- My Super Shuttle did not come and dispatch could not get a hold of it so I had to take a cab during Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic from DC to Baltimore. Fortunately Super Shuttle agreed to reimburse me, which is good because my tab was $70.
- Boarding the plane was delayed half an hour because the incoming flight was late.
- We sat on the runway for over an hour because they were not letting any planes takeoff. And of course, there were two screaming babies on the plane.
- After finally landing, we had to wait over an hour for our bags because the conveyor belt on the baggage mover broke. The whole baggage claim area cheered when the carousel started moving.
- Driving to San Clemente, Orange County closed its highways for repairs. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic on the surface streets, making the ride home two plus hours instead of one.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
The Long Road Home
One of my theories about life, that I have noted several times in this blog, is that traveling is horrible so you can appreciate your final destination even more. Yesterday/today was no exception, with one of my longest trips home. Moral of the story: if you want to get home on time, do not travel with me. After experiencing two days of major metro delays to work:
Friday, August 03, 2007
Final Burrito Frontier
Today's my last day at my externship and it has been a great summer. I accomplished everything that I wanted to do and more. I got to review a Supreme Court amicus brief, draft memos, help prepare Congressional testimony, have an op-ed I drafted be approved to be published, etc. There was one last thing that I needed to do: go to the burrito cart.
Since I don't get paid, I pack my lunch almost every day. But I had heard so much about Pedro & Vinny's, the burrito cart on 15th and K, that I had to go yesterday. It definitely lived up to its hype.
First, you have to get into the long line of regulars who know how to order their burrito. Fortunately, I had studied up so I also knew how to order like a pro. You order your kind of tortilla (regular, spinach, wheat, tomato chili, or onion garlic), cheese or no cheese, size (small, medium, or large), kind of beans (black, refried, or a black & tan combo), guacamole and/or sour cream, whether you want salsa, and what kind of hot sauce out of the dozens of choices. I picked his habanero mango hot sauce that the burrito man makes personally.
Besides the excellent vegetarian burritos, the overall experience is really fun. There's free chips while you wait, payment is all on the honor system as you put money in a box and take out proper change, and you get a york peppermint patty with your burrito. The story behind the burrito cart is also amusing to me. The original owner of the burrito cart was an attorney who needed to escape the cut throat law firm world.
Anyway, best $5 lunch ever, especially since I could only eat half of my burrito and saved the other half for dinner. If you work downtown, you have to go for lunch. This California girl approves.
Since I don't get paid, I pack my lunch almost every day. But I had heard so much about Pedro & Vinny's, the burrito cart on 15th and K, that I had to go yesterday. It definitely lived up to its hype.First, you have to get into the long line of regulars who know how to order their burrito. Fortunately, I had studied up so I also knew how to order like a pro. You order your kind of tortilla (regular, spinach, wheat, tomato chili, or onion garlic), cheese or no cheese, size (small, medium, or large), kind of beans (black, refried, or a black & tan combo), guacamole and/or sour cream, whether you want salsa, and what kind of hot sauce out of the dozens of choices. I picked his habanero mango hot sauce that the burrito man makes personally.
Besides the excellent vegetarian burritos, the overall experience is really fun. There's free chips while you wait, payment is all on the honor system as you put money in a box and take out proper change, and you get a york peppermint patty with your burrito. The story behind the burrito cart is also amusing to me. The original owner of the burrito cart was an attorney who needed to escape the cut throat law firm world.
Anyway, best $5 lunch ever, especially since I could only eat half of my burrito and saved the other half for dinner. If you work downtown, you have to go for lunch. This California girl approves.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Thoughts and prayers...
... go out to the people of Minnesota who were affected by yesterday's bridge collapse.
Fortunately, my parents have not called me, which hopefully means that none of our family and friends in Minnesota were hurt or killed in this tragic event.
The whole thing is surreal to me. I remember crossing that bridge so many times growing up in Minnesota or when we would go back to visit.
