Season Greetings

Merry Christmas! Wishing you and your family wherever you might be a lovely and blessed celebration of Christ's birth. I'm sitting in a quiet flat, listening to a Stevie Wonder Christmas, missing home! No, it isn't Stevie that has me home sick. If I had the rest of my belongings, I'd definitely have Bing Crosby playing. I got back a couple hours ago from Vienna. I spent Christmas with my dear friend Wendy, who was in Vienna doing research for her dissertation, and her old roommate and friend, Carol, who is a full-time missionary in Austria, working with refugees. I met Wendy in Vienna on Friday night. After a breakfast at our pension in the 8th district, we took the Badener Bahn to Baden bei Wien, a suburb or small town outside of Vienna. I was happy to see a light dusting of snow, and even a little glad to have -3 C temperatures. The cold can be envigorating! We had 4 restful days of coffee talk, good food, and wonderful company. We mixed Austrian and American traditions and even invited an Aussie to join us on Christmas day. Then tonight Smetana's "Ma Vlast" or "Die Moldau" played as my train pulled into Praha Holesovice, the second train station in Prague, and I knew I was home or at least back in Prague. The feeling of "home" - I hope that will come in time. Missing you.

Ja jsem rad, ze jsem tady znova v Praze.

BREAKING NEWS: I've become a really girly girl! No, not exactly... I just went a little wild with pink. If you don't like it - deal. Don't worry. I wont stay "pink" or "rose" forever.

Now for the real headliner -- if you haven't heard, I moved to Prague last Saturday and just finished my first week at work. So far, so good. Everything seems pretty much the same save for the U.S. dollar which fetched 21 or 22 Czech Koruna last time I was here. Today it hit a new low of 17.8! Hard to imagine that 5 or 6 years ago it got 30 or 31 and before that closer to 35/36 or even 40. Somehow I think I'll still survive. Granted it wont be like living in the 90s.

For the time being I'm staying in temporary housing. I will fairly quickly hit the pavement though looking for a flat of my own. I'm kind of hoping I might actually find something through connections. This Sunday I plan on visiting two colleagues' buildings to get an idea. I'm eager to find a place I can truly call home and will be a place of refuge and retreat. AND, most importantly, a place to host guests and dinner parties!

First things first though... tomorrow I'm off to Dresden for the Striezelmarkt (or oldest Christmas market in Germany) with a good friend Iza. I'm very much looking forward to sipping warm gluehwein (mulled/spiced wine) while browsing through nutcrackers and other traditional German wooden holiday crafts. Dresden is one of my favorite spots outside of Prague - only a two-hour train ride. History seems to radiate off the streets, and views along the river, what is called the "balcony of Europe," are exquisite.

All in all, things are going pretty well. As in any place, there are things you absolutely love and other things you could definitely do without. So far, I'm loving the public transport and simply walking around with all the Christmas markets, but disliking the fairly gray weather that is typical this time of year and wishing there were fewer gentleman's clubs in my part of town. I'm also missing my band of merry friends in DC as well as the ability to call family whenever, leaving my sister Stephanie crazy voicemails or listening to my brother-in-law's hilarious karaoke voicemails to me. It is annoying not having a broadband connection in my flat right now, but I have an uber cool new Nokia phone. There are always trade offs in life, right? It's kind of funny how I continue to walk around thinking that I need to pack in all the sights or schedule lot's of travel because I'll be leaving in 6 months or a year, but that isn't the case this time around. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea of being over here for a while. Anyhow, I'll close for now as I've got an early train ahead of me. I hope this finds you well! Sorry for the lapse in communication, but as you can see, I'm still kick'in it.

Peace out from Praha mes amis, Christine

Go West

Do you ever suffer from paralysis when it comes to decision making? As a teenager my mom would drop me at the grocery store to pick up a few items... oftentimes I'd eventually materialize after pricing the products, considering the quality and the purpose of the good, and doing my own cost benefit analysis. Okay - I know I have my issues. My mom would ask what on earth I was doing in the store. Naturally I told her any trip, no matter how mundane, required careful deliberations to get her a suitable product for her needs. I shared my struggle standing in the aisle looking at the unit prices and wondering what Mom would like best. I wasn't a mind reader. If I had been, I would have been back in the car pronto!

Anyhow, I get paralyzed way too often when it comes to making a decision. Granted sometimes decisions take time and coordination. I've been trying to figure out my plans for when I finish work (11/7), but until 11:56 PM the only decisions I had made were a trip to Madison last week and a trip home to Binghamton next week. Hey, that's pretty good. I've always said if I ever changed jobs that I'd take a month or two and travel the world... maybe hit Thailand or Vietnam. Well, that is not happening. But, as of 11:58 PM I purchased tix for Kansas City, Chicago, and San Jose CA. I'm psyched - FINALLY. Took me long enough.

I should also add I'm pretty excited about a 'surprise' bon voyage party my roommate is throwing this Saturday. It is going to be pretty crazy with over 50 people in our humble abode. Some of our honored guests include my parents, cousin Judy, family from Baltimore, and friend Fredi from Albania (he didn't fly all the way from Tirana for me, just down from Boston). My friend Becky who I've shared adventures with in Croatia, Albania, and Poland is coming in from Ohio and Fal from NYC is also coming in. It's going to be interesting and I'm touched. Wow. Many, many heartfelt thanks go out to my posse here in DC and VA.

I'm moving back...

So, in case you haven't heard, I'm moving to Prague. Yeah, the poppy seed rolls did me in. Of course, I can find them here in the States around Christmas and Easter from our local Ukrainian and Slovak churches, but I decided I absolutely need to be in a country that has poppy year-round. I also miss my Czech sweet breads or "kolac" with the sweet farmer's cheese. My diet or should I say my taste buds have suffered so much the last 9 months. You might be asking, "Christine, why not learn to bake these goodies yourself"? That is a reasonable question I admit. Oops, and to be honest, I actually have a poppy seed roll in the freezer from my mom. However, somehow I got roped into sharing that with my roommate. Well, I confess it is more than the sweets that is pulling me back to Prague. I was offered a job I simply couldn't refuse and the opportunity to live in a city that has a very special place in my heart. Don't get me wrong - I will miss DC. I am already mourning my jogs around the nation's beloved monuments - the Washington monument, Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson. I will mourn the amazing community and fellowship I've been so blessed by here. I'll miss running over to Virginia to visit with the gang still living on N Calvert, including Raymond's free ice cream and Heather and Christina's rather constant supply of the Court House Farmers' Market "Cookie Lady's" maple-walnut-toffee-white chocolate cookies. And, I will really miss sitting out on our balcony enjoying a bottle of Shiraz with Jordana into the wee hours of the night and then getting up for work the next day. But, it seems that the time has come for a new chapter. It is exciting, scary, and overwhelming all in one...

Mary and Jesus' Wedding

Okay, so I'm not trying to be sacrilegious: my cousin Mary got married this weekend to Jesus, the love of her life from El Savador.

It was quite the multicultural event. How many times in your life do you get to polka, salsa, twist, and rock 'n roll in one night? ...Oh, and I nearly forgot listening to Kermit the Frog sing "The Rainbow Connection." I actually discovered this muppet tune happens to be my brother-in-law's favorite. It was difficult to say which was more precious - Christian singing with Kermit or the overzealous flower girl (my cousin Diane's daughter Gabby) who was so intent on dropping her rose petals. The simple pleasures in life ....

There were extraordinary things happening left and right throughout the evening on Saturday. Steph even got Grandma on the dance floor. I thought I'd showcase the lovely dancing duo here. Cheryl Burke and the rest of Dancing with the Stars better watch out.

