Look, we're 6 days into the New Year and here I am again already! And I don't really have that much to report! Except the obvious. Baby, it's cold outside!!
The key to surviving the cold, in my humble opinion, is one word. LAYERS. I am in love with long johns!! On Monday, I had to be at work at 5:30am and I seriously think it was -4 degrees. Thank God for the layers. Thank God even more for the layers when I had to go outside to greet POTUS and the FF (First Family) when they returned from Hawaii. I'm not sure if you've ever been that close to a helicopter landing but it tends to create a bit of wind. Sometimes in the summer, it's welcome relief of the heat (even though it messes up my hair!). But in the winter, it's downright frigid. Bone chilling. And of course the way things work at the WH, we have to be out there for a few minutes before the helicopter lands. I will give the M1 pilot some credit because Monday's landing was one of the better ones. Sometimes they hover about four feet off the ground for what seems like eons. On Monday, the hovering was short lived and they just put it on the ground with ease. I've seen enough of these things that I generally rate the pilot's performance. Monday gets a B+. I feel generous.
When POTUS and FF got off Marine One, they ran inside (especially the girls). I'm sure some writers out there said that it probably some metaphor about the new year and hitting the ground running. I personally think the temperatures were a shock to their system. They had just spent almost two weeks in Hawaii where the temperature is always 80 degrees. I was there last year (when he was just PEOTUS) and I do remember the lovely weather. I still run into work colleagues and others who think a trip to Hawaii with POTUS sounds luxurious. But trust me, it's a lot of work and this year especially because there was actual news happening. Everyone asked me if I was sad I didn't get to go to Hawaii and I can honestly say NOOOOOOOO WWWWAAAAYYY!!
This year I was able to spend some quality time with my family and I just have to say they rock!! I had a great Christmas!! Despite getting a cold on Christmas morning and spending most of the day in bed, I had such a wonderful time with them! They are a great family! On paper, the probability of seven adults, a six year old, two babies under 8 months, and a dog surviving about a week together under the same roof without killing each other was pretty high. But it was smooth sailing at our house!! I had so much fun playing with my new niece and nephew and trying to keep Raygan from eating Nolan! There are far too many memories of my Christmas vacation to share all of them but here are the highlights (and yes, I am completely stealing this idea from Katie!):
In no particular order:
1) Taking Cayton, Raygan, and Nolan to see Santa (with Laura and Katherine of course) where Raygan did NOT like Santa at all. In fact she had a handful of hair from his beard and screamed the entire picture. Santa said, "I don't think it's going to get better than this." Let's just say that I think Raygan might have been on the naughty list this year but you wouldn't know it on Christmas morning!
2) Girlfriend Cookie Day at Diane and Grace's. This is the approximate 13th annual experience where we all bake a variety of cookies. I'll be honest. Most everyone else were more productive than me but those peanut butter cookies were darn tasty if I do say so myself.
3) Christmas Eve service at GCBC. It was a kid-friendly service and Cayton's choir sang. They even had the entire congregation taking part in acting out the manger scene. Cayton was one heck of a cute cow. It was really cool though and even though unlike any other Christmas Eve service I've ever been to, I won't forget this one for a long while!
4) Having the whole family together the day after and getting our picture professionally made. I thought it was going to be a zoo. It was actually pretty stress-free. And most of us were smiling by the end of it!
5) Playing with Cayton and Raygan and Nolan, just hanging out. Have I mentioned that they are so incredibly cute??
6) Hanging out with Laura's neighborhood by the fire pit in the middle of 20 inches of snow and eating soup and roasting smores. Good times.
7) Going to the neighborhood game night. These people are completely fun. We had a great time. I've never seen a neighborhood hang out as much as them and it's such an incredibly nice feeling. It's strange to know that this was the exact same neighborhood where I grew up! We definitely didn't know our neighbors as well as my sister knows hers!
8) Have I mentioned just hanging out with my family?? I'll say it again. They rock and I was so blessed to be able to spend so much time with them. Even if we were passing germs back and forth.
