Since I found myself greeted by a large Christmas tree in the office lobby when I left work today, I feel that it’s acceptable for me to share this clip of myself (um, a few years ago, judging by the bangs), doing a little elf dance. That’s totally how I dress and behave at home. Yes, I live in a snowglobe.
I was excited for my association’s conference this year because it was in Salt Lake City. (Did I not mention I went to Salt Lake City for, like, a week? I did. Here are some pictures!) I quickly decided to stay an extra day and check out some Olympic venues. And by that, I mean that I totally wanted to go bobsledding. I’ve wanted to do that for forever, and was so pumped to get to do it!
Only I was totally denied. Turns out that the summer bobsled closes at the end of September, and winter bobsledding doesn’t start until the beginning of November. NOOO! So I wound up staying an extra day in Utah for nothing. Well, driving around Utah was lovely, but still. No bobsledding.
However, the fates have smiled upon me. See, I’m going on a cruise later this month, and one of our ports of call is Ochos Rios, Jamaica. And what is Jamaica known for? Bobsledding, my friends. Bobsledding. So how pumped was I to see that there’s an excursion that has bobsledding? And not only does it have bobsledding, but it also has zip-lining through the canopy, which I’ve been dying to do since I saw it on a Samantha Brown travel special! Best excursion ever! Seriously, I saw that and spent the rest of the day bouncing around the office. I cannot wait. Woo!
So I was downtown today, at a sneak preview of the National Museum of American History (verdict: It looks good, but they have a bit of work before it opens on Friday!), and I decided to walk to Gallery Place, instead of taking the Metro from Metro Center. And as I walked by the Archives, I noticed this:
Members of the group Veterans for Peace had managed to climb the scaffolding and put up some of their own signs. As I got there, the police had climbed up after them and arrested the ones on the scaffolding, as people below chanted “Arrest Bush! Save the Constitution!” The cops also ripped the big sign horizontally, prompting the chants to become “They’re doing what Bush to the Constitution!”
It’s always fun when you head to downtown DC, I tell you.
It had been a while since I had seen a certain temp on my floor at work, so I was surprised to see him today. I popped by his cube and said that I thought he was gone forever; he said that he was pretty much–Tuesday’s his last day.
“And then I start on Thursday.”
“Oh good. You have something lined up.”
“Yep, in Bangladesh.”
“…Bangladesh. On Thursday? Two days after you stop here?”
“Yeah, I fly out Tuesday night.”
“…What are you doing in Bangladesh?”
“I’m going to help with the elections.”
(At this point, I probably could’ve asked something about what he was actually going to do, but this isn’t about my issues with social situations.)
And that right there is why I get upset when people start bashing DC. There seems to be an attitude of negativity about people who live in DC–snide comments about lobbyists, jaded insiders, etc. Which blows me away, because I’ve met so many people living here like Sam. Honestly, this is hardly the first conversation I’ve had where the person I’m talking to says something like that.
My theory is that the the three main employers around here are law firms, the federal government, and nonprofits. And the people working at those places are doing what they can to help other people. It’s really amazing what people around here are doing, going to places around the world, raising money to help them, raising awareness of various issues and problems. Seriously, these people blow me away. I feel good about what I do, and the people I’m working for, but a lot of people around here are incredibly amazing.
There’s a lot more than just politics in DC.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Lt.-Col. John McCrae
We had an all-staff meeting today, and we chatted beforehand about Veterans Day. “It’s not always the same day, though,” a coworker said, leading me to talk about World War I, which really is the forgotten war. Admittedly, we weren’t involved for terribly long, but still. Maybe it would help if we called it Armistice Day. In the UK, you really can’t ignore it–everyone’s wearing poppies. (And man, I wish I hadn’t lost mine from when I was over there in November of 2004.) Anyway, it really fed into my compulsion to recognize where some of these holidays came from, best exemplified by my need to watch 1776 each Independence Day. There’s a story behind the holiday, people! It means more when you remember that!
Sigh. I do suggest checking out this article about a man photographer the dozen or so WWI veterans still around. I also suggest watching the Doctor Who episodes “Human Nature” and “Family of Blood,” the episodes that sucked me into that show.
And the WWI trench exhibit/experience at the Imperial War Museum? Possibly the freakiest experience I’ve ever had.
Not to harp on the local political situation, but I love this Flickr set of Obama from election night. I find the one of him watching McCain’s concession speech particularly fascinating.
And while I didn’t get downtown to party in the streets, I did hear some folks nearby setting off fireworks. Fun!
(I’d talk about something else, but honestly, I have a cold, so most of my thoughts right now are like, “Man, I wish I could breathe.” Less than thrilling.)
I could not be happier that my 30th birthday was also the day we elected Obama as president. I couldn’t ask for a better gift.
