Olympic Fever

The Olympics are getting a lot of air time in DC right now. Not the 2012 or even the 2008 Olympics, the 2016 Olympics are in the spotlight. President Obama, and dozens of other famous Chicagoans are making their way to Copenhagen (what a wad of flavor, Copenhagen you can see it in my smile - name that musician!) for the IOC's vote on the location of the 2016 Olypic Games.

I googled "Chicago Olympics" and got some pro-Olympic sites and some anti-Olympic sites, and I also saw the proposed logos. The torch style logo is cool, and so far it is the only thing that makes me think for a moment that having the Olympics in Chicago could be a good thing....at least you know where I stand.

Rio really wants the Olympics and since they are hosting the World Cup in 2014 it seems like an easy transition to give them the Games in 2016. Hosting these kinds of events require such a financial commitment from the host nation, and then they are often left with empty arenas and sport complexes so huge that they can never quite fit back into normal life. So, why not let Brazil host the 2016 Games and reuse their awesome World Cup facilities and security forces? I mean, is there a better 'dry run' for security for the Olympics than the World Cup?? I don't think so, I would honestly think that the security is heavier for the Cup than the Olympics...crazy hooligans.

The reason I wrote this post was to get to this part - I watched the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in an Irish pub in Stockholm, Sweden! Where were you?

Go Rio!

I'm not your target audience

I have a tv at my desk at work. The official reason for it is that I need to be able to track/watch/summarize hearings when Congress is really in the swing of things. With Financial Services "reform" being a hot topic for this congress, sometimes there are too many hearings for our consultants and my boss to cover so I get to pick up a few.

In practice having the tv means I watch the news ALL DAY EVERY DAY. I have acquired a few habits and talents like:
- I can reach for the remote and hit the mute button without missing a key stroke while typing an email
- I can measure my lunch break by which program is on when I leave and which one is on when I come back
- I can sing every version of the FreeCreditReport.com commercial

I've also noticed that I don't see the same commercials at work that I see when I watch tv at home. And according to my own study, it seems that the advertisers believe the overwhelming population of news-watchers to be A) poor B) old C) looking for a quick buck. The majority of commercials are for gold - "it has never been worth zero" - powerchairs/scooters or dentures/denture paste - "if medicare denies your claim we'll give you your powerchair or scooter for free"/"so long ooziness" - and class action law suits - "call 1-800-BAD-DRUG". This does not make me look forward to being old, but it does make me grateful for my employer and knowing that I won't be desperate enough to use my life's savings to 'buy gold' from some Law & Order actor on tv.

And WHY is Campbell's soup marketing their new fresh veggie soups under the V8 name?? Have you ever met anyone who actually enjoys a V8 product? I know I haven't. Yet I know loads of people that love Campbell's Soup products - so why not market it as the new seasonal/fall Campbell's Soups?

Sometimes I wish I had gone into advertising

On Twitter it is "Follow Friday"

but for me it will be "Follow Sunday." I got started blogging because I found so many great blogs that I enjoy reading. Here are a few that got me going:

Sports: I guess the first thing I read that was blog-like is Bill Simmons' column on Page 2 of Espn.com. He is entertaining and often does 'mail bags' but I've mostly moved on to his podcasts because I can listen to them on the metro

Adoption: The Whites started a blog when they began the process of adoption from China and they are now blogging the process of their SECOND adoption from China and while we all wait for their 3rd daughter to come home, they post updates on their three adorable kids! Their blog started my adventure into other adoption blogs - I read a few blogs about families who have or are in the process of adopting children from China and Africa. Something about these families coming together is fascinating to me.

Cooking: I don't cook, but that doesn't stop me from reading about it! My friend Megan blogs about cooking and she is also responsible for introducing me to The Pioneer Woman. That blog is an entire universe in itself - and she has a basset hound, so that keeps me coming back! PW has a cookbook coming out soon and I promised Frank that I would learn to cook out of it if he bought it for me.

Friends: Tina has a blog about life and a blog about crafts. Her blog is where I occasionally guest-blogged before starting my own. It also makes me want to read more books and do more craftsy things...but that rarely happens.
Lydia has a blog about dogs and that girl does her research! She is a great go-to for dog health, food, toys, etc. We recently bought Hamilton some new toys based on Lydia's post on puzzle toys and they have been a huge hit!
Theodora is "Losing Weight in the City" and has lost 43 pounds to date! Watching her journey has been inspiring (and a bit shaming). The girl up and moved to NYC - the city of overindulgence - and has completely changed her lifestyle. I think she should change her blog to "Losing Weight with Guacamole" :)

My Favorite: There is a family in West Dallas, TX and they have absolutely captured my attention. I don't know how to describe them other than Godly and amazing - the blog is called "A Long Way from the Theta House"- go ahead and read it, I dare you to not be hooked.

I keep hoping that some kind of pattern will appear in my blogging so that I can have some kind of directions...so far I have a lot of travel, a spouse in law-school, and sports. We'll see if anything comes of it, or it continues to be a "what are the Webbs up to" kind of blog.

