each other my seat..but not letting me by - figures I'd get blocked by politeness), but I did (make it through), and we were on our way to Ben's.
Note to everyone: It's CASH ONLY at Ben's. Which meant we had to take the two chocolate shakes off our order, but that was fine. We had more than enough.
I inhaled my chili-cheese fries. My hot dog was the kind that you can tell when you bite through the "bag" part - and that is something I do not enjoy. So I pushed the hot dog to the side, and ate the chili-cheese bun.
From there, we headed to Target. I got enough essentials to hopefully last me through the rest of the time I'm here. The check-out lines were long, but one of the ladies was nice enough to let us in the express line. I saved 5c on my purchase because I brought my own bags. :) After I had checked out, I got a Skinny Caramel Macchiotto from the Starbucks in the Target. It was cool because I brought my re-usable cup, so I saved 10c, plus I got to use my Starbucks app to pay. I won $10 in Starbucks gift cards from Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's FB page, and by uploading them before 3/5, got an additional $5 from the app. All you do is select "Click here to pay with this card", a bar code comes up, and they scan your phone. It's pretty sweet and REALLY convenient. I saved 15c for being green tonight! Then we headed home.
I guided Nom and Dad to their transfer line, and headed home. I was absolutely exhausted.
Watching some Hulu and going to sleep!
*Until Next Time!*
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
DC Adventures Day 33 (3.15.13)
An out of control day. Funny how many of my posts are starting out similar...since my family has been in town. :)
Today I got to work and pumped myself up for the day. My parents got to the office at 11:15ish, and around 11:40, we headed to the Capitol with Mr. Hall. They got to ride the subway from Rayburn to the Capitol, so that was pretty cool. We split off in the elevator because Mr. Hall had to go vote. We made it to the Members' Dining Hall and they went ahead and seated us.
The menu was a bit more extensive than it was last week for breakfast, and we just talked until Mr. Hall came back down. Turned out that somebody had objected during the vote, and wanted the specifics re-read, so he had come in to order a salad and then had to turn around and go back to vote.
I got a flatbread lunch and man, it was delicious. They really know what they're doing there in the Capitol when it comes to making food. Dad had a Cuban sandwich, and Nom got Alaskan salmon, but forgot to share a bite with me. Mr. Hall entertained from the time he got back to the time he had to run off to catch his plane back to Rockwall. We finished up, and headed back to the office.
Nom's friend, Carol, and her husband Rich, showed up at 1:15 to join them for their Capitol tour. We took pictures in Mr. Hall's office where they waited (and I restocked the fridge), until it was time to go at 1:45.
I let them know that it would probably be crazy in the Capitol, so everyone needed to stay close. Every time I turned around two of them would be 20ft behind the rest of us...EVERY. TIME.
We made it through the Crypt and Rotunda sections of the tour, but before we went down to check our phones in order to go to the Gallery, I pulled them to the side to show them the memorial plaque for United Flight 93.
Rich was a NYC firefighter that was called in on 9/11, so I knew this would be meaningful to them. I talked about how I had just watched United 93 a couple of weeks ago, thinking that it being almost 12 years later I could handle it. Nope. Bawled the whole time. My family was in NYC in Dec of 1999 with Carol and Rich; we stayed in the Mariott that was at the bottom of the World Trade Centers and walked through its lobby every day. It meant something. It still means something.
I looked over and Nom's eyes are red and teary. I smacked her and told her to get it together - because it made ME get teary. I told them we could head down now, but I just really wanted to make sure they saw it because we wouldn't be able to afterwards.
The red coat that sits by the plaque came over and told me that she was touched by how heartfelt I was in showing the plaque, so I explained to her why it meant so much to me. And she put us on the express elevator to show her appreciation. It was pretty awesome. I've always been taught to respect things and to get rewarded from it when you least expect it is always wonderful.
We hung out in the Gallery for awhile, and when we were heading down the stairs, I waved and said "Thanks again!" to the red coat, who stopped us, opened up the rope, and put us on the elevator again.
So. Awesome.
After the tour, it was pretty close to five...I saw Carol and Rich off and then went to We, the Pizza with Nom and Dad. The upstairs was really hot, so we opened the windows and hung out as we waited for our Spinach and Artichoke pizza. We'd all gotten salads too, but they came when the pizza came. It was all really good. I wish there had been more toppings, but it worked.
After dinner, Nom and Dad headed to their hotel, and I headed to TMH.
I passed out HARD at 8:30pm, and slept through until almost 11pm.
Hopefully I'll be able to pass out soon, because tomorrow is going to be a long day.
*Until Next Time!*
Today I got to work and pumped myself up for the day. My parents got to the office at 11:15ish, and around 11:40, we headed to the Capitol with Mr. Hall. They got to ride the subway from Rayburn to the Capitol, so that was pretty cool. We split off in the elevator because Mr. Hall had to go vote. We made it to the Members' Dining Hall and they went ahead and seated us.