You would think this would make people a little more thankful that they have safe public transportation in DC, even if there are some delays. But no, people were pushing, shoving, and and even yelling today. All because of a 20 minute delays-- so insignificant compared to everything else.
Fortunately, my parents have not called me, which hopefully means that none of our family and friends in Minnesota were hurt or killed in this tragic event.The whole thing is surreal to me. I remember crossing that bridge so many times growing up in Minnesota or when we would go back to visit.
You would think this would make people a little more thankful that they have safe public transportation in DC, even if there are some delays. But no, people were pushing, shoving, and and even yelling today. All because of a 20 minute delays-- so insignificant compared to everything else.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Goodbye DC Summers
It is strange thinking that, because I do not plan on being in DC next summer, I only have two more days working in DC. Humidity and freezing cold offices aside, I am going to miss it. Working downtown, rather than being couped up in the law school library, allowed me to actually enjoy so many of the things the city has to offer.
Today I took advantage of the best parts of being in the heart of the district. I sat in Dupont Circle watching the locals play chess, ate an empanada from Julia's (so good!), and did the Express' crossword puzzle. I met up with a friend from UCLA for happy hour and stopped by Larry's (the icecream Nazi). We even randomly ran into two other friends from UCLA as we were chatting on a bench enjoying the summer evening.
Although the reasons that I want to move back and work in California do outweigh staying out here, I am afraid that I won't have this city feeling. Taking public transportation into work so I don't have to deal with traffic, running into people on the streets, having a downtown where I can roam and sit around. Downtown LA is a little lacking, or maybe that is just my perception of it.
Speaking of California, I will be back this Friday for 10 days. I thought it would be a long time but it's already filling up quickly. I have turned in to one of those kids who is asking if I have to go back to classes. Maybe if summers in Santa Clarita were this much fun (and not 110 degrees), I would not have been the nerdy kid that I was, who could not wait for the first day of school.
Today I took advantage of the best parts of being in the heart of the district. I sat in Dupont Circle watching the locals play chess, ate an empanada from Julia's (so good!), and did the Express' crossword puzzle. I met up with a friend from UCLA for happy hour and stopped by Larry's (the icecream Nazi). We even randomly ran into two other friends from UCLA as we were chatting on a bench enjoying the summer evening.
Although the reasons that I want to move back and work in California do outweigh staying out here, I am afraid that I won't have this city feeling. Taking public transportation into work so I don't have to deal with traffic, running into people on the streets, having a downtown where I can roam and sit around. Downtown LA is a little lacking, or maybe that is just my perception of it.
Speaking of California, I will be back this Friday for 10 days. I thought it would be a long time but it's already filling up quickly. I have turned in to one of those kids who is asking if I have to go back to classes. Maybe if summers in Santa Clarita were this much fun (and not 110 degrees), I would not have been the nerdy kid that I was, who could not wait for the first day of school.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Charles in Charge
During lunch today, I filled out a service request online. By the time I arrived home, the maintenance people in the apartment took care of everything and left a nice note. What my apartment lacks in character, it definitely makes up in convenience.
Both my apartments in DC have been Charles E. Smith big corporate high rises rather than cute little row houses. At first I felt bad, like I was choosing Walmart over a mom and pop shop. But I have fallen into the allure of the monopoly (people always kid that Smith owns half of DC, and I wouldn't be surprised). Maybe Alex is right, maybe I am more conservative than him now.
It's so hard to resist the fast maintenance, the online rent payment system, the 24 hour front desk, and the free apartment transfers that let us end our old lease early. My new apartment even has a valet service and in-house drycleaning. It's like living in a hotel, but for a reasonable price (at least for DC standards). I would recommend to anyone moving, especially someone moving to a brand new city and will be busy with school.
I figure I have the rest of my life to find a cute little house that I can paint and landscape, so now I'll take all those perks of apartment life. And now I have that song stuck in my head...
Charles in Charge
Of our days and our nights
Charles in Charge
Of our wrongs and our rights
And I sing, I want,
I want Charge in Charge of me.