Driving home in my hotwire.com deal of a car -- $99 for four days with unlimited mileage -- a silvery blue Kia that handled extraordinarily well through the mountains near Hazelton and Scranton and made me feel a bit like a Nascar driver provided a much needed change of environment and pace. Words here will not do justice in conveying just how supercalifragilisticexpialidocious it was to be home. Of course, my mother over did it a bit with home decorating, but nonetheless it was home, and it was restful, and it was glorious. Indeed, my brother and I were inspired to rename the road on which we live from Dunham Hill Rd to the Hill of Dunham.

As you can see, I was in need of a good dose of home. And, now it is time for some sleep. I've been horribly undisciplined of late about getting enough rest. I have this silly habit of staying up late doing senseless things like downloading my photos and blogging.

American Psycho - Yes, I am :(

I'm psycho at times. I kid you not. My blood pressure rises and my heart beats extra fast when disputing bills. I just got off the phone with a Verizon Wireless representative - excuse me, I mean my 5th or 6th Verizon Wireless account representative to dispute the fact that an extra 100 bonus minutes clearly stated in my 3-year contract are nowhere notated in my online account. Basically, this past month's bill included an extra $17 dollars in overage. That amount was credited after I successfully disputed the charge, but Verizon said there was never any citation of an extra 100 promotional minutes. I even have my contract - a hard copy no less - which I faxed last week. Well, to make a long story short they are unable to add those 100 minutes to "My Plan" because a different division handles promotions and they could only do so with a contract extension. Gosh darn it - my contract is through July 2008 as it is! I was not pleased with this option. So, they decided they would monitor my usage and should I go over my allotted monthly peak minutes, but stick to the extra 100 promotional minutes, they will credit me that overage. Having a little legal experience, oh, and simply the hard knocks of life, I asked for this agreement to be sent to me via email. The response: No, a different department handles legal issues and Verizon emails are preformatted. Basically, I can take them or leave them at their word. Given this spate of billing and contractual issues and incorrect billing on my DSL account when we moved from VA to DC (thank the good Lord my math skills are up to par!), I am seriously rethinking my relationship with Verizon once I come to the end of my contract. In today's age, we are presented with "bundles" - that is a complete package of DSL, phone, and TV - BUT, the joint billing doesn't take place until 2 or 3 billing cycles take effect. Bottom line: upfront costs are higher and reading wacky bills causes a psycho anal-retentive person such as myself to develop non-existent heart disease. So much for this age of convenience! NOT!

I confess I even went so far tonight to recite part of the Verizon Wireless creed or rather their lengthy and jolly recording back to the representative: "Committed to working for you, our Customers!" Of course, I also spent some time apologizing. My gosh, I just realized that my deepest, darkest fears of adopting some of the argumentative traits of my mother and godmother have suddenly appeared in moi! I spent years of my childhood shying away from ANY form of confrontation and frequently hid under the table when customer service in a restaurant wasn't to our liking or when an ordered product was broken or of sub-standard quality. And now, I'm a ranter and a raver reciting company codes and pledges back to customer service representatives! I definitely need a chill pill.

Before I close, in case my aunt or mother might read this I feel compelled to add a special note: I love you, Aunt Pat and my amazing mother, Mary Lou! If there is one think I learned from the Wyszkowski side of the family, it is to stand up for one's rights and principles. I guess the next life lesson I'd like to learn is how to finesse my displeasure and disputes. Hmmm, I think my brother Mark might be able to help me in this area....He is quite the smooth talker let me tell you! Actually, I'd settle for suave, straight-shooter.

Sushi, Psycho Judge, and "Goyishe Kopf" make for the perfect Amtrak ride

I finally have a laptop after endless weeks of Dell-ays! It's quite unbelievable; I'm even up and running on the Internet. So far the keyboard on my Inspiron 1420 seems comfortable, and I think I'm glad to have the anti-glare screen, but we'll wait for the full jury a few more weeks after more use.

So, I'm just back from NYC. What a lovely, lovely weekend I had. The Big Apple was at its very finest. Granted there was one walk through midtown on Sunday night where WWIII seemed to have hit with garbage strewn everywhere... Steph and I could quite figure out whether all the bags of garbage were broken open, stamped upon, and/or exploded or whether the garbage was part of some movie set. It was disgusting to say the least. Apart from this aberration, I was impressed at how beautiful New York was - awesome vistas north and south when crossing the avenues, looking out over the East River from my friend Sandy's 6th-floor walk-up, strolling through Central Park, brunching at the Times Warner Center at Columbus Circle. It was pure fun AND it made me itchy for more of the city. Both Steph and I were lured back by the pulse of the city, the wildy diverse peoples, and the exquisite culinary treats on nearly every corner. Let's see, this trip we sample Afghani food in the East Village at Kyhber Pass, sipped Frozen Chocolate at Chocolate Bar on 8th Ave in the West Village, and feasted upon (well, I feasted upon) Junior's famous scrumptious cheesecake with strawberries. Oh, and least I forget, after church on Sunday we hit a favorite brunch spot on E77 and York - Barking Dog. We shared chocolate chip and dried cherry pancakes and a country sausage omellette with NYS cheddar cheese and Empire apples. YUM! Whatever you do in NYC, make sure you eat! You need not spend tons of money to give your taste buds something to jump for - that is the good news. There is something for every budget.

Turning from food, well, maybe not yet... right before I made my way to Penn Station, I stopped to get sushi and made a rush trip to Korea town to pick up some sweet rolls at a Korean bakery. Mission accomplished. While waiting for the train track to appear in the main hall at Penn, I ripped open one Korean bun and finally sat down to enjoy my spicy crunchy salmon and spicy tuna and crunch shrimp rolls once on the train. I was in my own little heaven. Some days you can actually have your cake ere sushi and eat it too!

I've never had such an interesting train ride... Scratch that - this one ranks up there with my trip last March when I was humbled by the guy sitting next to me whose screen saver included pictures of him and just about every famous world leader you can think of... ranging from famous senators to former and current secretaries of state to heads of state and celebrities. That was wild - tonight's ride was interesting and unexpected. The personalities included a former attorney turned writer just launching her first novel on a book tour, who noticed me reading and gave me a copy of her book. And, there was Dave who lives and breathes Yiddish and could not help but tell me all about his 3 week trip to Lithuania where he studied Yiddish intensively and connected with Holocaust survivors who speak the language. By the way, the phrase Goyishe Kopf means "Gentile Brains", which I believe was/is a bit of a derogatory remark. I learned it in the context of a story about a professor in Vilnius who headed up a Jewish philosophy department whose favorite Jewish philospher is the 12th century rabbi, physician, and philosopher Moses Maimonides. When my train companion Dave asked the professor why he preferred Maimonides, the professor replied, "Because he had a 'judishe Kopf!"" - that is a Jewish brain.

You might see that I did not get a wink of sleep on my Amtrak ride home to DC. But, I sure had some interesting travel companions and walked away with a book and some insight on the differences between Lithuanian and Polish Yiddish.

Okay, and on a side note, get a load of this extraordinary find on the streets of the Big Apple... A little Gnome!!!!

High on the Sparkling Apple Cider

So, who knew the wild and crazy fun that transpires when you break open a bottle of that sparkly stuff... the carbonated apple cider beverage that shouts sophistication amongst the late 20s and early 30s crowd.

It brings out the Bravehearted in some, traditional female Iraqi attire in others, and even wild woman Nell.

A good deal has happened since I last wrote. August 8th marked another blessed year on this earth. While the day itself was short on celebration, I had plenty of opportunities to celebrate with different groups of friends throughout the week. Turning another year older definitely provided a wonderful excuse to eat sushi, buy a scrumptious yellow cake with whipped creme and multiple fruit, visit my favorite place for brunch, Tabard Inn, and try out Max Blob's Bavarian Biergarten in Jessup MD. Not only did I get to eat Sauerbraten and drink dark German Bier, but I also danced a polka or two with old friends, and a few new friends over the age of 70, and in some cases over 90 who fought in the Second World War.

