New Job!

As you can imagine, the Hill has been crazy all week. And I know that things will only get more stressful the closer Tuesday gets.

I’m taking a break from work to write this entry letting folks know that I got a new job on the Hill. Although I will miss my current office, I am very excited about this new opportunity. It is a position in one of my dream offices, and I will have more substantive responsibilities than I currently have. Plus, I’ll make more money. I start the first week in February.

I like to think that I’m a rising star on the Hill. As long as I continue to hard-work and make connections, it is almost certain that the best is yet to come.

Indeed, it is clear now that Peace Corps is out of the picture for at least the next two years.

“We Are One” Concert this Sunday

I just heard about a free concert at the Lincoln Memorial this Sunday afternoon to kick off the inaugural festivities. It starts around 2 pm. Bruce Springsteen will be the headliner, and the scheduled performers include Shakira, Beyonce, U2, Sheryl Crow and many others. For those folks unable to attend, it is scheduled to air later that evening.

I don't have any plans to attend any of the inaugural balls, though I'm really interested in the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Unfortunately, there still isn't any information out. If anyone hears anything, please let me know!

Here are some websites sent around at work today. The sites have info on events, transit and security.

• WPost Inauguration Central - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/inauguration-central/
• DDOT - www.Gettingthere.dc.go
• Maryland Department of Transportation - www.marylandtransportation.com
• Virginia State Police - http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Inauguration_2009.sht
• Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority - www.wmata.com
• Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies - www.inaugural.senate.gov
• Presidential Inaugural Committee - www.pic2009.org
• D.C. Presidential Inaugural Committee - www.inauguration.dc.gov
• Armed Forces Inaugural Committee - www.afic.northcom.mil
• United States Secret Service - www.secretservice.gov

Word of Mouth

I have a second interview this week for a job to which I didn't apply. It is a great opportunity as it is a position that will give me a different Hill perspective.

This is the second time that I am interviewing for a job that wasn't posted. The Hill is like that. Openings are often filled internally and through already existing networks. That is why it is so hard to break into the Hill. But once your here, and have proven yourself and nurtured your relationships, you are set.

I hope for the best as I'm ready for something new. I am not entirely sure that the position is the perfect fit, but I know that it will move me in the right direction.

In the meantime, I must finally start sending out my resume. I want and need more options.

Sunday Morning

It is so unfortunate to be up so early on a Sunday. This morning is the Inauguration Ceremony dress rehearsal. I had slight problems getting to the Capitol this morning owing to the fact that I got on the wrong bus. Thankfully, after walking around NE for a bit, I was able to find a cab to get me here on time. That sort of thing cannot happen on Inauguration Day.

I still am not totally sure about what transit method I will use to get to the Capitol next Tuesday. I am supposed to arrive sometime before 7. I don't know if I should trust Metro, even though rush hour trains will run starting from 4. I've already asked my boss for permission to sleep in the office Monday night. That just may be my best option to ensure that I am well-rested and have an easy commute to the festivities.

Floyd will be in town--he and another friend are getting my two ceremony tickets (lucky bastards, right?). I look forward to seeing him again and celebrating this historic occasion with him.

Okay, back to waiting for group's starting time. Here's to the next two busy but totally awesome weeks!

So Tired

Wow, it is so crazy at work. I thought it was just me but everyone else is also swamped and feeling the pressure to get things done. Thankfully or unfortunately, we got a new batch of interns. I hope there is at least one smart, hard-worker among them.

Yesterday, A-M and I ran into my old boss. It was so weird to see her, and I miss her and many of my other coworkers. Yet, I haven't gotten to the point of looking back longingly at my old job. It was definitely time to move on.