Both my apartments in DC have been Charles E. Smith big corporate high rises rather than cute little row houses. At first I felt bad, like I was choosing Walmart over a mom and pop shop. But I have fallen into the allure of the monopoly (people always kid that Smith owns half of DC, and I wouldn't be surprised). Maybe Alex is right, maybe I am more conservative than him now.
It's so hard to resist the fast maintenance, the online rent payment system, the 24 hour front desk, and the free apartment transfers that let us end our old lease early. My new apartment even has a valet service and in-house drycleaning. It's like living in a hotel, but for a reasonable price (at least for DC standards). I would recommend to anyone moving, especially someone moving to a brand new city and will be busy with school.
I figure I have the rest of my life to find a cute little house that I can paint and landscape, so now I'll take all those perks of apartment life. And now I have that song stuck in my head...
Charles in Charge
Of our days and our nights
Charles in Charge
Of our wrongs and our rights
And I sing, I want,
I want Charge in Charge of me.
Monday, July 30, 2007
A Little Help for My Friends
In case you haven't noticed, there's now these little green buttons on my blog that will allow you to share my brilliant postings with the world. Ok, there's probably little reason why you would need to spread my ramblings to other people. However, if you have a "sharable" blog or know someone who does, I recommend adding this sharing widget found at Madkast.
Madkast is the brainchild of my friend Doug. This is the same Doug that was my predecessor as Bruin Democrats President, got me involved in student government, and brought you Zemble & DailyPrez.
Through my experience in politics and student government, I have met a lot of people like Doug. The people who think outside the box and the big dreamers. In fact, my friend Faith and I were just talking about how my boyfriend and her husband (all in student gov) are like Doug with their crazy internet ideas. I am more of a logistics and "make it happen" type of person, but this is why I work well with the dreamers-- even if I feel like I have to be naysayer or bring them back to earth sometimes. For you West Wing fans, I would be Leo McGarry to their Jed Bartlett.
But I digress. Check out Madkast. Who knows, it could be the next Facebook, Youtube, or Digg webiste. I'm sure they all started as "crazy ideas" from dreamers who had some friends who passed it around.
Madkast is the brainchild of my friend Doug. This is the same Doug that was my predecessor as Bruin Democrats President, got me involved in student government, and brought you Zemble & DailyPrez.
Through my experience in politics and student government, I have met a lot of people like Doug. The people who think outside the box and the big dreamers. In fact, my friend Faith and I were just talking about how my boyfriend and her husband (all in student gov) are like Doug with their crazy internet ideas. I am more of a logistics and "make it happen" type of person, but this is why I work well with the dreamers-- even if I feel like I have to be naysayer or bring them back to earth sometimes. For you West Wing fans, I would be Leo McGarry to their Jed Bartlett.
But I digress. Check out Madkast. Who knows, it could be the next Facebook, Youtube, or Digg webiste. I'm sure they all started as "crazy ideas" from dreamers who had some friends who passed it around.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Date Days
Although the long distance relationship has been working out for the past year, I miss going out on dates. So after Alex drove down this weekend and helped me finish moving, we had a date night.We probably looked a little silly getting dressed up for the Simpsons Movie, but I wanted to take advantage of Bethesda's Restaurant Week afterwards. (Restaurant Week = 3 course dinners at nice restaurants for reasonable prices). We ended getting patio seats at Raku, a packed pan-Asian restaurant, which worked out perfectly for our 2+ hour summer dinner.
Alex had the Grilled Chicken Napa Salad, the House Special Beef Skewer appetizer, and the Thai Curry Bouillabaisse. I had the Heirloom Tomato Salad, Ban Ban Chicken appetizer, and Wok-Charred Chilean Seabass. Everything was amazing, and I highly recommend.I guess when you only get to see your significant other (or as Alex calls it Sig-o) every month or so, you get to splurge a little and enjoy those moments. Yes I cope by being annoyingly optimistic rather than mopey.
Bouillabaisse! My new favorite word.
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