Swine Flu... common it had to be done

Ok I understand that at one point in time there was an entire pandemic in the United States which resulted in something like a million flu-related deaths.

However; in the years since, people have still continued to die from the flu.  Approximately 36,000 actually.  So I understand we should be aware of people around us and try to keep ourselves healthy, but it seems to me that people are freaking out.  EVERYTHING is closing (or is requested to be closed) including, but not limited to:

Schools

Company sites

THE BORDER??  <-- I mean really, common!

It's actually THE FLU.  I have heard about this every year since I was a kid.  People get the flu, people get sick, people give their germs to other people.  Why is this a new pandemic?? It isn't even a new strain of influenza!

This whole thing seems sort of a sham to me.  I am not going to stop going out in crowded places just because I am afraid of germs.  Ridic.  

Just needed to get that out there...

Looking professional

There will always be those people who try to head off to work as comfortably as possible, even when the dress is business sophisticated.

As someone who used to frequent the DC Metro system I have seen it all. Sports coats on hangers, sneakers and tube socks with skirt suits, flip flops with everything, sweatshirts over a business dress, and the list goes on. I have seen people put their makeup on in the office, trudge in with ugg boots to switch out less-trendy flats, even go into the bathroom with one shirt and come out with another one on!

But today was the worst thing I have ever seen. (In regards to professional dress...)

I turned left into the parking lot at work like I always do, when I saw a man standing next to his tiny (yet expensive looking) car, wearing basketball shorts and stepping into his work pants with the belt already in the loops!!!

Now, I am not completely innocent here, I was wearing flip flops with my outfit and had every intention to change once I sat behind my desk and I do that fairly regularly. However, this is wear it crossed the line. The man wasn't even using public transportation!! He was in his own car!! Common, Mr. Dude... no one wants to see that!!

This post was just a tribute to those who can not fully dress themselves in the morning for lack of time, comfort, whatever. May you continue to put on your pants in the parking lot forever more... (or maybe stick to dark parking garages where I don't have to see it...)

I haven't had a meal indoors since Thursday...

What a joyful weekend!!

Friendships and relationships are such a blessing in life. I am thoroughly rejuvenated after this weekend, and absolutely refreshed in the ways that God bestows little gifts and joy for those who love him. I wonder many times if I would have the same love for my friends and people if I were not trying to see people through his eyes, and I am pretty convinced that I would not.

First of all, this enjoyable weekend was so beautiful, and was the first "summer-esque" weekend in DC. The weather has been in the 90s, and the sun has been shining brightly (mostly).

Thursday night I was able to enjoy ultimate frisbee night with the YL kids from Wootten, Churchill, and RM, and although it sucked that we didn't have enough people for club, it was really great to spend time with the kids that did come, and just have fun and be active with them. I am pretty sure thatteam Luxemburg beat team USA, but I was having so much fun with the kids and other leaders, that I don't even remember. 

Friday I was so anxious to get out of the office, so as soon as my work was done, I was GONE! I got to wash my car, and then experience the joy that is springtime in Maryland when it was covered in pollen 5 minutes later. Honestly, I tried to wax the car right after I washed it, but wasn't able to because of all the pollen! It was crazy! So after taking the pup for a 4 mile walk, I headed to the Rio with roommates of old and future to enjoy some Margaritas and mexican on the Rio Waterfront.

The view from our restaurant!!

Saturday Kyle and I headed downtown to spend a day with Nadine who was in DC on a bus-trip. We did the Holocaust Museum, lunch at a pub at Gallery Place, sat with our feet in the wading pool at the Sculpture Garden, walked the national mall, found the best gadget store ever and took no less than a bizillion pictures. There is nothing like good weather and good friends to make your heart resound in joy!!

I know it looks a bit awkward, but we were on the National mall trying to get the capitol in between us!

My favorite place in DC!! The Sculpture Garden and wading pool!

The gadget shop we spent over an hour in!!  (Notice the incredible sunburn!)

When Nadine left, we hosted a BBQ in Rockville. And although it did get rained out before all the chicken was done cooking (thank goodness for George Forman grills!!), we were able to just hang out with more friends, and just enjoy the simple blessings in life. Jessica and Angela came and hung out with Kyle, Katie, Brett, Corey, and I and we just shared stories all night.