9) Catching up with my dear friend Kristen for an 8 hour lunch. We hadn't seen each other in two years so we had a TON to catch up on! I count our friendship as a major blessing and promise that I will never go that long without catching up!!
10) Having our family Christmas Eve program. It's a long-standing tradition that includes me playing the piano and oboe (not at the same time), mom playing the violin, the family singing Christmas carols together. Picture Little House on the Prairie but with electricity and not as much dancing. My dad reads the Christmas story from Luke 2. That's the focus but we also recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas". This year Cayton rocked it and had to help us remember all the lines. Christmas Eve will always hold a special place in my heart!
Well and of course my mini-vacation at the Howard Johnson's on I-81 in the snowstorm would be on the list as making this year's Christmas vacation memorable but you've already read about that and there were sooo many more great things I needed to share!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year (and Decade)!!
Happy New Year to all my blog friends!! 2009 was a pretty good year and I'm really looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me (and you) in 2010! In the past I've been a big fan of the New Year's Resolutions but I've come to terms that usually I bite off more than I can chew. So I'm paring it down this year to just a few goals.
1) Be a better blogger. I admit it. I've become one of those people who I didn't want to become. One who neglects her blog. Truth be told, sometimes I forget that what I'm doing is somewhat on the cool side and maybe my readers (okay, I'll be honest, maybe my mom) will care about what's going on in my life. I've been doing my job for several years now so the WOW factor sometimes wears off. But when I take a step back and remember where I am and what God has me doing, I quickly realize that there is a WOW factor much more than I think. So here's my practical way of implementing my goal. I will attempt to blog during the week as exciting things happen. However, my plan B is to blog every (or at least most) Saturdays about the week in review. No matter what boredom is going on, I'll find something to write about and embellish to make interesting. See- it's Saturday and I'm doing that!! (Also, I plan on implementing the Dana Ritter strategy and doing several catch up posts, especially from Christmas!)
2) Turn off the TV more. While this may seem to be somewhat of a conflict considering it is the basis of my livelihood, I think I watch a little too much. Of nothing. So I'm really only to have the TV for Biggest Loser and the Office (which I will DVR) and then maybe something else if I really like it. Of course I will still fall asleep to the TV for my Sunday afternoon nap (but that doesn't really count since I usually conk out within five minutes of sitting on the couch!) And then it can be on some nights when I'm falling asleep (same thing though, doesn't count.) Instead, I'm going to read more and be more active. I'm not sure exactly what the second part of that entails but I'll figure that out. I'm sure it will be easier when it gets warmer. Maybe I'll actually work on writing a book!! In previous years, I've set a goal to read a book a month and since I wasn't successful two years in a row on that one, I'm just going to say I'll read more. I'll always have something I'm reading and there's no time pressure to finish it at a particular time.
3) Pray more. Worry Less. This is probably my biggest focus this year. I don't specifically stay up at night worrying about anything but there's always several scenarios running through my head at any given point. After figuring out all the millions of possibilities that could happen from any particular issue, that's when I really start giving it to God and letting him take care of it. This year, I'm going to specifically pray more and earlier on! And more for others than myself. This should always be my goal but this year I'm more intentional about it. I'm looking forward to spending more quality time with God. I have a prayer journal so that should help. (I was going to have my return to journaling as my resolution but realistically I think that is too great an expectation!) I'm excited to be able to look back at the end of 2010 and see all the things that God has answered and worked through. I expect great things in 2010!!
I wish I had an exciting story to tell you from my New Year's but I don't. I worked all day and then went to my friends' Jessica and Rob's for a party. I did make it to midnight but just barely. The fact that my Hokies beat Tennessee helped to start my new year off on the right foot. Finishing this blog post and maintaining my blogger better is just icing on the cake!! Happy New Year everyone!