On this eventful Saturday night under the Polka disco ball, I also learned the answer to one of life's greatest mysteries. For those of us fortunate enough to traverse the beaches, swimming pools, and saunas of Europe, the skinny Speedo bathing suit on men has flustered many American minds. I count myself at least amongst this group of bewildered onlookers. Well, I learned from my trusted friend Danny that the French actually have a law on bathing suits. Ze French believe that less fabric means less germs, so for hygienic purposes males are required to where the skimpy suits in public swimming pools and such. WHO ON EARTH KNEW THE FRENCH REGULATED SPEEDOS? So now you know. I'm sure you will go to sleep tonight either with a wide smile across your face or with your finger scratching your forehead.

In other news, I am victim to six week DELL-AY with my new Inspiron 1420 laptop - all because I chose a spring green case, at least according to the call center representative half way across the world with whom I spoke. However, Jordana is currently in Nazareth, Ethiopia visiting antenatal clinics so I have free reign of her laptop. Hence, I am able to grace you with my presence this fine evening.

Greetings to one and all!

Update

Guess what? I actually bought a new lap top. Get this: it doesn't arrive till mid-August. So, what does that mean? My blogging shall be limited.

In brief, life in DC is muggy. It has been raining the last few days which has been music to my ears. I've been craving a good ole pounding rain storm, the kind that starts with distant thunder, bursts of lightning, sheets of rain, and continues on with the constant din of rain drops throughout the afternoon. Water is soothing ... Too bad we don't have a jacuzzi on the balcony!

What else? I reconnected with an old friend from NYC last week. I finally got together with my friend Tara who moved here two years ago for work. We once bonded over JFK, JR, at our company Christmas party. Tara also is an awesome writer and funny girl... she took improv classes in NYC and even put on her own show. I think what I loved best though was her character, Mr. Goldman Sachs Firewarden, based on a company newsletter circulated after 9/11.

Anyhow, it is wonderful to reconnect with old friends. They remind you of a certain part of yourself... My years in NYC were sweet and formative, but they seem so long ago now. And, boy, I seem to be a different woman now. Wiser, I certainly hope!

A few pictures from May - South Bend

Karen, Mark and Chris at Mark's graduation from Notre Dame du Lac's Kroc Institute

Wishing I were still in the Outerbanks

Well, I'm back, and feeling pretty tired. It seems to always work like this: you go away on vacation, but it proves to take so much out of you that you need a vacation after the vacation.

To make a long story short, I made it to Corolla, NC, at dawn on Sunday morning after stopping in Durham to drop some of my sister Stephanie's stuff off at her new place near Duke-- I think that was around 11pm (Saturday). So, after getting back on the road, making an unsuccessful attempt at getting a hot fudge sundae under the golden arches, we proceeded through the darkness of night, the extreme humidity of the south, and eerie rain storms. If you have ever watched David Lynch's "Dark Highway" that's what I'm talking about - mind you, I mean the darkness and not the other gunk in that movie (I don't recommend). At one point we had some confusion reading signs, and since we were right near a 24/7 Super Walmart, we pulled in and had a walk around at about 3 am. Oh, it was an adventure. I have to say that this was an entirely surreal experience; I felt as if we had landed in an alternate reality coming out of the dark mist and entering the bright light and noisy airconditioning of this sparsely populated Walmart store. We all felt as if we might be gobbled up by some resident aliens or something, but we simply ended up buying some Pringles, gum, and beverages before continuing on. Oh, and Mark led us to the electronics section for a run by.

After what seemed an eternity, we arrived at Easy Breezes (our rented house) in Corolla, NC at about 5:30 am. We were all loopy. Karen and Christian greeted us at the door and acted surprised we made it without getting lost. Ha - we showed them our powers of navigation. On Sunday, to Stephanie's and my surprise, my brother Mark was as energetic as the Energizer Bunny, frolicking in the ocean waves and running through the sand. He was insane! This all ended for Mark on Monday. Mark drove all the way from Brooklyn to DC to the Outerbanks. Supposedly he wants to add this to his truck driving application and resume (if the whole peace building and conflict resolution thing doesn't pan out).

Since I seem to be going on about these trivial details, let me jump to an update on my parents. Mom and dad actually made it on Wednesday. Four of us drove about 1.5 hours to meet them on Wednesday morning at like 3 am in Sligo, NC, near the NC/VA border. You might see a running theme in our family- ill-conceived insane planning. Christian, Karen, Steph and I sat in Powell's Market driveway and were fairly flabbergasted when my parents' Honda Accord pulled in 10 minutes later. It was a difficult journey back to Easy Breezes. Of course, I had Steph to keep me awake, but all my eyes wanted to do was close. It took a whole lotta mind over matter and stamina to make it back.

All in all, it was wonderful to get out of DC and to be isolated in the Outerbanks - granted there were moments when I felt completely cut off from civilization and wondered what we'd do if some major crises or attack occured. Cut me some slack - I live in DC, used to work in NYC, experienced 9/11 - I have this sometimes sick desire to be near the action. Probably my favorite event of the week was kayaking on the Aligator river. Mother Nature was at her finest. And, it was kind of fun almost thinking I saw an aligator (boy, did that freak me out!) and actually seeing a running black bear. I leaned my head out Christian's SUV and called, "Hi, little bear". You had to be there.

As for my dad, he continues to deal with shingles on his optic nerve. Half of his face is covered with sores and scabs and his eye is pretty much closed shut. It is not a condition I'd wish upon anyone. I'm glad we had my parents for a few days; we got to fete them with a steamed crab and shrimp dinner. It was also nice to have a little extra time with them on the drive back to DC - yes, even despite the 9-hour drive. We ran into an accident that cost us hours. It was most painful for my dad, but somehow I just dealt with it. I wasn't in a hurry to get home. I really wished we had another week at the beach! However, we were all relieved to get to my place around 5 pm on Saturday evening. I gave my parents the tour and I'd say they liked it. Everyone always "oohs" and "ahhs" when they see the 2nd floor space -- my mom was no exception. We ended up picking up a pizza from Spout Run's famous Italian Store and scouted some wines up Lee Highway. We finished off the night listening to Billie Holiday, sipping Chianti, and eating dark chocolate. Dad, of course, rested, but I think he enjoyed listening to Lady Day and Miles Davis before that.

I'll close there for now. Please pray for continued healing for dad. His eye is actually causing him more pain now and his energy is very low. Mom is doing her best to be the every faithful caregiver. Times like these really get me thinking about those marriage vows couples take (i.e., in sickness and in health). It is hard, but it is truly a beautiful, beautiful thing to see those vows lived out.

Zinger of a Curve Ball

Life is unexpected, simply put.

Right now I was supposed to be on the road with my parents and grandma Wyszkowski, driving to the Outerbanks of North Carolina. I imagine I'd be catching up with my parents, my grandma would be filling me in on her aches and pains, and there would be some disagreement on interpretation of stories from home. Grandma tends to see things a little different than mom and dad. Then Grandma would change the subject abruptly - she has an uncanny skill - and all of a sudden we'd be talking about her blueberry bushes or something.

Anyhow, it is Saturday morning, my parents are home in Binghamton, and my dad has shingles and bronchitis. I'm here in DC waiting for my brother Mark and sister Stephanie to arrive from Brooklyn. The short story is my dad got horribly ill this past week and my parents have decided they aren't in any shape to travel, at least right now. This is not what my sister and Karen and I were planning. The whole purpose of our week together in the Outerbanks was to celebrate 35 years of marriage and my dad's good health, but instead my dad is home with lesions on his head, and my mom is dutifully caring for him, but understandably concerned and exhausted. Hmmm. It is a gigantic bummer, a curve ball I definitely wasn't expecting. Life is unexpected. And, once again, I will only come to understand God's ways in heaven. Please pray for healing and that my parents might still be able to join us later this coming week.