The menu was a bit more extensive than it was last week for breakfast, and we just talked until Mr. Hall came back down. Turned out that somebody had objected during the vote, and wanted the specifics re-read, so he had come in to order a salad and then had to turn around and go back to vote.
I got a flatbread lunch and man, it was delicious. They really know what they're doing there in the Capitol when it comes to making food. Dad had a Cuban sandwich, and Nom got Alaskan salmon, but forgot to share a bite with me. Mr. Hall entertained from the time he got back to the time he had to run off to catch his plane back to Rockwall. We finished up, and headed back to the office.
Nom's friend, Carol, and her husband Rich, showed up at 1:15 to join them for their Capitol tour. We took pictures in Mr. Hall's office where they waited (and I restocked the fridge), until it was time to go at 1:45.
I let them know that it would probably be crazy in the Capitol, so everyone needed to stay close. Every time I turned around two of them would be 20ft behind the rest of us...EVERY. TIME.
We made it through the Crypt and Rotunda sections of the tour, but before we went down to check our phones in order to go to the Gallery, I pulled them to the side to show them the memorial plaque for United Flight 93.
Rich was a NYC firefighter that was called in on 9/11, so I knew this would be meaningful to them. I talked about how I had just watched United 93 a couple of weeks ago, thinking that it being almost 12 years later I could handle it. Nope. Bawled the whole time. My family was in NYC in Dec of 1999 with Carol and Rich; we stayed in the Mariott that was at the bottom of the World Trade Centers and walked through its lobby every day. It meant something. It still means something.
I looked over and Nom's eyes are red and teary. I smacked her and told her to get it together - because it made ME get teary. I told them we could head down now, but I just really wanted to make sure they saw it because we wouldn't be able to afterwards.
The red coat that sits by the plaque came over and told me that she was touched by how heartfelt I was in showing the plaque, so I explained to her why it meant so much to me. And she put us on the express elevator to show her appreciation. It was pretty awesome. I've always been taught to respect things and to get rewarded from it when you least expect it is always wonderful.
We hung out in the Gallery for awhile, and when we were heading down the stairs, I waved and said "Thanks again!" to the red coat, who stopped us, opened up the rope, and put us on the elevator again.
So. Awesome.
After the tour, it was pretty close to five...I saw Carol and Rich off and then went to We, the Pizza with Nom and Dad. The upstairs was really hot, so we opened the windows and hung out as we waited for our Spinach and Artichoke pizza. We'd all gotten salads too, but they came when the pizza came. It was all really good. I wish there had been more toppings, but it worked.
After dinner, Nom and Dad headed to their hotel, and I headed to TMH.
I passed out HARD at 8:30pm, and slept through until almost 11pm.
Hopefully I'll be able to pass out soon, because tomorrow is going to be a long day.
*Until Next Time!*
Thursday, March 14, 2013
DC Adventures Day 32 (3.14.13)
Oh man. Today has been rough from the get-go.
I was up and down all night last night. Not having my meds was bad enough - but I got sick from the wings I ate for dinner. I had on a tank top and was still sweating, until I'd start freezing - it was awful.
Finally at 5am, I got up and got ready to leave. The first bus of the day was scheduled to leave Dulles Airport at 5:50, so I got to the lobby at 5:21 and asked about the shuttle. They told me the shuttle would leave at 6:00. Bitches.
So I set in the lobby, trying not to freak out from exhaustion and pain, and waited until 6, at which time I loaded into the shuttle with two other couples and a single lady.
When we got to the airport and the driver asked which airlines we were flying on, I remained quiet because I didn't have one. When we got to the stop where the last 3 got off the shuttle, I told him I needed to catch the bus to Rosslyn. He pointed behind me and told me I needed to go to 2E and said, "You can just walk a little"...ASS. It was dark, we were at 2J, and it was windy as all get out. Blowing in my FACE. Ugh I was so mad, but I was so messed up from pain, I couldn't tell him off like I wanted to. I hid in the airport until I saw the bus get there, and (thank you, Lord), my SmarTrip card worked for the bus. After a few more stops, we made it to Rosslyn. I had no idea where I was going, but I just followed the crowd and they were headed to the metro station too (thank goodness).
By the time I got to the transfer station, I was starting to "nervous cough". It's a withdrawal symptom for me, and it can get pretty out of control if I'm not careful. I popped a cough drop and got on the red line.
At Union Station, I was going to just hail a cab to get back to TMH, but they drove off, so I hauled it. It was so cold and I was so tired and in so much pain. I was all but delirious. I got to TMH and emailed Leslie to let her know I wasn't going to be coming in for awhile and to please let Anna and Spencer know because I wouldn't be able to do the 11:30a tour as promised, popped the meds, and finally relaxed enough to go to sleep.
I woke up for a bit around 10 to text my parents, only to realize that they were moving to the hotel at Rosslyn...I had been wrong about them staying out in BFE the whole time they were here. Which meant I should've just stayed in DC last night. Awesome.
I finally got up and showered at noon, and made my way to work by 1:15. Everyone was super understanding, and Spencer even agreed to take the 2pm tour. I pretty much kept my head down and helped where needed until it was time to leave around 6pm.