1) Be a better blogger. I admit it. I've become one of those people who I didn't want to become. One who neglects her blog. Truth be told, sometimes I forget that what I'm doing is somewhat on the cool side and maybe my readers (okay, I'll be honest, maybe my mom) will care about what's going on in my life. I've been doing my job for several years now so the WOW factor sometimes wears off. But when I take a step back and remember where I am and what God has me doing, I quickly realize that there is a WOW factor much more than I think. So here's my practical way of implementing my goal. I will attempt to blog during the week as exciting things happen. However, my plan B is to blog every (or at least most) Saturdays about the week in review. No matter what boredom is going on, I'll find something to write about and embellish to make interesting. See- it's Saturday and I'm doing that!! (Also, I plan on implementing the Dana Ritter strategy and doing several catch up posts, especially from Christmas!)
2) Turn off the TV more. While this may seem to be somewhat of a conflict considering it is the basis of my livelihood, I think I watch a little too much. Of nothing. So I'm really only to have the TV for Biggest Loser and the Office (which I will DVR) and then maybe something else if I really like it. Of course I will still fall asleep to the TV for my Sunday afternoon nap (but that doesn't really count since I usually conk out within five minutes of sitting on the couch!) And then it can be on some nights when I'm falling asleep (same thing though, doesn't count.) Instead, I'm going to read more and be more active. I'm not sure exactly what the second part of that entails but I'll figure that out. I'm sure it will be easier when it gets warmer. Maybe I'll actually work on writing a book!! In previous years, I've set a goal to read a book a month and since I wasn't successful two years in a row on that one, I'm just going to say I'll read more. I'll always have something I'm reading and there's no time pressure to finish it at a particular time.
3) Pray more. Worry Less. This is probably my biggest focus this year. I don't specifically stay up at night worrying about anything but there's always several scenarios running through my head at any given point. After figuring out all the millions of possibilities that could happen from any particular issue, that's when I really start giving it to God and letting him take care of it. This year, I'm going to specifically pray more and earlier on! And more for others than myself. This should always be my goal but this year I'm more intentional about it. I'm looking forward to spending more quality time with God. I have a prayer journal so that should help. (I was going to have my return to journaling as my resolution but realistically I think that is too great an expectation!) I'm excited to be able to look back at the end of 2010 and see all the things that God has answered and worked through. I expect great things in 2010!!
I wish I had an exciting story to tell you from my New Year's but I don't. I worked all day and then went to my friends' Jessica and Rob's for a party. I did make it to midnight but just barely. The fact that my Hokies beat Tennessee helped to start my new year off on the right foot. Finishing this blog post and maintaining my blogger better is just icing on the cake!! Happy New Year everyone!
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Weekend to Remember
I was going to blog about all the Christmas festivities in my life... putting up my first Christmas tree in my new house, playing for my church's Living Christmas Tree, my birthday, going to the WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS PARTY. But all that's going to have to wait. I have a story for you that you won't believe! Sorry it's kind of long but I promise I'm not making any of this up. Trust me, I'm not that creative.
Let's start on last Friday. The day after my birthday. I had to be at work at 3a because POTUS was in Copenhagen for none other than a climate change conference (which obviously I did not go with him). As I'm working very early in the morning, I keep looking at the weather forecast and realize that the DC area is going to get more than two feet of snow on the exact day I was planning to drive to the 'Noke for my Christmas vacation with my family. The last time we got a lot of snow, I was inside my house for about four or five days and I didn't want to miss out on quality time with the family!
So I decided to forego the much-needed afternoon nap and run home and pack and get on the road as soon as possible to hopefully beat out the snow. Unfortunately, things with the global warming deal were not happening as quickly as I thought they should have and I didn't get home until much later to start the packing process. I hadn't even begun to get ready for my trip home but I started throwing things into a suitcase and even did something I haven't done since college... I brought a basket of dirty laundry in my car. Time was of the essence. I gathered all the Christmas presents from under my tree and threw what seemed like half my possessions into my car for the trip home. After running a couple of much-needed errands, I was on the road by about 2:30p.