We Survived!

Frank and I had one heck of a week and weekend, and I'm happy to report that we made it through to the other side! A quick recap:

Thursday: I had to skip class due to a work commitment. My company's Board of Directors was in town for their annual meeting and we had a reception for them on the Hill. The reception was held in the LBJ room, right outside the Senate floor - the room was really nice and from what I hear, the food was awesome! We got a lot of Senators and a fair share of Representatives, along with a lot of staff. The entire event was a success, but I was happy to have it end as I had been standing in 2.5 inch heels on slate floor for about 5 hours... Then I met Frank at my office and we set off for Cary, NC. Frank was a saint and drove the entire way down. I was so tired that I was bordering on delirious and having trouble answering simple questions. We arrived at Win & Gregs' around 1am, went straight upstairs to bed and slept until 11:30 the next morning.

Friday: woke up around 11:30 and considered going back to sleep. My high school friend Adair called from the road and we set up plans to meet up in Durham for lunch and then wedding prep. We got to Durham and met up with Adair, Shannon, and Melissa & Kevin at their hotel then drove .1 miles (across the street) to a Mexican restaurant for a wonderfully predictable lunch! After a lot of the usual fare and a few pitches of margaritas we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening's main event.

Ta Da!

The wedding was beautiful! Abigail looked absolutely amazing and the look on Jason's face was wonderful. The music came from a string quartet off to the side and it made the sound seem to float over the pond to the ceremony site. I didn't take pictures because I forgot and I was so taken with the entire thing (sorry mom), but I'm on the email list so I'll have pictures as soon as they are ready! The reception was in a building looking over the wedding site and I LOVED the lights at dinner

It was a great wedding and I'm so happy for Abigail & Jason - I can't wait for them to move to DC next fall!

All for now, I'll fill in the rest of the weekend in another post

I hope my teacher likes me

He assigned us a 1,000 word paper, due tomorrow in class. I won't be there due to a work commitment, but I've finally decided my angle for the paper - and I hope my professor is in a good mood when he grades mine.

The assignment: Considering the health care debate, identify some of these organized interests for each or perhaps both parties. Which in your view, are particularly relevant and influential?

My answer: Due to the overwhelming complexities of healthcare and the total lack of organization with regards to the legislation, there is an absence of relevant and influential organizations in the debate. There are formerly relevant organizations, like the AMA that are losing influence as they lose members, and there are new organizations, like Sermo that are only beginning to function politically and have not yet earned policy clout, but neither type of organization that has the leadership, support, or experience to aptly steer healthcare reform.

That is the gist of how my paper will read. I'm hoping I'm the only one to tackle the topic this way, and I'm crossing my fingers that my professor will recognize my genius hidden away in the run on sentences.

Different Things

Recently I've been noticing differences between my life here and my life back in South Carolina. I think that I've been here long enough that these things are no longer new, they are the norm for me but for some reason they are standing out.

Going to church involves 2 highways and a parkway and two counties - in SC it was 4 turns on 5 streets (5 turns if you count coming out of the driveway)

I cross a river and a state line every time I go to work or come home - in SC I left the county to go to the beach or college

Taking a bus is a viable transportation option - I don't even know if Spartanburg has buses

I don't know my friends' parents - I call my parents' friends by their first names

I listen to my iPod constantly in public to avoid strangers - I ran into people I know constantly in public

Last week I signed into a building for class right behind Karl Rove - That would have rocked my world 5 years ago

There were more things, but I can't remember them now...

I think it is interesting that I have things I love about each place, and things I would change at the same time. I guess I'm lucky that I like where I come from and I like where I am.

Oh say can you see my eyes if you can then my hair's too short!

Some time a million years ago, Mom taught me that one line to that one song from "Hair" and ever since it occasionally runs through my mind. It is one of those memories that even Mom might not be able to recall, I don't think it was anything other than a passing thought in her mind while we talked about hair cuts or stages full of naked people, or something.

Anyway, if you've seen me recently you know that my hair is very very very long. I've been thinking about getting it cut and I really want to get a hair "style" and not just a cut. Now I've decided that I am going to wait a couple months more and cut off at least 8 inches to donate to Panteen's "Beautiful Lengths" program (similar to Locks of Love).

That still leaves me with the question of what to do with my hair!?! So, suggestions?

Football!

The NFL opens tonight with the Titans @ Steelers! I strongly dislike (read: hate) the Steelers, but the Titans are always a major foe for the Colts, so I'm not pulling for anyone but I'll enjoy the return of football anyway.

Tonight is also the beginning of fantasy football. I am the commissioner of an all-girls league for the third year running! We're called "Just Us Girls" or "JUGs" for short. This year we have 12 teams, up from 10 last year. It is a good time, and really makes watching all of the games over the weekend more fun since there is usually at least one player involved in your fantasy match up playing in each game. I start my season against Tina's team (No Punt Intended) which will be fun since we usually watch most of the games together at Clarendon Grill.