My parents had a dinner scheduled in Virginia at a restaurant called Willow at 6pm. I told them I wouldn't be able to leave until 6, but I went ahead and pulled up their menu online and texted Nom my picks and told her to surprise me.
I leave right at 6, and find my way through the tunnels to Cannon. I get to the Capitol South Metro Station, hustle down the stairs, and check the times. My train was arriving in 3 min and the other train was 1min away. There was already a train there, so I waited a few minutes until the other one pulled up.
Two stops later and I realize I'd gotten on the wrong train. Serves me right for bragging to KNicole a few days ago. If only that was the worst of it...
I get on the right train, put my heels on, and exit at Clarendon. I walked 1/10 of a mile only to realize that I was going in the wrong direction. After making up my wrong 1/10, I decide to switch back to my flats - I still had 4/10 of a mile to go.
I get through the mess that is Clarendon, get a block away from my destination, and change back into my heels and walk the final block.
Only, I had looked up the WRONG Fairfax St. I was an entire train stop away. Which meant it was back to the flats, and back the 4/10 of a mile to the metro station. All of which was uphill, but luckily, not in the snow. :) I did pass a girl that complimented my purple panty hose - so that was cool.
I get to the train, get on the CORRECT train, go up one stop, and get off a Ballston, and put my heels back on.
All the sidewalks? Made of frikkin' COBBLESTONE. Shootmeinthehighheeledface.
I hobbled the 489ft to Willow, and the hostess took me to my table. At this point, it's 7:15p, and I'm exhausted, embarrassed, and sweaty. This would be the second dinner in a row I got to as it would be winding down.
They hadn't even ordered. Carmen, the lady that works with my dad, had insisted on waiting for me. Come to find out, this was not a business meeting, it was just a casual dinner for friends. She did, however, point out how sweaty I was even though it was SO cold outside, but I was too tired to get my claws out.
As it turns out, Carmen and her husband were totally cool. They totally ate up the Hamilton dynamic that is me and the folks, and were more than willing to add their craziness to the mix. I got a lobster tail lobster ravioli mix, which was really good, but really tiny on account of Willow is a "schmancy" restaurant.
After dinner was over, we headed to the station, and my parents stopped me and were like, "No, we're going this way"...which was the elevator. For a metro station. Ew. But I did it, because my feet were sick of walking and so was I. We got on the train and swung by my parents' hotel in Rosslyn. It was literally right across the street from the metro - and their room had 2 double beds so that if I decided to crash with them, I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor.
We hung out for awhile, but I was pooped and wanted to go back to TMH where I knew I could fall asleep easily. It was super cold out, so I asked if I could borrow a pair of pants. One, my legs were cold - panty hose are NOT tights, and two, I didn't want to trapse around town in a black dress and purple panty hose that late at night. Nom gave me the pair she'd already worn, and even though they didn't close (she's tiny), the dress was tight enough to hold them up. Thank goodness I've lost some weight because they wouldn't have fit under the dress when I first got here.
Dad walked me down to the metro station, and I headed home. I caught my transfer train, which was delayed 16minutes, all the while having a heated conversation via text with a friend about proper grammar. I was text ranting about how "it's" isn't possessive and just happened to look up and notice that the train was pulling away from Union Station. MY stop.
LORDHAVEMERCYYOUMUSTBEKIDDINGME!
I figured - no big deal - I'll just switch over at the next stop...as it turns out...the next station was AN OUTDOOR STATION.
I will allow you to use your imagination as to what types of colorful things were running through my head...especially when I saw the board said the next train wouldn't be there for FOURTEEN minutes.
Fortunately, they have glassed in areas with benches. Unfortunately, those benches are marble slabs.
I was SUPER glad then that I had borrowed my mom's pants. Yech.
The train ended up being early (thank goodnes!!!), and I made it home to TMH talking to my dad from US to TMH.
I'm pooped. And embarrassed.
*Until Next Time!*
I was up and down all night last night. Not having my meds was bad enough - but I got sick from the wings I ate for dinner. I had on a tank top and was still sweating, until I'd start freezing - it was awful.
Finally at 5am, I got up and got ready to leave. The first bus of the day was scheduled to leave Dulles Airport at 5:50, so I got to the lobby at 5:21 and asked about the shuttle. They told me the shuttle would leave at 6:00. Bitches.
So I set in the lobby, trying not to freak out from exhaustion and pain, and waited until 6, at which time I loaded into the shuttle with two other couples and a single lady.
When we got to the airport and the driver asked which airlines we were flying on, I remained quiet because I didn't have one. When we got to the stop where the last 3 got off the shuttle, I told him I needed to catch the bus to Rosslyn. He pointed behind me and told me I needed to go to 2E and said, "You can just walk a little"...ASS. It was dark, we were at 2J, and it was windy as all get out. Blowing in my FACE. Ugh I was so mad, but I was so messed up from pain, I couldn't tell him off like I wanted to. I hid in the airport until I saw the bus get there, and (thank you, Lord), my SmarTrip card worked for the bus. After a few more stops, we made it to Rosslyn. I had no idea where I was going, but I just followed the crowd and they were headed to the metro station too (thank goodness).