We still have so much to celebrate. Although my father's current circumstances are not fun and are quite unnerving, the very, very good news, Praise the Lord, is that his PT scan for cancer came back negative this week. We are all quite relieved and grateful.

Well, I guess I should get packing. You never now when the siblings will arrive. It will be an interesting road trip to say the least. Looking forward to the adventure. From DC, we will be off to Durham (where Steph will start med school at Duke) to drop some things off at her new apartment and from there to Corolla in the Outerbanks. Whooo, I guess I better get prepared for the miles ahead....

The First Installment - A Safeway Story

Every time Jordana and I hit our local Safeway for groceries, we immediately know we're not in Kansas -- or Virginia -- any more. Our first visit included an episode with a local Southwester of 25 years erupting in line because the security guard looked at him in the wrong way. My visit this past Saturday seemed like it just might go off without a hitch before I got into line. That is where it always happens. Although sometimes the entrance can be interesting. Sometimes there's a homeless person; other times there are men just hanging around making comments as women enter and leave. It's always an adventure and introduction to city living. That is DC living. So, I was waiting to check out with my myriad baking supplies, standing behind a Caucasian woman who seemed to be an urbanite and a really, really old couple who were quite hilarious to observe. The older man didn't realize his wife had run off with the groceries while he was paying. The urbanite woman in front of me decided to try to joke around a little with him, telling him, "No, those are my groceries. You can't have 'em." She then turned to me, "Oh, I hope I didn't scare the old guy". He slowly noticed his wife out of the corner of his eye and putting one foot in front of the other made his way over to her. In the meantime I shared a cute laugh with the urbanite about how lovely this couple was and discussed how we both wished we would some day be like them. Next comes an interruption: some young thing with heels and a tight skirt wanted a price check. She gets in the way of the urbanite and the urbanite didn't much like it. So the urbanite decided to bump her and starts speaking in some urban lingo, dropping the slang. Hmmmm, I wonder what will be coming out of my month in a few months?

A Sign of Life

Yes, friends, I am still alive. It has been too long, much too long, since my fingers graced a keyboard, typing a blog entry on the VOC. I apologize, but I have not yet, purchased a lap top or desk top. Somehow I've been caught up in a whirlwind of activity, mainly at work. Yeah, story of my life. Truth be told I was getting kind of bored for a few weeks -- well, that is no longer the case! I've got about enough information to download and process -- I think my internal celeron or pentium processor up in the 'noggin is about to go bezerk. I kid you not, really.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello. Breathe a sign of life.

A short update: I have a new intern at work, which I absolutely adore. Jiri is so detail oriented and brilliant it makes me want to jump for joy. Seriously. If there is one thing I've come to learn is that not everyone is as obsessive compulsive and attentive to detail as I am. He's only been here a week and I am able to pass things off to him with confidence. That is something every manager would like to have in his/her employees, but sadly it is not always the case. In case you are curious, Jiri is also a chess player and student at university in Prague. Okay, maybe that is another reason we get along well. Except for the fact I told him today his country had a disfunctional government.

Moving on, tomorrow I'm off to a PENN alumni event at Haines Point. I am going to be a mentor to young Penn students spending the summer in DC. I really love working with younger students and building them up. But don't be fooled, this is my first official foray into an organized program. We shall see.

To one of my most loyal readers, thanks for your call! Unfortunately this past week has been a bit like working in a NYC lawfirm. Alas, it is Friday and if there is enough day light left -- I'm going to try to get a jog in.

Godspeed.

Silent Bob R.I.P.

Friends, it is with great sadness that I share the news Bob, my Dell Inspiron 8150 laptop, passed away on Monday evening. We spent nearly 5 years together. Bob was solid. Some liked to think of him as a brick house given his construction and weight. But, for me, Bob was consistent. He harldy every failed me. He traveled to Prague, California, and Binghamton on multiple occasions. And, now he is silent. Well, not if you attempt to turn him on. The optical drive -- what I believe is the hard drive -- is kaput. I came home on Monday night after a lovely dinner out to find the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH. You can imagine my stomach dropped and my eyes grew two sizes. I ran to Bob and saw the fatal words ... beginning dump of physical memory. This was the beginning of the end. On Wednesday night I saw my friend Jess who does IT stuff at Georgetown University. Well, after several attempts of trying to read my hard drive from an external hard drive Jess gave me the doctor out of the operating room read out: "Maam, we did everything we could, but unfortunately Bob didn't make it."

So, I've been a little sad, a little under the weather, to be honest, a little stir crazy without an internet hook-up. Man, are we ever dependent beings! In case you are wondering, I'm writing now from Jordana's new laptop.

For now, I'm contemplating next steps. Considering a new lap top or even a desk top. If you have any recommendations I'm all ears - figuratively, of course.

In the midst of my mourning, I know life will go on. I'll mooch from my roommate for a while. I'll educate myself about the horrors of Windows Vista and I'll eventually make a decision. And, just perhaps, not being an online addict will be a good thing. Time away from the computer will allow me to do other things, most important carry on life in the real world. It's a bit scary how many people spend more hours in the cyber world than in the waking world.

Well, a jog on the mall is calling my name.

But, before I leave you, I'll share one self-deprecating story... I was at a friend's picnic today and got roped into playing some stupid game called "Izzy Dizzy". It basically takes you back to grade school - not necessarily a bad thing - but in this case, yes ,it was. You run down to a pole, put your forehead to the pole and rotate 8 times, then you attempt to run back to your team and the next person goes. Well, I somehow (in my old age) did not believe that dizzyness could overcome my body. I warn you - turning around a pole 8 times will most certainly make you dizzy and temporarily incapacitate you from walking in a straight line. The debacle of my afternoon is that after I turned around 8 times, I fell flat on my face, bent my glasses out of shape, gashed my forehead, and brazed the skin below my elbow. If there was ever a sight for sore eyes, it was me!! I could hardly stand up after I fell, and when I did, I could not walk straight. For some reason unbeknownst to myself, I had to walk/run to the right and into the tree line. Well, after a whole lotta mind over matter will power, I made it back to my team. The last two people on my team got to go, but the game was well over. My dear friend Anita, horrified at the blood on my forehead, the sight of my twisted glasses, and the blood on my arm volunteered to clean me up. What a friend! Now I'm home after a quick trip to Pentagon City Mall where I got my specs fixed. Thank the good Lord! They were fixable, and I can see again.

Dizzyness is not where it's at. That sums it up.

PS: I hope you all watched the National Spelling Bee on Thursday!

Kerplump

Well, it is now official. I'm a resident of the district. You know - that place where people have license plates with "taxation without representation". But, if Eleanor Holmes has anything more to say about it, that could change within my lifetime. We shall see. I do miss Virginia -more than just the enfranchisement. Actually, I headed back to my old environs to hit the gym and drop some garbage (we haven't quite figured out which days to put out different types of refuse).

I realized I felt at home driving down Calvert. Although I love my newfound space, it is not yet home. I still feel like a visitor. I'm sure it has something to do with living in one place for 3 years and the familiarity and sense of home that naturally develops. I mean who in their 20s or 30s does that any more in the mid-Atlantic corridor. Okay I know a few people who are the exception, but for the most part, we are hoppers. We hop around.

As I was driving down the George Washington Parkway, relishing the view of Georgetown and the monuments, I also realized I have simply been through a tremendous amount of change the last half-year. Coming back from Prague, hopping from one assignment to the next, and now a new apartment. On top of that friendships have also changed a bit. Some friends are dating and others are getting married. And, then there are still others who are across the world or simply a challenge to get a hold of. C'est la vie - n'est pas?

Given the hour I should really get to bed. Tomorrow evening I'm catching a flight after work to Chicago to attend my brother's MA graduation from Notre Dame. Hmmm, South Bend. I wonder what treasures it beholds -- that is, besides the famed Notre Dame Fighting Irish and basillica.

