And then I thought...: January 2009

I am back at work today after arriving home yesterday from my awesome trip to Washington DC. I don't even think words could describe how amazing this trip was (but of course I will try!) It was a mixture of great food, fun company, and historic events. Here is a list in no particular order about just some of the most memorable times, and my favorite parts........

~ The food!! Oh my goodness, the food, the food, the food!! We started off my trip with a visit to this very small local fave called "Ravi Kabob House" HOLY CRAP it was delicious!!! I was so full but I did NOT want to stop eating! Then as if that place wasn't good enough, we had the most amazing bagels from "Brooklyn Bagels" for breakfast the following morning, I had the french toast bagel with the maple, walnut, raisin cream cheese, YUM!!! I liked it so much I got it again when we went back. For lunch we had falafel from the "Amsterdam Falafelshop" this place is located in Adams Morgan, and lets just say it was so good that it didn't matter that we had to sit outside in the freezing cold to eat it! That night we had "Rays Hell-Burger" what a burger!! Sam and I decided to split one, seeing as how we had a mighty big lunch that day....We continued our eating fest with Malaysian food, which had a Laksa soup that I hadn't had since my trip to Singapore and to say it was delicious and perfect is an understatement. This meal was perfect for warming us up and giving our feet a nice rest after the inauguration! We also ate Ethiopian, which was pretty good, compared to the rest of the things we ate it wasn't my favorite but it was good. Like I was saying the food was pretty awesome!

~ Seeing the office of Hillary Clinton and being able to personally tell her and her husband (Yes, both of them) Congratulations on becoming Secretary of State, seconds after she was sworn in!!! This was the coolest thing ever. It was just Brian and I in the hall with Hillary & Bill Clinton (okay maybe a few Secret Service men) but they waved at me, and said thank you, after I told her Congratulations!!! It was the most AMAZING thing ever!! I was within a few feet of a former (two-term, last good one we had) President, and his former Senator, and now newly sworn in Secretary of State wife!!! Can you tell I am still a little excited about this??

~Seeing our 44Th President Barack Obama be sworn into office, hearing his speech, and knowing that this is a huge shift for our country and the way we have been conducting ourselves, was a feeling that I cannot describe. I was filled with pride!

~Watching with my own two eyes, the Presidential helicopter taking the FORMER president and his family to Andrew Airforce base where they left Washington FOREVER!! (the picture above is just so perfect!!!)

~Walking around the buildings that house all the Representatives and getting to meet some of them including Dennis Kucinich.

~ Walking around one of the Senate buildings and getting to see the offices of Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Joe Biden.

~Seeing more lost single gloves than I can count. Someone had the brilliant idea for me to bring these back as souvenirs for friends that had asked me to bring them something back. I didn't, because most of them were pretty dirty and that might actually be a little weird, but they were everywhere, lonely single gloves!!!! Also and this is a little more random, was an abandoned double (side by side style) stroller! In the middle of the park, by the Lincoln Memorial, I spotted the stroller the day after the inauguration. Weird right??

~Getting to spend 3.5 days with one of my best friends and family members, Sam, and getting to know and hang out with her boyfriend Brian was what made the trip that much better!

~ Visiting one of my favorite cities in the World!

So I decided to change the look of my blog.....again. I needed a new look, for the new year. I am leaving for DC on Sunday and I am so excited. By the time I return I will probably be an Aunt, seeing as how my brother and his wife are about to go into labor at any minute! I can hardly wait. Also it just hit me last night that I am going be among millions of people at the inauguration. That is a little daunting if you think about all of those people within one small area, at one single event! (Lets keep our fingers crossed I don't have any panic attacks surrounded by mass crowds.)

Since it is a new year I wanted to make up a list of things I am looking forward to, thankful for having, and excited to continue in the new year:
1) Becoming an Aunt!
2) Trips to visit my friends and family.
3) Starting a new Kickball season
4) Starting a "Gathering Group" with my friends
5) The new book club I joined with some new friends
6) Autumns new work schedule
7) Zoe's first birthday

I hope the new year finds you all well!!