By the time I got to the transfer station, I was starting to "nervous cough". It's a withdrawal symptom for me, and it can get pretty out of control if I'm not careful. I popped a cough drop and got on the red line.
At Union Station, I was going to just hail a cab to get back to TMH, but they drove off, so I hauled it. It was so cold and I was so tired and in so much pain. I was all but delirious. I got to TMH and emailed Leslie to let her know I wasn't going to be coming in for awhile and to please let Anna and Spencer know because I wouldn't be able to do the 11:30a tour as promised, popped the meds, and finally relaxed enough to go to sleep.
I woke up for a bit around 10 to text my parents, only to realize that they were moving to the hotel at Rosslyn...I had been wrong about them staying out in BFE the whole time they were here. Which meant I should've just stayed in DC last night. Awesome.
I finally got up and showered at noon, and made my way to work by 1:15. Everyone was super understanding, and Spencer even agreed to take the 2pm tour. I pretty much kept my head down and helped where needed until it was time to leave around 6pm.
My parents had a dinner scheduled in Virginia at a restaurant called Willow at 6pm. I told them I wouldn't be able to leave until 6, but I went ahead and pulled up their menu online and texted Nom my picks and told her to surprise me.
I leave right at 6, and find my way through the tunnels to Cannon. I get to the Capitol South Metro Station, hustle down the stairs, and check the times. My train was arriving in 3 min and the other train was 1min away. There was already a train there, so I waited a few minutes until the other one pulled up.
Two stops later and I realize I'd gotten on the wrong train. Serves me right for bragging to KNicole a few days ago. If only that was the worst of it...
I get on the right train, put my heels on, and exit at Clarendon. I walked 1/10 of a mile only to realize that I was going in the wrong direction. After making up my wrong 1/10, I decide to switch back to my flats - I still had 4/10 of a mile to go.
I get through the mess that is Clarendon, get a block away from my destination, and change back into my heels and walk the final block.
Only, I had looked up the WRONG Fairfax St. I was an entire train stop away. Which meant it was back to the flats, and back the 4/10 of a mile to the metro station. All of which was uphill, but luckily, not in the snow. :) I did pass a girl that complimented my purple panty hose - so that was cool.
I get to the train, get on the CORRECT train, go up one stop, and get off a Ballston, and put my heels back on.
All the sidewalks? Made of frikkin' COBBLESTONE. Shootmeinthehighheeledface.
I hobbled the 489ft to Willow, and the hostess took me to my table. At this point, it's 7:15p, and I'm exhausted, embarrassed, and sweaty. This would be the second dinner in a row I got to as it would be winding down.
They hadn't even ordered. Carmen, the lady that works with my dad, had insisted on waiting for me. Come to find out, this was not a business meeting, it was just a casual dinner for friends. She did, however, point out how sweaty I was even though it was SO cold outside, but I was too tired to get my claws out.
As it turns out, Carmen and her husband were totally cool. They totally ate up the Hamilton dynamic that is me and the folks, and were more than willing to add their craziness to the mix. I got a lobster tail lobster ravioli mix, which was really good, but really tiny on account of Willow is a "schmancy" restaurant.
After dinner was over, we headed to the station, and my parents stopped me and were like, "No, we're going this way"...which was the elevator. For a metro station. Ew. But I did it, because my feet were sick of walking and so was I. We got on the train and swung by my parents' hotel in Rosslyn. It was literally right across the street from the metro - and their room had 2 double beds so that if I decided to crash with them, I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor.
We hung out for awhile, but I was pooped and wanted to go back to TMH where I knew I could fall asleep easily. It was super cold out, so I asked if I could borrow a pair of pants. One, my legs were cold - panty hose are NOT tights, and two, I didn't want to trapse around town in a black dress and purple panty hose that late at night. Nom gave me the pair she'd already worn, and even though they didn't close (she's tiny), the dress was tight enough to hold them up. Thank goodness I've lost some weight because they wouldn't have fit under the dress when I first got here.
Dad walked me down to the metro station, and I headed home. I caught my transfer train, which was delayed 16minutes, all the while having a heated conversation via text with a friend about proper grammar. I was text ranting about how "it's" isn't possessive and just happened to look up and notice that the train was pulling away from Union Station. MY stop.
LORDHAVEMERCYYOUMUSTBEKIDDINGME!
I figured - no big deal - I'll just switch over at the next stop...as it turns out...the next station was AN OUTDOOR STATION.
I will allow you to use your imagination as to what types of colorful things were running through my head...especially when I saw the board said the next train wouldn't be there for FOURTEEN minutes.
Fortunately, they have glassed in areas with benches. Unfortunately, those benches are marble slabs.
I was SUPER glad then that I had borrowed my mom's pants. Yech.
The train ended up being early (thank goodnes!!!), and I made it home to TMH talking to my dad from US to TMH.