But, before I sign off, here's a little remnant of our move. Jordana had a file cabinet that pretty much nobody wanted, including herself.

Oh, before I forget, my good news is that I found a wonderful new home for my trusted companion the black table! Two young gentlemen showed up on Sunday around 10pm to strap it on top of their sedan. Although I waited a while for them to get there, I knew in an instant they were the right pair for my table. I'm sure Mr. Sturdy Black Table has a fine new home.

Faithful Companion

Okay. I have my issues - we all do, right? So, I'm experiencing a bit of anxiety about my old kitchen/dining table that I'm giving away to some woman off of Craigslist that wants to use it for her Memorial Day celebration. You might find this table ugly, but there's more to it than its outside appearance. I mean - it is a solid table. It is sturdy. Most of all, it has weathered graduate school and 3 years of dinner parties and the like in our present apartment. It has been by my side for some time - ah, literally at times! Haha.

You know - I paid absolutely nothing for this little big guy. My old roommate Leah Ford (now Groveman) happened to snag it in our old building, The Statesman. Why is it so hard to say goodbye? Maybe it has something to do with the fact my mom said it was a keeper based on how solid it was -- "You can do so many things with this table, Christine. Hold on to it."

Alas, I think our time has come. With the help of my handy dandy friend Susanna that drives a mean church van (with blinking lights and back up lights to boot), I secured a $40 new, old drop -leaf table that sits 8-10 max from a young couple in Adams Morgan. When the leaves are down, it takes up so much less space and it is also sturdy. Despite all of this, my heart still pangs knowing that our little big guy will be holding refreshments on some patio on Memorial Day and its ultimate fate is unknown. For all I know she'll take it to a dumpster! Now, that would be sad.

Anyhow, I have worked and unworked Craigslist this last week, in search of a cheaply prized treasure trove. You might say I'm an addict. You know -- the quest for the ultimate bargain. Its seductive hook is a killer!

Sleep is in order. I'm growing more and more delirious. Before you know it I'll be writing an ode.

The Big Move

Wendy and Jordana share a hug in front of one of my favorite all-time birthday gifts: Leah's Cow

Chris modeling a filipino straw hat. Yes, we know how to have fun!

OKAY - I'm officially an idiot. Why? I'll tell you later, but for now, suffice it to say it is nearly midnight and I need to be up by 4:30am. Enough.

Anyhow, we had part 1 of the big move this past Saturday. I gotta tell you we have some of the very very very very best friends around. We got 10-12 people together and boy did they do a great job. No, we're not done yet, but we're on our way.

Favorite tidbit from last weekend: Jordana (my roommate) calls me on my cell while I'm directing traffic at the new place. Turns out the guys back in Virginia decided to take matters into their own hands and pack our couch for us. I didn't quite believe Jordana at first as we had told everyone no massive furniture just yet. I guess they we're bored and not feeling like their skills were being fully utilized. I can relate. Well, I'm mighty happy they did what they did. It has been nice to have the couch in the new place. Yes, unfortunately, I live a dual existence; hence, one of the reasons I must get up at 4:30.

Toodles. CXF

The New Adventures of Old Christine

So, this week has been eventful to say the least. For starters, it is 2:45 am. Yeah, typical for college and life in NYC, but not the older and (well, hopefully) wiser Christine. Hmmm, I guess you might say this week has been a new adventure of old Christine.

As you might recall, I am in the midst of packing and preparing for a move. For the first time I'm moving out of an apartment complex and into a town house. Not buying mind you, but taking on a 2-level row house, where the landlord lives 30 miles away. Normally he wont be around much, but he's been spending quite a few days at our place overseeing the painting and repairs needed. Let's see... where to begin. The afternoon we met our landlord we discovered the washer hookup didn't quite work and the stove gas burners would not light. In comparison to today's shocker those hassles were just that -a big frustration not having everything ready and just so. You know me, I'm a perfectionist and I want things done ASAP. I can't rest until I know things are in place. Hence, it is going on 3 am and I'm not fast asleep although I'm teetering on delirium. Back to my story.

Jordana and I came home from work to change quickly and pack some cleaning supplies. We then rushed out to Wendy's, blasting the radio, and proceeded on to Jordana's work building to pick up scissors (in my haste I forget them on the kitchen table) and more boxes. Well, we drove done 21st street, relived our grad school days passing through GWU campus, then near State (haven't been there in a while!), and on eventually to our new place. Just as we pulled in our dear Mr. Ware was pulling out, but he stopped because he wanted to show us what he'd accomplished that day. Thank you Lord for this crossing of our paths! After about 20 minutes and multiple tries between the three of us, no one (NO ONE) could open the door. The top lock was off. When it became evident that we did not possess the magic powers to make this door swing open, we obtained a DC phonebook from our friendly Romanian neighbors and found an emergency locksmith. Let me tell you... I was no happy camper, but Jordana in her wisdom knew she had to remain calm and in good spirits to balance me. Talk about a good roommate. She got us our locksmith to the rescue, George, who we think was Greek. George pulled up in a chevy malibu with what looked like GPS and was wearing a huge smile across his face, trying to convey the message: ladies, relax, George has arrived. I noticed this as he parked his car, and suddenly, I felt like this nightmare was coming to an end.

I'd like to tell you there is a happy ending. But, as of 11:15pm when Jordana and I decided to leave, George was still trying to put in a new lock. After a good amount of effort he managed to open the door and bust the old lock (which was really a new lock a different locksmith put in a week ago), but he had not yet managed by 11pm to get a new lock working. He still seemed calm, cool, very cool, and collected as we were leaving and so I just had to throw my hands up and take a deep breath. And, I also allowed Jordana to drive home although I somehow felt like driving would be the perfect stress reliever. It was still a good ride home in the passenger seat. I mean, how many people joy ride around the country's national monuments on a Friday night.

So, it's now after 3 and our living room is completely filled with boxes. I'm actually sitting next to a couple myself. But my bed is free so I think that is where I'm heading. Please pray for a safe and sound beginning at our new place!

So I'm moving

It's been another one of those weeks, or couple of weeks. I mean to write, but then I don't. Just too much stuff going on. Big Band jazz concerts, DC jazz clubs, Mets-Nats baseball, work ... And, what's my excuse this time: I'm moving out of Virginia, away from the cozy North Arlington apartment that has been home for the past 3 years and into SW DC. Packing, moving, setting up a new place is not fun! In fact it's horrible! I detest it! Okay, I'm sure you get the point. I, hopefully we, will survive. This Saturday we move the smaller stuff and the following Saturday a reasonably-priced mover is taking care of the big stuff. Oh how I wish my name were Dorothy and I lived in the land of Oz and owned a pair of red ruby slippers. I guess a white witch is also part of the recipe. Not that I'd want to have my house picked up in a tornado, but I would certainly love to click my ruby slippers together, fall asleeep, and wake up the next morning and have everything taken care of. Unfortunately, life isn't like the movies although if you play the radio while you drive or groove to your tunes at home, at least you can create a soundtrack. That is a saving grace :)Yes, I will survive!

Cleaning up my files

Here's a short clip I took on one of my last leisurely walks around Prague. Yes, you might say I'm still in mourning.

In other news, I just got back from eating Maryland crabs (albeit out of season) with my roommate Jordana (originally from Manila, Philippines), her mom and 4 aunts, and our friend Heather. Jordana's mom and aunts (all a year apart) happen to be having a sisters week together on the east coast. It's always a treat when you actually get to put names with faces. I've heard so much about Jordana's mom, her Tita Tessie and Tita Dolly, married to a Polish-American with a daughter named Krysia, and all the other titas and cousins. Let's see I think I now know how to say "older sister" in Tagalog and Korean. Filipino culture, with its Spanish influence, is rather warm for Asia. Similar to Spain and France, you give everyone a peck on the cheek even if it's the first time you meet them. I truly love America's diversity.