Things were going great. Traffic was somewhat moving and I was somewhat awake (minus about a ten minute stop for a power nap) until I got to Harrisonburg. That's when the first flakes fell. I was determined to drive as long as possible and hopefully get really close to home (my sister's house). Luckily I had enough sense to stop and get gas before things got really bad. That happened rather quickly. It got so bad so quickly that when my phone rang, I couldn't pick it up. For the record, I drive a VW Jetta. Not exactly a car known for its snow-maneuvering abilities. But my nameless car (I think I originally named her Judy the Jetta but it never stuck) did fairly good as long as I was following in the tracks of a big truck and was only going 15 miles per hour. It took me about an hour and a half of gripping my steering wheel so hard that my knuckles were really white and a lot of praying before I was actually scared of driving. I couldn't see anything in front of me and at one point I realized that all the trucks were getting off the road. I thought that was a sign for me to do the same. So at milepost 195 in Lexington, VA, I made a game time decision and pulled off the interstate.
There were three hotels to choose from although it was an hour wait to see if there were any vacancies on the ones right on the street level. So I parked my car in a random parking lot and repacked the essentials into a bag I could carry and hiked up a mountain (I am not exaggerating) to the Howard Johnson's hotel. I would hardly consider myself a hotel snob (except when traveling with POTUS) but at that moment, I was just very blessed not to be sleeping in my car on the side of the road like many, many people were forced to do.
The next morning was when the fun started. I woke up to about two feet of snow on the ground and instantly knew I wasn't going anywhere any time soon. So I went to breakfast at the HoJo's and was looking forward to real (relatively speaking) food. All I had had the day before were grapes and chocolate covered pretzels. And a chicken salad sandwich with an expiration date of January 2011 (it was the best option!!) from the gas station at the bottom of the mountain. I have never seen a lobby of a hotel so hopping. And I've been to a lot of hotels in my life. Hundreds of people were sitting in the lobby, each with their own story of survival! As I was in line for the waffle machine, I started talking with the people around me. We all shared our stories and quickly bonded. I sat down at a table with a girl named Karen. We chatted while we ate our waffles and eggs (in a completely unnatural form). She mentioned she had all wheel drive and was willing to drive me to the bottom of the hill to check on my car and estimate exactly how long it would take to dig out.
The next thing you know, I'm going to Walmart with virtually a stranger. The roads were horrendous (the interstate was closed so I really wasn't going anywhere any time soon) and I was just happy to make it to the Super Walmart to get some food. When we got there, it was a virtual ghost town. I've never seen a Walmart so empty. As we were going through the aisles, Karen decided to get some things she had forgotten so we were roaming the store. That's when I saw a sight that I will never ever in a million years forget. I saw a large overweight man with a long white beard who was only wearing a pair of dirty black pants. No shirt. No shoes. Oh and when I looked closer, I noticed his hands were handcuffed behind his back. And then I noticed that he had three or four armed sheriffs guarding him and walking him through the linens department. I nearly peed in my pants I was laughing so hard. Clearly this was not a good day for this could-be Santa. I got out my blackberry to take a picture but then I made eye contact with one of the armed sheriffs and knew that was probably not a good idea. It will truly go down as one of my life's regrets and a complete missed opportunity to be a part of peopleofwalmart.com. Before I could realize my mistake and try to take a picture, the sheriffs were putting clothes on him. Seriously. I cannot make this up.
After our lengthy trip to the Super Walmart, we headed back to the hotel. Karen received a phone call from her boyfriend and I could tell she needed her privacy so I went back to my room. A few hours later, she called me and wanted to go to dinner (despite getting food at the Super Walmart!) It was one of those times where I knew the right thing would be to go. On our way to find a restaurant opened, she asks if we can stop by Walmart again so she can get some paper or a card to send to her boyfriend who is serving 10 years in the state pen! They had had a fight. What do you say to that? Again, I can't make this stuff up!!!