And I'm at that point now with my current job. I've mastered my tasks and feel at ease. As Floyd reminds me, I need to send out resumes to at least a dozen offices everyday. I've been lazy and relunctant to apply. Partly, because I don't want to forgo any awesome upcoming office events and tasks that I know are in the works. And, I still have lingering hopes that the newly opened LC position might be filled by me. That way, when the LA leaves--she's been plotting her exit since before the election, I can easily step into the LA spot after only having a few months as a LC. At least that is the plan. I'll keep you posted as to the reality.

The Hill is Happening Again

Things are back to normal on the Hill. It's sorta like the first day of school. Excited, new Members are getting lost, while incumbent Members are calmly walking the halls and barking orders to their staff.

It's so nice to see the new Members and their families. I can only imagine how awesome it would be to be the school-aged child of a Member of Congress. What a great lesson in government and American history he or she could get on a daily basis.

The movement on the Hill has gotten a bit closer to home as my officemate is moving up. I will miss working with her and can only hope that it will soon be my turn to move up or move on. There is a slight possibility of moving up in my office, but nothing is certain. Thankfully, a nice amount of promising positions are opening up. That number will increase throughout the spring and summer as folks move to the Administration and K Street. I can only apply and keep my fingers crossed that something will come through.

To be honest, the possibility of a fulfilling, short-term (3 years max.) stint on the Hill or with the Administration is the only thing keeping me in DC. I promised myself that I would only be in DC for 10 years. As I move toward the 9.5 year mark, I am increasingly looking beyond the Beltway for a strikingly new experience. Perhaps, it's time to go back to school or travel abroad or find a random job in one of my dream cities. I don't know. I just feel the need for a change and a fresh start. Perhaps, it is just a traveler's hangover or roommate sickness, but my trip out West reminded me of that there are so many other places to live and explore. 

Happy New Year

Wow. I've really neglected my blog lately. It wasn't my intention but somehow something always got in the way of a regular post.

I had a really great time on the road trip. The West truly is beautiful, and it was a drive that I will never forget.

Now, I'm waiting at the airport to head home. I switched my flight and now I'm paying dearly with delays and pending work assignments that I am unable to do. Yes, I was scheduled to work today.

On the bright side, I enjoyed the extra time with Floyd that having a later flight afforded.

Things will be crazy during the upcoming weeks. But I am looking forward to all the events and tasks. I am well rested and itching to resume my life in DC.

Holiday Trip Out West

I'm headed to the airport now for my big holiday road trip with Floyd. Somehow, I got through this crazy week at work and am finally able to stop worrying about work stuff (unless I get a frantic email from my boss/coworkers...).

The highlight of the week was definitely the holiday lunch which gave me a chance to connect with some folks I rarely interact with. During the lunch, we had a holiday gift exchange, the first ever at which I didn't get shafted (Sure, white elephants are fun but I'm always the unlucky one).

I'm very excited about my trip with Floyd. It should be one of my most memorable road trips ever, and it will provide us with yet another chance to connect before the inevitable, final split. I will try my best to report on my adventures, but I won't make any promises.

For those interested, we are leaving from Texas on Sunday for the Grand Canyon. Then, we will spend a few days in Las Vegas before heading to San Diego. A day trip to Mexico so that I can practice my Spanish is also planned. Awesome, right?

So until my next blog, happy holidays and happy new year! Be safe!

Hot Ticket

My boss gave us the best holiday gift imaginable. No, not a raise or a week off. We were promised inauguration ceremony ticket(s)!

This is huge. We've been waiting for weeks to find out if we'd get tickets--especially given how historic this year's ceremony is. Everybody wants to be there.

I was hopeful but honestly doubtful that any tickets would be given to staff--especially low level staff like myself--after all the office's VIPs had been taken care of. But I was wrong.

This is excellent news for Floyd. I'm giving him my ticket(s) and all I really want in exchange is some QT while he's in town.

So excited! January really is shaping up well.

Work-Life Update

I'm feeling a bit blah again today. So, I'm just going to do a quick update on my work and life.