I'm pooped. And embarrassed.
*Until Next Time!*
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
DC Adventures Day 31 (3.13.13)
...that's a lot of "3"s...!!
Turns out, at some point last night, I locked KNicole out of my room. Oops. While she was in the shower. Double oops. She went downstairs in my robe, hung out with the lady at the front desk, and got her to give her a spare key to get into my room, and woke me up to let me know what I'd done. We got very, very little sleep. Mistake number 1.
Needless to say, I turned off the alarm that went off for us to get up and have breakfast. Mistake number 2.
She took forever to pack, and we were rushed getting to the airport. So much so, that we got off the metro at Chinatown so we could catch a cab. Uber rushed. Mistake number 3.
We get her boarding pass - last minute, she gets through security with enough time to make the plane. Unfortunately, there wasn't any room for her rolling bag - so she had to check it. Mistake number 4.
She texts me to let me know she's on the plane, and I head back to TMH.
I had originally planned on getting to TMH, changing into work clothes, and heading on to work. But I was gross from so little sleep, so I decided to go ahead and shower first. At the same time the lady janitor was cleaning the bathroom. My stall was a steamy mess of chemicals and bleach. I started choking, so she opened the windows and decided to wait until I was done showering to finish.
I got to work where I was informed that there were last minute add-ons to the tour, so I would need to go help. (15 people for every 1 intern). We stand in line under Cannon FOREVER because people don't know how to go through security, and right as our group gets through, I get a text from KNicole.
She's in the hospital. She had a panic attack on the plane, and they had taken her to a hospital in Charlotte, NC on a stretcher.
I almost had a panic attack right there in the tunnel from Cannon to the Capitol. I apologized to our group, and called her. She'd been sedated, but she was fighting it, because she doesn't like not being in control. I did my best to not upset her, but my heart was about to leap out of my chest and I was doing my best to breathe.
I got off the phone with her and called Nom, who was trying to be tough. There really wasn't anything any of us could do at that point and Dad was in meetings...man oh man.
I skipped the video in the Capitol Visitor's Center (CVC), and texted her.
As I was calming down, I look up and who do I see but Dr. Stewart from Commerce?! I walked up behind her and whispered our "secret word" in her ear. She jumped (it's not a word you'd normally hear in the United States Capitol), and we had a few minutes to catch up. That was fun. What was not fun was meeting the woman that issues my checks and having her tell me there probably wasn't enough money left in the budget to hire me back on in the Writing Center when I return to Texas.
Whatever. I had bigger problems right then. Like a sister. In a hospital. In freaking North Carolina.
I met up with the group, and we finished the tour. There was the CUTEST baby on the tour, his name was Dylan, and we flirted the entire tour.
After the tour, I took pictures of everyone sitting in Mr. Hall's chair (including baby Dylan), and things calmed down enough for me to find out United had re-scheduled KNicole's connecting flight to DFW, and would be sending a car to the hospital to get her back to the airport.
Only the traffic was bad, and she missed the connection. And her credit cards were on the bag she'd checked that was on its way to DFW.
Luckily, they were able to schedule her for the last flight of the night, and the angel woman that picked her up took her to Wendy's so she could finally eat. "Best spicy nuggets EVER"
I was wiped, and decided I really wanted to see my parents. Their hotel was at Dulles Airport. I thought they were going to be staying in Rosslyn, which is close to me, but I guess something got changed through Dad's work.
I took the metro to the end of line, Vienna, and took a cab to the airport. Cost me $40 including tip. The jerk drove 15 under the speed limit the whole way, and then "couldn't" figure out how to DRIVE TO THE BUILDING THAT SAID HYATT!!
I finally got there and called my parents.
They weren't there. They were out to dinner with one of my dad's coworkers.
I caught a shuttle to Red, Hot and Blue, a bbq place they were eating at. They were all finishing up, but I was hungry, so I ordered some wings. They were super crispy on the outside...and kind of questionably pink on the inside, but I was HUNGRY so I scarfed five out of the eight on my plate. We took the shuttle back to the Hyatt, and headed up to their room.
At this point, I was pretty sure I was just going to crash there. Their king sized bed was looking deliciously comfy, and I was worn out physically, mentally and emotionally. While we were all hanging out, KNicole called to let us know she'd made it to DFW, but that she was started to freak out again. Dad talked her through it and she made it to the car to get home.
It's now 11:25, and I've realized I don't have my back medicine, and it's too late to catch a taxi to get to the metro. Awesome. I've got a headache already, so Dad gave me some Advil - I just hope it's enough to tide me over until I can leave in the morning. I'm getting hot and cold too, so I've gotta figure out how to deal with that too.
Joy.
*Until Next Time*
Turns out, at some point last night, I locked KNicole out of my room. Oops. While she was in the shower. Double oops. She went downstairs in my robe, hung out with the lady at the front desk, and got her to give her a spare key to get into my room, and woke me up to let me know what I'd done. We got very, very little sleep. Mistake number 1.