We ended up eating at the Country Cookin' (which I haven't eat there since a young child with my grandmother) with a waitress named Cookie. Karen and I had a great conversation- she's quite the interesting person and I don't have time to share all the cool details of her life. I enjoyed the banana pudding and we ventured back to the HoJo's. Oh we met people at the Country Cookin' who had gotten stranded in their car and had slept overnight with two small kids in a snow covered snow. At that point, I realized how truly protected and blessed I was. Not only did I have a warm bed and hot shower, I had made a new friend and had quite the adventure!!! When I finally left on Sunday morning, I thanked Habeeb, the HoJo's desk manager who had taken such great care of all of us. He said the past two days had been life changing because everyone had been so polite and patient and working together as a team to help people get on with their journeys as quickly as possible. He said he saw the best in humankind. I wouldn't go as far as life changing but I did see the best in mankind and heck, it is definitely a weekend that I will never forget.
Nearly 48 hours after my journey began, I finally made it to my sister's house. The interstate was virtually clear and traffic was moving at fairly normal speeds. I got all the way home and my car got stuck in the unplowed street just feet away from the house. I just got out of the car and ran through the snow. I was close enough! Several of her neighbors helped get my car out of the middle of the street and I was just soooo thankful to be home!! I love my family but they are so normal compared to my unforgettable weekend!!
Let's start on last Friday. The day after my birthday. I had to be at work at 3a because POTUS was in Copenhagen for none other than a climate change conference (which obviously I did not go with him). As I'm working very early in the morning, I keep looking at the weather forecast and realize that the DC area is going to get more than two feet of snow on the exact day I was planning to drive to the 'Noke for my Christmas vacation with my family. The last time we got a lot of snow, I was inside my house for about four or five days and I didn't want to miss out on quality time with the family!
So I decided to forego the much-needed afternoon nap and run home and pack and get on the road as soon as possible to hopefully beat out the snow. Unfortunately, things with the global warming deal were not happening as quickly as I thought they should have and I didn't get home until much later to start the packing process. I hadn't even begun to get ready for my trip home but I started throwing things into a suitcase and even did something I haven't done since college... I brought a basket of dirty laundry in my car. Time was of the essence. I gathered all the Christmas presents from under my tree and threw what seemed like half my possessions into my car for the trip home. After running a couple of much-needed errands, I was on the road by about 2:30p.
Things were going great. Traffic was somewhat moving and I was somewhat awake (minus about a ten minute stop for a power nap) until I got to Harrisonburg. That's when the first flakes fell. I was determined to drive as long as possible and hopefully get really close to home (my sister's house). Luckily I had enough sense to stop and get gas before things got really bad. That happened rather quickly. It got so bad so quickly that when my phone rang, I couldn't pick it up. For the record, I drive a VW Jetta. Not exactly a car known for its snow-maneuvering abilities. But my nameless car (I think I originally named her Judy the Jetta but it never stuck) did fairly good as long as I was following in the tracks of a big truck and was only going 15 miles per hour. It took me about an hour and a half of gripping my steering wheel so hard that my knuckles were really white and a lot of praying before I was actually scared of driving. I couldn't see anything in front of me and at one point I realized that all the trucks were getting off the road. I thought that was a sign for me to do the same. So at milepost 195 in Lexington, VA, I made a game time decision and pulled off the interstate.
There were three hotels to choose from although it was an hour wait to see if there were any vacancies on the ones right on the street level. So I parked my car in a random parking lot and repacked the essentials into a bag I could carry and hiked up a mountain (I am not exaggerating) to the Howard Johnson's hotel. I would hardly consider myself a hotel snob (except when traveling with POTUS) but at that moment, I was just very blessed not to be sleeping in my car on the side of the road like many, many people were forced to do.
The next morning was when the fun started. I woke up to about two feet of snow on the ground and instantly knew I wasn't going anywhere any time soon. So I went to breakfast at the HoJo's and was looking forward to real (relatively speaking) food. All I had had the day before were grapes and chocolate covered pretzels. And a chicken salad sandwich with an expiration date of January 2011 (it was the best option!!) from the gas station at the bottom of the mountain. I have never seen a lobby of a hotel so hopping. And I've been to a lot of hotels in my life. Hundreds of people were sitting in the lobby, each with their own story of survival! As I was in line for the waffle machine, I started talking with the people around me. We all shared our stories and quickly bonded. I sat down at a table with a girl named Karen. We chatted while we ate our waffles and eggs (in a completely unnatural form). She mentioned she had all wheel drive and was willing to drive me to the bottom of the hill to check on my car and estimate exactly how long it would take to dig out.