Work
My anxiety about my next career move is growing, as is the tension between my officemate and me. If she tells me one more time that she has nothing to do, I will scream...

I haven't quite figured out the proper path up the Hill, and I've received a mix of encouraging and not-so encouraging news from mentors and friends. During the holidays, I plan on reworking the language of my cover letter and résumé so that I can be ready to network and apply full-force when I return in January.

The main bright spot at work is my role as an inauguration volunteer. I have a feeling that I'll be placed outside, far away from the ceremony (please, no rain!!). But it will be awesome to be a part of that amazing event.

Life
Over the weekend, I finally finished my Spanish class and Christmas shopping. I'm really excited about the children's books I bought for my growing (in the womb) niece. I got three Dr. Seuss books and "Good Night Moon." Of course, for financial and environmental reasons, I prefer library books, but I made an exception for her 0th Christmas gift. As soon as she's born, she'll be getting used books and college money from me. Hmmm…. I guess I'm going to be a serious aunt—focused on her education instead of getting her the latest outfit/toy. I'll leave that to everyone else.

I am really looking forward to my road trip with Floyd. It will give me a much needed reprieve from the stress of the Hill and the hustle of DC. Floyd and I laughed about how much our trip has snowballed over the past month. It started out as a short visit to see him in San Diego, and now it's become a multiple destination road trip. I guess we miss each other.

The Real Reason

I've discovered the real reason why I decided to brush off my winter 2009 departure as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It isn't because of the glorious victory of the Obama Administration or the wonderful gains scored by Congressional Democrats (yay, new job opportunities!). It isn't because my sister's baby, my mother's first grandchild, is due in March. Nor, because I can't bare to be away from yet another annoyingly cold winter in DC.
 
No, it is entirely due to the fact that my 10th year high school reunion is slated for 2009.
 
Yesterday, I got an email from our senior class president about the reunion. I can't wait for to go back and reconnect with the folks that I've lost touch with. Of course, I want to see what has happened to my frienemies, the popular chicks, and the nerds. But, mainly I want to hug, laugh and toast with my old lunch bunch--the original lunch bunch of my high school years. We haven't been all together since freshman year of college and it will be amazing to see how far we've all come.
 
The reunion will probably be in the fall, which gives me less than 10 months to get my act together! I need the right look, the right attitude, and the right resume/CV to wow my friends and foes alike. I was a total dork in high school and I want to show everyone how much I've changed (and haven't changed) during the past 10 years. It will be a celebration of my roots and my growth since the days when I was that awkward girl who religiously sharpened her number two pencils before each and every class, had a long-term crush on the varsity soccer star, and regularly requested hugs from the friend who always responded with a "sure, hon."

 Wow, that brings me back. I can't wait.

On-hold: Peace Corps & Spanish

My last Spanish class is this Saturday. I'm so glad that it is almost over as it's been such a stressful, time-suck.

I started the classes back in March in order to meet the language requirement of my Peace Corps nomination. At first, I really enjoyed the challenge of the classes and the idea that I was working toward something—an eventual two-year stint in a Latin American country. But my interest and level of effort has waned in the last two months. First, I decided to postpone my Peace Corps dreams in order to see what sort of opportunities I can find on the Hill or within the Obama Administration in 2009. I don't yet feel ready to leave DC as I sense that there is still much more for me to learn professionally. Added to that, my current teacher is very disorganized, and I feel so out of place in my current class of assertive, advanced speakers.

Although the classes were an investment that I wouldn't make again, I am happy that I took them. I am disappointed that I haven't achieved the intermediate/advanced intermediate level that the classes should have prepared me for. Yet, I'm much better at grammar and speaking than I was back in the spring.  I can read most Spanish newspapers, but I only rarely follow Spanish telenovelas without the subtitles. I still lack ease in comprehension and confidence in speaking, but I am sure that given more time and real immersion (as a PCV!), I would improve.