And, now back to Praha.

On the lighter side - BoSox Fan Gets Hit With Flying Pizza - I Kid You Not

Okay, I think we're all in need of a little levity. Get a kick out of this foul ball mishap with flying beer and pizza at a recent Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Angels game at Fenway... I don't know how or why I was on You Tube, but somehow I came across this gem. My favorite part starts around the 1:20 mark (approximately). It provides good, deep, raucous laughter. At least it did in my case! The network game announcers add some rather amusing commentary... a bit in the vein of Tom and Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk on National Public Radio. Enjoy.

Today was an odd day or was it typical? I sometimes get overwhelmed with life here in D.C. By that, what do I mean? Well, for instance, I went out to grab a bite of lunch and decided to try a new place down the street called Pot Bellies. They make a really tasty sandwich and very yummy shakes and smoothies. However, getting the sandwich can be a rather trying experience. For starters, you stand in a wrap around line or queue. As you near station one, a guy yells out at you something like, "Maam, what can I get you?". They he yells at the next 5 people behind you. Lucky me, I'm a quick learner. Once I yelled my order back and got up front, I realized that if I wanted a smoothie that this was my opportunity to make that known. So the guy shouts my order down to the end of the food servers' line. Miraculously, after I pass through the sandwich making stations I get to the end of the line where I pay for my tuna on whole wheat and mention I ordered a smoothie. The clerk turns and comes back with my boysenberry smoothie. I give her my card and the transaction is complete. I've got my goods and I think I've got my sanity.

Do we really need to yell at each other? Is it really necessary to process as many people as possible as quickly as possible through the line? I guess that's business. But, it almost seems mechanical. Granted it was rather efficient, but it was loud and boisterous and I felt like cattle being herded by some cowboy, only without the hat and lasso. And, all this, despite the fact a live folk artist played her guitar in the background. I'm sure the restaurant is aware of the managed chaos that ensues every day and this live music is a way to calm the stressed out souls waiting in line. Because, after all, we only have a 45-minute lunch break. Well, here's just a thought for all you would-be restauranteers ... there is a dearth of food places in Southwest DC so open up a few more good ones! The photo is not DC, by the way, but New York City, the view from on top the German House, looking out over the East river and Queens.

Today was off for other reasons. Instead of stories of yet another suicide bomber in Iraq, Morroco, Algeria, or Afghanistan, today's tragic news that filled the airwaves in the States was that over 30 people (mainly young students) perished at Virginia Tech University at the hand of a young assassin. I immediately thought of my hair stylist Kim's daughter who is a freshman there. I hope and pray her young daughter is safe. What a horrible, horrible tragedy for the university, community, and country as a whole. Violence seems to be the top story no matter where you turn these days... world news, national news, local news. It's constantly in our faces. I expect tomorrow that I will wake up to NPR and hear about -- yes, you guessed it --yet more violence.

Last week I watched the movie "Blood Diamond" about the civil war in Sierra Leone, child soldiers, and conflict diamonds (literally blood diamonds). I was particularly struck by a profound couple of sentences the diamond smuggler Danny Archer speaks to the American journalist Maddie Bowen. Archer, in a moment of deep reflection on the continent of his birth and his life experiences, remarks "Sometimes I wonder if God will forgive us for the things we do to each other. But, then I think, God left this place a long time ago." Archer is referring to the violent conflict and mess that seems endemic to much of Africa, in this case the Sierra Leone civil war in 1999. I happened to discuss this with my friend Heather who pointed me to Corrie ten Boom's "The Hiding Place", the true story of about the ten Boom family and their efforts to safeguard and provide shelter to Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland. Heather reminded me of the words Betsie ten Boom spoke to her sister Corrie as they lay in lice-infested barracks in the concentration camp Ravensbruck: “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.”

Through my eyes

So, lucky you. I seem to have insomnia.

Can someone please tell me what our friend Punxsutawney Phil had to say back on ground hog's day? Mother Nature has proven to be a mean temptress this year. We have a few beautiful days here and there and now I hear word of the possibility of snow flurries in coming days? Now I love the white stuff, but I'd really like to enjoy DC amidst the sunshine of a comfortably warm spring day.

Funny things always seem to happen on the metro. Some days I get packed in like a sardine. Usually this requires exercising my nascent surfing skills. Getting a pole or something to hang onto is not necessarily a given. So far, I've survived relativly unscathed. However, there were one or two episodes where I fell into the person next to me (no one very dashing, unfortunately), but I have to say I've learned a lot from the likes of "Blue Crush" and "Point Break" or perhaps it was Pee Wee Herman in my childhood days. But seriously, making a bit of a game of it, that is testing my balance, really helps me take my mind off the fact that 7 times out of 10, I get motion sick from the frequent stopping and jolting back and forth. Yeah, I probably need the patch or something. When it get's really bad, I tend to think back to a joke told by my old high school friend Jason Radice. Jason loved to joke about going to an amusement park and riding one of those pendulum-like pirate boats and pretending he needed to vomit. Hmmm, I wonder if I could get people to back off and make some space?

This morning's metro ride I was inundated with Boy Scouts. They took up all the seats! To their credit (and the leadership of their Scout masters) the young cub scouts were rather well behaved, all decked out in their respective badges, scarfs, and regalia. Of course, they were boys, and boys will be boys. I heard a good number of giggles along the way, but nothing too outrageous. Just a bunch of boys enjoying the ride, especially being out of the confines of school.

As for me, I actually latched on to a pole and listened to Billie Holiday while I attempted to read part of The Washington Post's freebie, The Express. I read a short article about the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's historic achievement, paving the way for the integration of major league baseball. A number of hall-of-famers in the article lamented the fact that many young African American boys today grow up not even knowing what Robinson did. Many former players and sports writers are particularly concerned that current African American participation in the sport has dropped to a historic low of 8 percent. The Post's Michael Wilbon argues that baseball "is being passed over instead of passed down". Rather, basketball and LeBron's 90 million dollar contract with Nike -- even before stepping foot on the court --seem to have the upperhand with African American youth.

These are definitely fast times we seem to be living in. What does Ferris Bueller say? "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." As I ride the metro this morning with all the other Virginia commuters, scurrying to work with our mp3 players, BlackBerry devices, books, newspapers, briefcases, laptops, and magazine numero uno, The Economist, when I stop and think about it, I guess I'm pretty glad for the boy scouts. I'm glad they distract me from my morning rush. I'm glad I take a moment to watch them peer through the metro train's windows. After all, you never know what you might be missing.

Easter Sunday

Here I am with my mom at the Washington National Cathedral on Easter Sunday. We attended an Easter Organ recital in the Cathedral nave.

Mom and Dad amidst the cherry blossoms. It was rather cold and windy!

A little wind-blown I am, but nevertheless!

Did you know that the cherry blossom is the symbol of the Japanese samurai?

Our Last and Hopefully Final Snowfall for the Season

Not to confuse you or maybe I am intentionally doing so hehehehehe, but making up for lost time, here are a few pictures of our last and we hope final snowfall of the season. I forget the exact date, but I believe it was the day of the Oscars. What a marker! All I remember is that church was actually canceled and I threw an impromptu dinner party for my friends in the neighborhood!This is the entrance to my friend Heather's apartment looking out from our living room window.

The stairs leading out from our apartment building door. This white stuff was a surprise!

Of course, I was the one out documenting the snowfall. Contrary to my childhood years of shoveling snow, I left this up to my neighbors this time around! Below is our snow-covered street of North Calvert.

Guss' Pickles

A few weeks back I wrote about my trip to NYC and our 30 minute wait for pickles. Well, here are pictures of Stephanie's pickle travails. Only in NYC! And, oh for the love of a dill!

