New Year, New...Life?

Well, Christmas was pretty lonely.  Made cinnamon rolls, then woke the family up at 8 am their time to hear them open my presents before going to Curtis' grandparents.  We had a nice dinner with ham and potatoes and the usual Christmas fare and then spent the evening quietly at home watching movies.  The gang down in Bakersfield didn't call, which was suprisingly depressing.  Kyle did give me a quick ring and dad sent me a text, but I defnitely felt pretty left out of the festivities this year.  I really hope I'll be home next year!  Don't want to spend the holidays alone again.

This week will be another short week at work.  In fact, it's almost half over.  Today is going by kind of slow because I'm looking forward to going out tonight.

For New Years, I'll be going downtown.  I left the planning up to the seasoned DC residents, so I'm just going to go along for the ride.  Dinner and drinks and good company--it's going to be an awesome way to ring on a new year full of LOTS of new things ahead for me.

2010 looks like it will be year filled with lots of new work, traveling (for work and for fun), learning and making connections with new friends.  I'm really excited to be starting over in such a great place, and I feel like I've gotten a great start, with both feet firmly planted. 

I miss my friends and family dearly--I am hoping everyone has had a wonderful holiday season.

PS a cord for my computer is ON THE WAY so pictures will be posted soon!!

XOXOXOX
LOVE LOVE LOVE

White Christmas

Well, still no cord for my computer.  Even if it doesn't snow anymore we will defnitely be having a white Christmas!  They said Christmas eve another snow storm is coming, though, so I am looking forward to that.  There are also rumors that all DC federal buildlings will be closed tomorrow as well so this is going to be a really short week for me--guess I get to have a little Christmas vacation of my own after all!

Saturday I attempted to play in the snow but it seriously snowed ALL day and it was freezing and windy so the attempt was short lived.  Today I went for a little hike so I could mail a package at the post office and had a blast--it's so beautiful here.  I wish I could post pictures!  Today was blue skies and sun and lots of jolly people.  Even the bus driver was nice (GASP!).

I've seen a lot of Christmas movies this weekend--doesn't help that I have found someone who likes to watch them as much as I do!  Reminded me of mom--we watched some of her favorites :).  The ones everyone else whines about when she plays them at home. 

I wish I had a little more contact with my friends from Walla Walla...wondering how things are back home.

I will post pictures as soon as I get the chance!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Merry Christmas!

Life Without the World

Still no computer at home due to a missing power cord.  I am settled in and LOVING IT!  Last Friday Curtis and I met up with Mr. Chris Lanning at Adam's Morgan to go to a bar called Madam's Organ for some drinks and live blues.  It was excellent!  Saturday a LTC from across the hall took me through a tour of the capital where we got to listen to the senate in session for a while (some lame-brain lacking math skills was speaking).  Then we took the tunnel to the Library of Congress, which is so, so beautiful.  I will post pictures once I have a computer.  After that we went to the post office to see the view from the tower, had tea at the National Gallery of Art, and ate dinner at Old Ebbit Grill, next to the white house.  After some drinks to warm up we went to see the National Christmas tree.  Then I went to Claredon to meet up with my roommate and his friend, and they were late.  I struck up conversation with some men my age, engineers, and we had a few drinks.  One had to leave, and the other accompanied me to the bar where we were meeting Curtis.  We had a great time, though the guy who was performing was terrible (he would play his guitar and sing all the songs he probably learned in high school and tried to pick up chicks with). 

No matter...

Yesterday I went on my first official date in DC--had an excellent time.  Pretty standard dinner and a beer but the company was great and the conversation was fantastic. 

Working at the pentagon is interesting.  Larry was so totally wrong when he said it was a place for heels, though.  It's a place for sneakers--many people carry their work shoes into work and only wear them around their specific office.  I have been making the heels work all day, though, because I think a dress skirt and nylons with sneakers looks far too ridiculous (even if everyone else is doing it).  I am definitely one of the youngest there.  In my office I am youngest by a fair margin, though I do have younger coworkers in the professional sense.  There are a lot of lieutenant colonels and colonels and some 1,2 and 3 star generals and civilian-wise lots of high grades.  I will move up fast, or so I am told by my coworkers.  In DC, though, you do everything fast.

Taking the metro is great--I love it except for the last four stops coming home.  It's always packed and stuffy and full of students with backpacks.

Our apartment is so beautiful...very clean and nice.  We have a gorgeous Christmas tree (red and silver) and I am enjoying making dinner most nights (Curtis has to do Wednesdays and on Fridays we order take out). I finally got a bed frame for my matress (which is memory foam and oh so awesome) and a bookcase but my room is far from complete.  I have a lot of work to do to make it feel like home.  Mom has been so awesome shipping out my stuff; I think I have everything I need now and then some!

It's supposed to snow tomorrow night and all day Saturday; I am really looking forward to it.  I'll definitely take pictures!!

Miss you all and love you to pieces!

xoxo

Goodbye Walla Walla!

Moving day has arrived!  Mom and Dad made it in to town today and we will be packing like crazy before Thanksgiving arrives!  I guess this is where it begins!