Needless to say, I turned off the alarm that went off for us to get up and have breakfast. Mistake number 2.
She took forever to pack, and we were rushed getting to the airport. So much so, that we got off the metro at Chinatown so we could catch a cab. Uber rushed. Mistake number 3.
We get her boarding pass - last minute, she gets through security with enough time to make the plane. Unfortunately, there wasn't any room for her rolling bag - so she had to check it. Mistake number 4.
She texts me to let me know she's on the plane, and I head back to TMH.
I had originally planned on getting to TMH, changing into work clothes, and heading on to work. But I was gross from so little sleep, so I decided to go ahead and shower first. At the same time the lady janitor was cleaning the bathroom. My stall was a steamy mess of chemicals and bleach. I started choking, so she opened the windows and decided to wait until I was done showering to finish.
I got to work where I was informed that there were last minute add-ons to the tour, so I would need to go help. (15 people for every 1 intern). We stand in line under Cannon FOREVER because people don't know how to go through security, and right as our group gets through, I get a text from KNicole.
She's in the hospital. She had a panic attack on the plane, and they had taken her to a hospital in Charlotte, NC on a stretcher.
I almost had a panic attack right there in the tunnel from Cannon to the Capitol. I apologized to our group, and called her. She'd been sedated, but she was fighting it, because she doesn't like not being in control. I did my best to not upset her, but my heart was about to leap out of my chest and I was doing my best to breathe.
I got off the phone with her and called Nom, who was trying to be tough. There really wasn't anything any of us could do at that point and Dad was in meetings...man oh man.
I skipped the video in the Capitol Visitor's Center (CVC), and texted her.
As I was calming down, I look up and who do I see but Dr. Stewart from Commerce?! I walked up behind her and whispered our "secret word" in her ear. She jumped (it's not a word you'd normally hear in the United States Capitol), and we had a few minutes to catch up. That was fun. What was not fun was meeting the woman that issues my checks and having her tell me there probably wasn't enough money left in the budget to hire me back on in the Writing Center when I return to Texas.
Whatever. I had bigger problems right then. Like a sister. In a hospital. In freaking North Carolina.
I met up with the group, and we finished the tour. There was the CUTEST baby on the tour, his name was Dylan, and we flirted the entire tour.
After the tour, I took pictures of everyone sitting in Mr. Hall's chair (including baby Dylan), and things calmed down enough for me to find out United had re-scheduled KNicole's connecting flight to DFW, and would be sending a car to the hospital to get her back to the airport.
Only the traffic was bad, and she missed the connection. And her credit cards were on the bag she'd checked that was on its way to DFW.
Luckily, they were able to schedule her for the last flight of the night, and the angel woman that picked her up took her to Wendy's so she could finally eat. "Best spicy nuggets EVER"
I was wiped, and decided I really wanted to see my parents. Their hotel was at Dulles Airport. I thought they were going to be staying in Rosslyn, which is close to me, but I guess something got changed through Dad's work.
I took the metro to the end of line, Vienna, and took a cab to the airport. Cost me $40 including tip. The jerk drove 15 under the speed limit the whole way, and then "couldn't" figure out how to DRIVE TO THE BUILDING THAT SAID HYATT!!
I finally got there and called my parents.
They weren't there. They were out to dinner with one of my dad's coworkers.
I caught a shuttle to Red, Hot and Blue, a bbq place they were eating at. They were all finishing up, but I was hungry, so I ordered some wings. They were super crispy on the outside...and kind of questionably pink on the inside, but I was HUNGRY so I scarfed five out of the eight on my plate. We took the shuttle back to the Hyatt, and headed up to their room.
At this point, I was pretty sure I was just going to crash there. Their king sized bed was looking deliciously comfy, and I was worn out physically, mentally and emotionally. While we were all hanging out, KNicole called to let us know she'd made it to DFW, but that she was started to freak out again. Dad talked her through it and she made it to the car to get home.
It's now 11:25, and I've realized I don't have my back medicine, and it's too late to catch a taxi to get to the metro. Awesome. I've got a headache already, so Dad gave me some Advil - I just hope it's enough to tide me over until I can leave in the morning. I'm getting hot and cold too, so I've gotta figure out how to deal with that too.
Joy.
*Until Next Time*
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
DC Adventures Day 30 (3.12.13)
Work was work - had a tour that was all messed up because some people were too early, some were last minute, and some where off having lunch with Mr. Hall.
We've had a rash of people getting here early. As in TWO hours early. And instead of telling them off, we're letting them go early. Which is absurd. And Spencer didn't take his phone.
I took 1/3 of the group to the CVC, picked up the last 1/3 and decided just to go ahead and do the tour. I was feeling confident - why not?
And I think it went really well. I never feel like I'm including enough info - so when Kristen (a girl I graduated with, ironically), said, "There's just so much to tell!" I felt like I was doing a good job. It was also nice to finally do my own tour and have it go WELL.
KNicole was supposed to come up - she was sad so she stayed in.