Washington's Cherry Blossoms

On Wednesday I decided to take a long jaunt from my apartment in CourtHouse to the Tidal Basin. Here is the Jefferson memorial amidst the cherry blossoms. This is by far the most beautiful time of year in D.C.

Life after the last 3 months

So, perhaps you're wondering, where is Christine these days? Short answer: I've been laying low. After working really, really hard these last few months (when I say hard I don't necessarily mean the hours but the pressure, stress, and intensity of the position), I realized a good healthy break was in order. That is what this week has been. Monday I went to the Washington Nationals opening season baseball game against the Florida Marlins. Of course, the Marlins would beat the Nationals 9-2, but it was an amazing day for a game, sunny, dry, 80 degrees. What better way to inaugurate one's week off than a game at the ballpark. There's something about the energy of the fans, their bright red and blue shirts, their youthful enthusiasm, sometimes overly aggressive cheering, and of course, the compulsory wave. When you enter the stadium you are transported into a different world where only the pitcher, batter, ump, and the other 8 men on the field, the balls, strikes, hits, foul balls, frankfurters, sausages, and ice cold beer matter. You could be sitting next to a lawyer, a UPS man, a dentist, a doctor, a teacher, a butcher, an engineer, a waitress, or a 12-year old on spring break. That's the joy and the wonder of the baseball park.

The rest of the week I've had a combination of catching up with people, taking care of errands that have piled up, cleaning the apartment, and having some quality quiet time, reflecting on Holy Week. Today I actually took a leisurely walk to the Tidal Basin which is home to many of DC's famous cherry blossom trees. It took a good chunk out of my day, but it was worth it. I love the fact I can walk from my little old apartment to downtown DC, to the heart of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall and to the Tidal Basin. Now, most people who live in Arlington, VA might find me a bit extreme (it took me close to 3 hours for the whole trip), but if you know ME, you know I love to WALK. I'm a believer. Yes, I took a good number of pictures of the cherry blossoms, but I shall wait to post them. You know, I'd like you to come back to read so there needs to be a lure.

As for finishing up work, I have to say last Friday was the one of, if not the best, last day I've ever had. I basically closed up shop and took every advantage of connecting with people before I left. I went with three other colleagues for lunch at Mount Vernon, where we sampled some of George Washington's original whiskey recipe and indulged in southern cuisine. I have to say this Yank is getting a bit soft around the edges! These southerners sure know how to make a fine barbecued shredded beef and scrumptious little pumpkin and spice tarts. Driving back along the George Washington Parkway along the Potomac river, I was in awe of the natural beauty of this area. When you sit in a cubicle most of your day, you forget that this whole other world exists. I definitely needed this breath of fresh air.

Friday after work my colleagues at work took me and another PMF Brad out for drinks. It was simply a fun time to have all the conversations we never quite got to in the work environment because, naturally, there is no time for such talk. Or maybe that is just me stuck in my stress bubble! Anyway, I was really touched by the people who came out and the open doors to several friendships. I'm happy to say Brad is returning to his respective federal agency which is also located in what some people affectionately term the 'fed get' (federal ghetto - a sterile couple of blocks along Independence where a number of agencies are situated). So, it looks like I'll have a lunch buddy now and then. I walked away on Friday night breathing a sigh of relief that this chapter was finished and on a good note and that I was blessed by making yet a few more friends. I do hope we'll keep in touch. Actually, I think I'm on the hook as a result of one conversation to organize a breakfast for Faiza with my mother's famous belgian waffles sometime in the near future.

A final note on my rotational assignment: it was one of the most challenging things I've done, working press issues, being out of my element, thrown into a frying pan of sorts with deadlines and curve balls around every corner. To say the least, it stretched me beyond my limits. I don't know about you guys, but do you ever feel like you're in over your head? Do you ever wonder how on earth and why you have been placed in a certain position? Well, I often have those thoughts. And, at those times I dream of life as a barrista. Starbucks from what I understand has a generous benefits package for its employees.

Well, I've been humbled -- that is the best way to describe it. But, I'm also leaving feeling incredibly privileged to have served (albeit briefly) with my colleagues during this critical time in our nation's foreign policy. And, yet again, I'm immensely grateful for God's sustaining strength during this time.

Now on to Good Friday tomorrow and meeting up with my parents in Baltimore.

Wishing you a very blessed Easter.

Christine

R&R NYC Style

Last week involved a whole lotta busting my butt and several extra hours at work. All of those hard efforts, however, paid off with the culmination of two successful events. I even got my picture taken with a certain someone who talks not only foreign policy, but football and classical music, too. If I ever get it scanned I will email it around. I have to say not bad for a girl from Binghamton, NY.

This past weekend I made a trip up to NYC for an alumni event. Besides reconnecting with some old friends I spent a year with in Germany after PENN, my highlight was definitely waiting in line with my sis Stephanie while she patiently waited for 30 minutes to buy 2 pickles from Gus' Pickles stand in the Lower East Side. She actually stood in line with some 20 people or so. As we walked away crunching our sour pickles heading in the direction of Il Laboratorio del Gelato on Orchard Street a mother and daughter couple asked us what all the fuss was about and whether the pickles were indeed worth it. I have to say the garlic taste was real, not so much like Vlasic in a jar. Whether or not it was worth 30-40 minutes standing in line, I don't know. Our culinary tour was just beginning though... Nearly done with our pickles, we then proceeded to get gelato. I should interject my story at this point to clarify that neither Stephanie or I are pregnant. All I can say is yes, we women are fickle beings, but I'd argue men are as well! Back to ice cream, I tried dark chocolate and green tea while Steph had mexican cinnamon, dulce de leche, and one other flavor that currently escapes me. I heartily recommend mexican cinnamon. The dark chocolate was pretty delicious, too. Of course, any visit to New York just isn't complete without a sushi outing. Every time I meet up with my friend Jen we always seem to find ourselves at 63rd and 1st at Totoya where we sample some of their eclectic rolls. This time I went for a tuna roll with shavings of coconut. It was definitely unexpected, a cool spring flavor for the start of summer.

So, after a lot of hard work, a little play is necessary. Seeing my sister and old friends while hopping around Manhattan was just what I needed. There's nothing like the NYC subway with pumping techno music and break dancers to break you out of the DC politics bubble. Ahhh, a breath of fresh air...yes, in NYC!

Shepherdesses? Fisherwomen?

Back in the days of college, usually when I was up pulling an all-nighter to finish a paper and feeling absolutely abysmal, I would take a breather with my roommate and best friend, Leah. We'd blast U2's "Bloody Sunday Bloody" or Greenday's "When I Come Around" or Pearl Jam's "Daughter" and then we'd discuss alternative career paths. My favorite job de jour was usually becoming a fisherwoman on some Greek island. In fact, I talked it up so much that Leah was ready to join me. Truth be told, in reality I'd spent less than 2 or 3 weeks of my entire life actually fishing... of course, there were camping trips with the Blizniks and times with my grandfather Wyszkowski in Whitney Point and Lisle, but who was I really kidding? Well, still, I had found my escape artist career as a fisherwoman in Greece. That was something to hold on to. After all, who really needed an Ivy League education? Was writing 20-30 page papers really going to get me somewhere someday? Being one with nature, living life with the locals, looking up at the stars every night, hearing the constant din of the ocean waves, and aiming for simplicity and subsistence, all that sounded pretty carefree and all right by me.

Several years later, Leah and I actually found ourselves on a couple of Greek islands, Naxos and Paros, to be exact. During this trip a few crazy things happened. For starters, we allowed ourselves to be convinced by two older entrepreneurial Greek men who happened to be brothers to rent a room at their hotel. We didn't put up a fuss and were fairly easy targets. For all we knew they were offering us a decent deal. I guess we were pretty green: two naive, young women without much of a clue. Those mediterranean men love to turn on the charm and they can talk a good deal. The real clincher though was the offer of a ride on the moped. You should have seen Leah's eyes light up!