Today was more joy-filled relationships as I started the day with a wonderful friend, bible, and iced coffee at Panera, attended a great church service complete with children dedications (it is so beautiful to see parents committing in front of their church community to raise their children the best they can with the love and strength of God), and had a grocery shopping and outdoor lunch date with Emily. It's hard to think that I could be anywhere else than this, and is so comforting to look at all the people I have in my life that God has placed here for very wonderful and different reasons. I just look back on this weekend and think about how restful and blessed it was. 

Watermelon on a hot day!! Eating watermelon with chopsticks from my sushi, because Emily and I both forgot a knife!

Emily is one of the chance encounters I have had down here, and now don't know how I would have survived without her!!  Enjoying lunch on a beautiful Sunday!

One thing that I really love in this world is people. It is so great to just think about how different we all are, and how beautifully and wonderfully made we are. Sitting around the pool at the sculpture garden, I could not help but realize that everyone at that pool came there with their own story. Stories of joy and love, tragedy and pain, stories of hope, and stories of forgiveness. It was wonderful to see couples, parents and children, friends, and people who are different in countless ways gathered around the wading pool just to enjoy the day and enjoy life. It is obviously no lie that I enjoy people watching, but to really appreciate people watching is much different. I am so grateful for this beautiful weekend, and my beautiful friends, and my beautiful life.


On a side note, I have made a personal commitment to give up facebook while I accomplish some side goals, so enjoy more frequent blogging and less frequent facebooking.

I hate sick daysssssss

So...
5 Tums tablets,
2 naps,
2 hours with the work laptop in my lap,
and 2 rerun episodes of the hills later...


I am ready to feel healthy again!!
ARGGGGGGGGGH


I am pretty convinced that the only enjoyable sick days are the "personal" days. I would rather be at work right now.

Ironically enough, 3 other members of my HR team called out sick today and all for different things!
1. pink eye
2. head cold
3. fell in the shower
4. me with my sick little tummy.

I want to feel better and be working again tomorrow!

Easter and mi familia!!

My family is coming to DC for Easter!! When I decided to stay down here for Easter and not go up to Pennsylvania, it was pretty much because I realized I had been spending quite a few weekends away from DC and didn't feel like I was living at 'home.' I never imagined my parents would decide to cart the whole family down here!!
But then the call came. I am very excited, and feel like hosting my family for a holiday says to me personally, not only am I being a grown up, but I am doing it right! I think this weekend will be a lot of fun, and I hope to take a lot of pictures and have a lot of fun. We may go visit the seafood market (my dad would LOVE IT!), and go see what's left of the cherry blossoms, and of course... dye some easter eggs.
Unfortunately though, the plans of spending all day Saturday got pushed to the wayside, primarily because Tim had an accident on the elliptical machine on Tuesday and almost sliced off his toe!! So now the kid is walking around with a boot, but in true T Pott fashion is insisting that he wants to go downtown in the city... we will see about that.

But yes, this week can NOT pass by fast enough, and they are all coming tomorrow!! Wonderful! Updates will hopefully be fun and exciting!

a Spring Festival fit for the capital!

Cherry Blossoms in DC.
What a beautiful time to be in such a beautiful city!  What a wonderful and great weekend, which revives the desire to spend whole weekends down in DC soaking up the beauty and history now that the sun and warmth is returning to us!! 
Nothing makes me happier than the feel of the sun on my cheeks in the birth of springtime, but to be in such a beautiful place, with people you love, can just be a bit overwhelming.  I sat on the bank of the tidal basin this weekend, thinking "would I have EVER imagined that I would end up in Washington DC?"  I always swore I was going to be an NYC type of person.  Wanted to live the big life drinking, clubbing, making lots of money, and then about 5 years ago my life drastically changed. Now I have a life of contentment, hard work, independence, love, and all things that are great in my life and have made me the person that I am today.  
I have been increasingly made aware of how, when left to my own tools, I make my life into the equivalent of a kindergarten art project.  But in my life, I found a GREAT artist, who wanted to take that and turn it into a masterpiece.  And I am so thankful for that.

And also today, I took an elevator down 18 stories, with Johnny Cash on my iPod, after a long day at work, and was the only person in the elevator.  So I did what any fake-grown up would do, and rocked out HARDCORE the entire way down.  When the elevator opened in the concourse, it opened to a young, female professional calmly put together (and thankfully too, because there was a cute FEMA guy waiting for the elevator!).  I just chuckled to myself and jumped the metro home.