With college football underway and NFL starting tonight, cold weather is just around the corner. It is already chilly here, but I'm hoping we'll get a few more summer days before plunging into the dark, damp, cold that is DC fall/winter. I think football is what gets me through those days - something to look forward to, and when it is over in February the winter is almost over, too.

But, don't let me get ahead of myself - football starts tonight and I can't wait! And I promise to only check the score during the break in class tonight...and then rush home for the second half

Two Puppies

This weekend we puppy-sat for some friends of ours. Their puppy, Fuego isn't old enough to be boarded with other dogs, so we volunteered to keep him. Fuego was a hilarious little guy and he and Hamilton got along so well that it made us want to get him a full time friend! We didn't, and we won't for a while yet - but it was so encouraging to see how well H plays with younger dogs. H out-weighs Fuego by more than 40lbs, but he would fall on his back and feign defeat while Fuego hopped all over him.

That is the cute little guy on H's bed. H didn't mind him being on there one bit - and they shared toys well, too.

They played a lot, this is my favorite picture of them

Hamilton is not screaming in pain, he was about to swing around and knock Fuego over with his big head - but I like the David v Goliath image that this picture portrays.

A lot of the weekend was spent like this

on the kitchen floor...

in the car...

and, Fuego's favorite spot, under the bench...

and now it is 9pm on Monday night and I'm going to bed because these two wore me out.

In preparation for the holiday wekeend

My father-in-law sent this to me, I felt it was important to share with all of my friends:

Important Women's Health Issue:

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Incarceration
- Erotic lustfulness
- Loss of motor control
- Loss of clothing
- Loss of money
- Loss of virginity
- Table dancing
- Headache
- Dehydration
- Dry mouth
- And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNINGS:
n The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

n The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
n The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.
n The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas.

Have a great weekend!

My most recent misadventure

I had class both last night and tonight and both are scheduled to meet at the Hall of States on Capitol Hill. I got an email on Wednesday that class would not be held at the Hall of States, it would be held on GWU's campus (many many many blocks away from Capitol Hill). So on Wednesday I headed to campus and trudged all the way across campus - getting twin blisters from my fantastic shoes - only to arrive at the classroom five minutes before class....and it was completely empty.

At this point I mumbled something under my breath and headed down to the lobby to catch a cab back to the Hill. 15 minutes and $12 later I arrived at the Hall of States, signed in with security and went upstairs to join my classmates. The only good thing that happened was that two others arrived even later than me.

On Thursday (today), I again headed to GWU's campus because if the email telling me class had been moved had not been referring to my Wednesday class it must have been referring to my Thursday class......WRONG. I walked into a class room with matrices (multiple matrix) on the board and no less than 25 students of asian decent - aka, I walked into an advanced math class. Awesome.

20 minutes and $10 dollars later (I walked further tonight than last night before hailing a cab) I arrived at the Hall of States and joined my classmates. They were still going around the table doing introductions, so I wasn't horribly late - although no one came in after me so I was the only dufus today.

Stuff like that really gets me down - when I'm doing my best to be alert and prepared for a situation, and it just blows up in my face. At least now I know that my classes will be at the Hall of States, and I'll email whomever sent me that note to be sure I'm taken off of that class' list.

The one funny thing that came from this - you know how on college campuses you can tell who the freshman are during the first couple weeks because they are too dressed up? Well, at GWU you can tell who the freshmen are because the aren't dressed up enough! It is strange, but it is true and it made me smile on my way to the class that wasn't there.

Back to School

School started two weeks ago for Frank, and it starts today for me. I have two classes this semester, Political Parties & Elections and Legislative Politics. Tonight is LP - and from the syllabus it looks like the professor is pretty intense. A lot of reading and a "weekly one-pager" to go along will keep me busy! Both courses are part of the Masters in Legislative Affairs program at GWU's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) so I expect to be in class with a fair number of masters candidates and even a couple PhD candidates. I'm earning a graduate certificate in PAC Management, and so far I've managed to get A's in all of my other courses - I have a feeling this isn't going to continue through the semester. One of the professors said in the syllabus, "An A is given for near perfection," this makes me think that A's are rarely earned in her course.

To go along with school, it became fall on Monday. Apparently someone told the DC Metro area that kids were returning to school and the temperature dropped so quickly and drastically that I had to pull out heavier sweaters and jackets just to take the dog outside in the morning! I'm hoping the warm/hot weather will come back for a couple of weeks, but up here you never know.

With the end of summer came the end of our vacation travels. Our next trip will be to Cary/Durham, NC for my high schoool friend Abigail's wedding at Duke Gardens. We'll be staying with the Androneys and I can't wait! It will be so fun to see some of my best friends from back home, and then to top it off spending time with Win & Greg (and smudge!) will just be a blast! We've got a few weeks until that trip, and I must say it is nice to just be home sometimes.

I'm off to work with a to-do list as long as my arm, and I need to squeeze in reading the Articles of Confederation between now and 6pm....we'll see how that goes.

Happy Hump Day!