I hope to continue watching shows and movies in Spanish and picking up El Pregonero for light-reading on the metro, but my big push to learn Spanish is over. I want to resume some of the things I put aside back in March in order to make time for Spanish. Things like working on my novel, volunteering regularly, and reading. They are the things that will make me happy and relaxed. So farewell, Spanish. I'll try again in a few years, but for now, I need a break.

Networking is making friends

That's what hit home today after a chat with a networking guru I know.

I've talked several times on this blog about networking--mainly lamenting my lack of skill and of ease in networking.

But on the Hill, networking is essential for success. Whether you are trying to get a bill passed or move up within your area of expertise, you have to know people.

It sounds so simple but to me networking has always been this other realm, separate from the social, the real me. And that was the problem. I took it too seriously and I wasn't myself. The moment that you see it as an opportunity to get something out of someone is the moment that it brings displeasure.

Networking should be fun, because making friends is fun.

So from now-on, I'm banishing "networking" from my vocabulary. I don't want to network but make friends on the Hill. And through cultivating those friendships, I will learn more about the Hill, D.C., and myself.

My shared house is a black hole

My belongings, kept in the shared space, keep disappearing. And I'm getting fed up.

I showed up in my 6 person house with lots of stuff. I found a place for most of my items in my room and the assigned shelving/space.

Then, it started happening. About a month after my move, things started to disappear. First, it was my can opener and fan. Then, it was the chair I use to sit on the front porch. Then, my awesome 8-year old "they don't make 'em like they used to" shopping cart went AWOL. Now it's my cookie cooling racks. The list goes on.

It would be fine if people we using my things for a short bit before returning them. Well, let me be honest: I don't do sharing. Yes, I'm in a shared house but I like the idea of my stuff being available for my use when I want and need it. That's why the disappearing act pisses me off so much.

But the kicker is that no one knows where any of my things are. That's just bull. I'm sending an S.O.S. to my roomies tomorrow about my prized possession, my shopping cart (you try lugging a huge bag of soil home and see if you miss the cart). I think that our old roomie might have taken it and I am determined to restore it (and everything else) to it's proper place before the end of the year.

I guess shared living is finally getting to me. I don't like sharing a bathroom with two guys and a kitchen with five, busy people. I don't want to pay to move again so I can only hope to out-stay the roomies that annoy me the most (at this point, 4 out of the 5 and the 5th has been on assignment since August).

Little Black Dress

There are two things my closet desperately needs: a little black dress and a great pair of jeans. I have no idea how I have survived this long without either. On Black Friday, I fought the crowds at Pentagon City in hopes of finally filling that void.

I had planned on arriving at the Mall early, encouraged by the news that the Metro would be open at 4 AM. Yet, I overslept---too much turkey, beer and gaming the night before. I arrived at the Mall around 4:30 PM. It was packed.

I felt a bit overwhelmed trying to dodge the hordes of shoppers. After hours of surveying the racks and trying on dozens of dresses and jeans, I left the Mall empty-handed but determined to extend my search one more day.

I headed to Georgetown early Saturday morning and hit the jackpot. A special thanks to the friendly saleslady, who was clearly working on commission. She pulled me aside before I was able to escape the store and convinced me to let her find the conservative, little black dress that I'd been looking for.

My new dress is lovely. It has an empire waist and sheer top. I think that it is classic and versatile—though more fitting for professional than cocktail events. But it fits! After trying on so many dresses that accentuated my problem spots or lack of curves, it was refreshing to find a dress that was tailored yet forgiving. I should be able to wear this dress for years, (assuming that I don't get fat! Step away from the pumpkin pie…). It turns out that the dress was 25% off---as was everything else in the store. That made the expense a bit easier to bear.

So, I finally own a dress that makes me feel like a grown woman. I just need to work on the rest of my wardrobe and finally rid myself of all my old college and gasp, high school clothes that are making me look like an awkward, immature 20 year old.