Most people are probably thinking, "Wow, Greece. That must have been awesome." Well, yes, Greece in March is a time to beat the crowds, but it's actually very cool temperature-wise. And, on the islands most of the touristy villas and such don't really have heat. At night the temperature drops, and boy, do you hug whatever covers you have tightly! I think pretty much every morning I woke up with taught muscles from trying to make myself warm throughout the night.

I also had some problems with the ferries. The boats were not that rocky, but it didn't really matter. I can be extremely nauseous with the slightest roll. On a few of the ferry stretches Leah had to take care of me, figuring out where to buy dramamine and helping me find a bathroom, trash bin, or the side of the ship. I was not a happy camper, not at all.

We had our fair share of faux pas, too. Little did we know that good Greek girls do not venture out at night in the village. Rather, they stay at home. Only the men go to the bar to socialize. Perhaps the loose women of the town might come out. One night we decided we needed a little local flavor so we tried a little bar on the main seaside strip. Man, were we surprised to find ourselves the only females. That was a quick education.

On this adventure, Leah and I actually came face to face with the opportunity to become fisherwomen. Our very friendly Greek hosts (the brothers) offered us the opportunity to stay on as hotel staff to help during the summer onslaught of European vacationers. The brothers also had a spare boat or two, not very high tech, but rather of the humble sort, what I imagined Jesus and Peter out in on the Sea of Galilee. Leah's eyes lit up once again at the prospect of me realizing my dream. But, somehow, just then it didn't seem all that tempting. If I were to become a full-fledged fisherwoman, I would definitely need a more remote location, away from the trappings of strange men. My reverie definitely required a degree of solitude and that was not to be found with George and his brother.

On a rather amusing and true side note, there were some very big career decisions that were made on the course of our Greek trip. Somehow as we were hiking amidst the sheep one day, I talked Leah into joining the Air Force, leaving behind her job at AmEx. Yeah, that's how fast our brains work. One day it's fish, the next sheep, and before you know it the armed services. Go figure! We can jump the entire spectrum in an instant. By the way, the picture here is me and Leah in the Yorkshire Dales in northern England this past Thanksgiving.

To sum up, we all seem to have certain idyllic pictures of what life could be like. We dream of ways to escape the current stresses of our lives. Funny how when I came face to face with the option to fish and settle down for a while on a Greek isle, it no longer seemed so wonderful. The reality of hard work with fishing nets and smelly fish set in and it lost much of its luster. Back then it was fishing, now I dream of owning and running a bed and breakfast. I'm sure that would be a whole lot more hard work than I presently think.

You can call me fickle, but these are my thoughts as I ride the metro escalator up to Foggy Bottom on my way to work. Oh, and in the background, it's the Beach Boys, of course.

So, it's T-16. Boy, I just can't wait.

T-19

Sigh -- Today proved to be a LONG day. It's about 9:30 P.M. and I just got home from work. I haven't left this late before, so of course I tried to exit the work building from the inappropriate entrance/exit. Well, don't tell anyone, but I ended up getting myself a little stuck and had to crawl through the turnstyle. HA! No joke. I found a woman down the hall who pointed me to the correct exit, which then required a further trek to the metro. The good news is that I'm home, and therefore, I am happy.

Only 19 more business days till I say auf wiedersehen and take a week off before returning to my old post. Funny how things often go. Only now as I enter into my final weeks do I actually feel like I'm gaining the confidence and wherewithal for this particular job. While today was a long day, it was also a good day. It's nice to feel like the product one produces is, in fact, quality. However, I did have a thought while crawling through the turnstyle to reenter the building: if only 1/3 or less of your workforce are those who put their nose to the grind stone and give their all for the cause, well, the fact that the other 2/3 of the workforce leaves at 5 P.M. on the dot causes the rest of us a whole lot more heart ache as we have that many more hurdles to jump through. Of course, if everyone were on hand, I guess the labor folks wouldn't approve. Not that I approve either of unreasonable hours and demands, but I have to say, the more team players you have around you the better.

Now for some dinner.

Going the Distance

I'm not sure if it's genetics or just an innate personal drive, but one thing I know how to do is to bust my butt for the cause. On Friday, it happened to not only be my bum, but my cuticle on my right index finger as well. Somehow I was judiciously selected to put together an important package to ship overseas. I'll add, without going into too much detail, that this order originated with the Woman and came down through the various levels of the food chain to little ole me. "Of course", I said to myself, "Nice way to spend my Friday. But, if She says this needs to get out today, well, gosh darn it, I better make sure this get's done. Period." So Friday afternoon I worked my few connections in multimedia services and learned the ropes of DHL. I got a little creative along the way, purchasing, out of my own pocket, bubble packaging from the downstairs post office. If you were to stop by my cubicle you would have found a sight for sore eyes: papers strewn everwhere, bubble packaging lining the carpet, and drops of blood from my torn cuticle in my DHL package, oh, and me sitting there on the phone with a DHL woman, typing a brief letter with a blood stained tissue wrapped around one finger. To top it all off, after spending roughly 10-20 minutes coordinating a pickup, specifying the location and all, the DHL man failed to wait for me, and left in haste. I knew it was not a good sign when I got a call and asked the DHL guy where he was, but he could not find the words in English to describe his location. It doesn't help that our building is pretty much a giant labyrinthe with multiple entrances and exits. Well, to make a long story short, I spent 10 minutes at the guards' desk phoning around to all the other entrances to see if there was DHL guy anywhere to be seen. The resounding answer was "NO". So, I got on my personal cell phone and inflicted the wrathe of Christine upon some DHL representative who to his credit remained extremely calm over the next 20-30 minutes. It's important to note, at this point, it was close to 5:30 and a colleague's farewell had started at 5:15 offsite. I was told by DHL my new pick up would be from 5:30-6:30. Unhappy but relieved DHL had late pick ups, I went back to my desk a bit dejectedly. Running around the building in my heels, my back and hip with bursitis were not in good shape. I felt pretty much like a dragon breathing fire, but exhausted by the multiple hurdles of the afternoon. Once back in my humble cubicle, I immediately changed to my sneakers and set about checking the long list of unattended emails that had accumulated over the course of the last few hours. Fortunately, it wasn't long before I got a call on my cell phone. Ha, it was a new DHL guy on his cell phone, but he hung up on me. Great! Well, I sprung to action. This time I would find the DHL man if it cost me my final shred of sanity on this Friday evening. I went back to the entrance, exited the turn style, and proceeded to wait outside the building in the beautiful sunshine and 60 degree weather. After chatting with a guard for several minutes, learning his past educational and work history, verifying that he in fact liked his job for the most part, I tried calling the DHL man again and to my great joy, into my sight popped a big yellow van, probably not where he was supposed to be, but nevertheless I ran to his location, and handed over my package. I don't think I was ever so happy. Mission accomplished. And, what a mission! If only one of the THREE secretaries in the office might have said, "oh, Christine, I'll take care of that for you, afterall, that's what I get paid to do", but no, this was a day for Christine to go the distance on her own -- learning the ups and downs of bureaucracy, varying degrees of work ethics, and incompetency-- all the while paving the way, with a bit of blood, sweat, and tears. I reentered the building with a slight grin and renewed spring in my step. In the immortal words of Chumbawumba, "I got knocked down, but I got up again."

I went back to my desk, put in another hour or 2 of work and called it a day. Later that evening I rounded up Heather and Raymond to watch "Breach", the thrilling story of how Eric Oneill, a young surveillance recruit who aspired to become an FBI agent, took down Robert Hansen, the spy who sold secrets to the Soviets for close to 20 years, wreaking extraordinary havoc upon U.S. security interests.

As for the picture: me in Krakow, near Wawel Castle on a beautiful November day.

Amazing Grace

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