Around 4, Leslie told me to go home and spend time with my sister. I told her I was fine staying until 6, but she insisted, so I headed back to TMH. And took a nap. :) We ate dinner in the dining hall, and headed out to Capitol Lounge.
CL is about 3 blocks down from TMH, and was pretty chill. The bartender was a chick, and either didn't understand that as a female bartender you must spend equal time with the women at your bar, or she didn't care. I tried my first every Guinness draught. It was...not as thick as I'd always assumed, but it tasted like old, cold coffee. Meh. I'm good.
We had two men decide to join us and started getting paid attention to by the bartender.
Then one of the guys took off his wedding ring - thinking we wouldn't notice.
We did.
So I asked him where it went...Convo as follows:
Me: "Where'd your ring go?"
H: "Oh, that. Yeah, we're not happy anymore. Haven't been for a long time"
Me: "Does SHE know you're not happy?"
H: "Yeah, we've done counseling and it's just not working"
Me: "So, if you've tried counseling, it's not working, you're both not happy, and you're hiding your ring...why are you divorced?"
H: "We will be. It's just expensive, ya know. We will - just, it takes time. Besides, we've got a 17month old"
Me: "Wow. Okay. You prolly shouldn't hide your ring though. It's tacky."
He proceeds to hit on KNicole for a long time. And gets louder and more annoying as the night went on.
Understand that he has introduced himself, and GIVEN ME HIS BUSINESS CARD. He's an LD for A SENATOR. And he KNOWS I work for a Congressman...
He gets extremely inappropriate with KN. She tells him she doesn't talk to married men - we were raised better. He won't back off.
We get our tab.
He pays it.
She says thanks, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still married.
The bouncer comes up.
The bartender (who became alert when he started getting weird, and was the one that signaled the bouncer - MAJOR props to her for being awesome when it REALLY mattered) asked if we felt uncomfortable.
I say no.
KN says yes. So I look at her and say, "YES. We are uncomfortable."
The dude won't back off.
Then his friend decides to get handsy with me. I get in his face and tell him to back off.
He does.
I turn around to check on KN and the douche bag is GONE. The bouncer handled it so quietly I hadn't even realized it. Granted, I was distracted, but still. It was impressive.
We paid for a final round, and headed out.
When we got to TMH, I brushed my teeth and laid down. KN had to pee, so I came back to the room.
*Until Next Time*
We've had a rash of people getting here early. As in TWO hours early. And instead of telling them off, we're letting them go early. Which is absurd. And Spencer didn't take his phone.
I took 1/3 of the group to the CVC, picked up the last 1/3 and decided just to go ahead and do the tour. I was feeling confident - why not?
And I think it went really well. I never feel like I'm including enough info - so when Kristen (a girl I graduated with, ironically), said, "There's just so much to tell!" I felt like I was doing a good job. It was also nice to finally do my own tour and have it go WELL.
KNicole was supposed to come up - she was sad so she stayed in.
Around 4, Leslie told me to go home and spend time with my sister. I told her I was fine staying until 6, but she insisted, so I headed back to TMH. And took a nap. :) We ate dinner in the dining hall, and headed out to Capitol Lounge.
CL is about 3 blocks down from TMH, and was pretty chill. The bartender was a chick, and either didn't understand that as a female bartender you must spend equal time with the women at your bar, or she didn't care. I tried my first every Guinness draught. It was...not as thick as I'd always assumed, but it tasted like old, cold coffee. Meh. I'm good.
We had two men decide to join us and started getting paid attention to by the bartender.
Then one of the guys took off his wedding ring - thinking we wouldn't notice.
We did.
So I asked him where it went...Convo as follows:
Me: "Where'd your ring go?"
H: "Oh, that. Yeah, we're not happy anymore. Haven't been for a long time"
Me: "Does SHE know you're not happy?"
H: "Yeah, we've done counseling and it's just not working"
Me: "So, if you've tried counseling, it's not working, you're both not happy, and you're hiding your ring...why are you divorced?"
H: "We will be. It's just expensive, ya know. We will - just, it takes time. Besides, we've got a 17month old"
Me: "Wow. Okay. You prolly shouldn't hide your ring though. It's tacky."
He proceeds to hit on KNicole for a long time. And gets louder and more annoying as the night went on.
Understand that he has introduced himself, and GIVEN ME HIS BUSINESS CARD. He's an LD for A SENATOR. And he KNOWS I work for a Congressman...
He gets extremely inappropriate with KN. She tells him she doesn't talk to married men - we were raised better. He won't back off.
We get our tab.
He pays it.
She says thanks, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still married.
The bouncer comes up.
The bartender (who became alert when he started getting weird, and was the one that signaled the bouncer - MAJOR props to her for being awesome when it REALLY mattered) asked if we felt uncomfortable.
I say no.
KN says yes. So I look at her and say, "YES. We are uncomfortable."
The dude won't back off.
Then his friend decides to get handsy with me. I get in his face and tell him to back off.
He does.
I turn around to check on KN and the douche bag is GONE. The bouncer handled it so quietly I hadn't even realized it. Granted, I was distracted, but still. It was impressive.
We paid for a final round, and headed out.
When we got to TMH, I brushed my teeth and laid down. KN had to pee, so I came back to the room.
*Until Next Time*
Monday, March 11, 2013
DC Adventures Day 29 (3.11.13)
Today was supposed to be my first tour on my own.
People got added, so Spencer went with me.
Thankfully, because there were SO many kids, UNCONTROLLED kids, that I got completely overwhelmed and turned around.
Made it through, but when I got home, I had to take a nap before I could go out with KN. She was fine with it, and I slept HARD for an hour and a half while she watched Hulu.
We decided to go to Union Pub down the street. Tried a beer called Shock Top and really liked it. We did a shot of Fireball, and I'm pretty sure it was watered down. Disappointing.
We had a good time and when we got back to TMH we had a really good talk about life and everything that's going on.
But I am wiped. Sorry for the short post...it's all I can muster for now.
*Until Next Time!*
People got added, so Spencer went with me.
Thankfully, because there were SO many kids, UNCONTROLLED kids, that I got completely overwhelmed and turned around.
Made it through, but when I got home, I had to take a nap before I could go out with KN. She was fine with it, and I slept HARD for an hour and a half while she watched Hulu.
We decided to go to Union Pub down the street. Tried a beer called Shock Top and really liked it. We did a shot of Fireball, and I'm pretty sure it was watered down. Disappointing.
We had a good time and when we got back to TMH we had a really good talk about life and everything that's going on.
But I am wiped. Sorry for the short post...it's all I can muster for now.
*Until Next Time!*
Sunday, March 10, 2013
DC Adventures Day 28 (3.10.13)
This morning I headed to Reagan International Airport to GET MY BABY SISSY!!
I was running a bit late (surprise) and so when I finally got there, she was waiting by the Metro entrance. I got her a day pass, and we headed to TMH.
Lucky for us, the Metro decided to do construction this weekend, so the trains were old, and at one point we were riding on a single rail. KNicole didn't particularly love it, but we got to Union Station before she got sick.
Back at TMH, KNicole slept for a few hours and I cleaned up the room and watched some Netflix.
When she got up for dinner, we went to (where else) Tono. When the waitress walked up to us she looked at me and said, "You here last night, yes?" Haha. Busted.
We got a Dragon Roll, a Rainbow Roll, edamame, Sake, Sapporo, and Ramen. Everything was delicious, as usual, and the Sake bombs got me all giggly. The Ramen was SUPER schmancy - it had hard boiled egg, seaweed, and some kind of odd round things that were mostly white/clear with pink swirls in the middle. Turnip? Who knows. It was good though.
While we were there, there were two families with little kids sitting in the window seating. The kids ate sushi which really surprised me - they were 4-9. One of the boys started saying "Oh no!" and as it turns out, he'd grabbed a huge bite of wasabi - because mom had forgotten to take it off the plate. It was pitiful to watch her scrub his tongue with her napkin.
We finished up there and headed to CVS, which was next door. There I got Q-tips and an official metro SmarTrip card. It was a pretty cool feeling. No more using the "tourist" paper passes.
As I showed her the path past the Hart Senate building, we joked about upside down parking cones, and other things sisters joke about after consuming a couple of Sake bombs.
We talked a lot about life, and are no gonna fall asleep after watching Revenge and Red Widow on Hulu.
*Until Next Time!*
I was running a bit late (surprise) and so when I finally got there, she was waiting by the Metro entrance. I got her a day pass, and we headed to TMH.
Lucky for us, the Metro decided to do construction this weekend, so the trains were old, and at one point we were riding on a single rail. KNicole didn't particularly love it, but we got to Union Station before she got sick.
Back at TMH, KNicole slept for a few hours and I cleaned up the room and watched some Netflix.
When she got up for dinner, we went to (where else) Tono. When the waitress walked up to us she looked at me and said, "You here last night, yes?" Haha. Busted.
We got a Dragon Roll, a Rainbow Roll, edamame, Sake, Sapporo, and Ramen. Everything was delicious, as usual, and the Sake bombs got me all giggly. The Ramen was SUPER schmancy - it had hard boiled egg, seaweed, and some kind of odd round things that were mostly white/clear with pink swirls in the middle. Turnip? Who knows. It was good though.
While we were there, there were two families with little kids sitting in the window seating. The kids ate sushi which really surprised me - they were 4-9. One of the boys started saying "Oh no!" and as it turns out, he'd grabbed a huge bite of wasabi - because mom had forgotten to take it off the plate. It was pitiful to watch her scrub his tongue with her napkin.
We finished up there and headed to CVS, which was next door. There I got Q-tips and an official metro SmarTrip card. It was a pretty cool feeling. No more using the "tourist" paper passes.
As I showed her the path past the Hart Senate building, we joked about upside down parking cones, and other things sisters joke about after consuming a couple of Sake bombs.
We talked a lot about life, and are no gonna fall asleep after watching Revenge and Red Widow on Hulu.
*Until Next Time!*
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