The next thing you know, I'm going to Walmart with virtually a stranger. The roads were horrendous (the interstate was closed so I really wasn't going anywhere any time soon) and I was just happy to make it to the Super Walmart to get some food. When we got there, it was a virtual ghost town. I've never seen a Walmart so empty. As we were going through the aisles, Karen decided to get some things she had forgotten so we were roaming the store. That's when I saw a sight that I will never ever in a million years forget. I saw a large overweight man with a long white beard who was only wearing a pair of dirty black pants. No shirt. No shoes. Oh and when I looked closer, I noticed his hands were handcuffed behind his back. And then I noticed that he had three or four armed sheriffs guarding him and walking him through the linens department. I nearly peed in my pants I was laughing so hard. Clearly this was not a good day for this could-be Santa. I got out my blackberry to take a picture but then I made eye contact with one of the armed sheriffs and knew that was probably not a good idea. It will truly go down as one of my life's regrets and a complete missed opportunity to be a part of peopleofwalmart.com. Before I could realize my mistake and try to take a picture, the sheriffs were putting clothes on him. Seriously. I cannot make this up.
After our lengthy trip to the Super Walmart, we headed back to the hotel. Karen received a phone call from her boyfriend and I could tell she needed her privacy so I went back to my room. A few hours later, she called me and wanted to go to dinner (despite getting food at the Super Walmart!) It was one of those times where I knew the right thing would be to go. On our way to find a restaurant opened, she asks if we can stop by Walmart again so she can get some paper or a card to send to her boyfriend who is serving 10 years in the state pen! They had had a fight. What do you say to that? Again, I can't make this stuff up!!!
We ended up eating at the Country Cookin' (which I haven't eat there since a young child with my grandmother) with a waitress named Cookie. Karen and I had a great conversation- she's quite the interesting person and I don't have time to share all the cool details of her life. I enjoyed the banana pudding and we ventured back to the HoJo's. Oh we met people at the Country Cookin' who had gotten stranded in their car and had slept overnight with two small kids in a snow covered snow. At that point, I realized how truly protected and blessed I was. Not only did I have a warm bed and hot shower, I had made a new friend and had quite the adventure!!! When I finally left on Sunday morning, I thanked Habeeb, the HoJo's desk manager who had taken such great care of all of us. He said the past two days had been life changing because everyone had been so polite and patient and working together as a team to help people get on with their journeys as quickly as possible. He said he saw the best in humankind. I wouldn't go as far as life changing but I did see the best in mankind and heck, it is definitely a weekend that I will never forget.
Nearly 48 hours after my journey began, I finally made it to my sister's house. The interstate was virtually clear and traffic was moving at fairly normal speeds. I got all the way home and my car got stuck in the unplowed street just feet away from the house. I just got out of the car and ran through the snow. I was close enough! Several of her neighbors helped get my car out of the middle of the street and I was just soooo thankful to be home!! I love my family but they are so normal compared to my unforgettable weekend!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A State Affair
I've been able to spend a little bit more time at the WH recently and last night was one of those moments where I thought to myself, "Self, I have a pretty cool job." The longer I do this job, the less often I actually feel those moments which is pathetic, I know. But last night, POTUS and FLOTUS hosted their first State Dinner and I was here as part of the pool. Truth be told, I had had a ticket to my church's Thanksgiving Day dinner and given the choice, I would have been there instead. But I do admit, I had a pretty cool day at work yesterday. It reminded me of what a blessing I've been given in life and I'm truly grateful (so appropriate for Thanksgiving).
Ok, enough sap and on to the details... Yesterday my first assignment was to go to the FLOTUS's event where she previewed the dinner. The actual dinner was in this extraordinary tent on the South Lawn of the WH but her preview was in the State Dining Room. They had two tables set up like the tables in the tent and the tables were sooo beautiful. Kind of reminds me of my house but just a few more forks at the place setting than mine. :) Anyway, I think this is only the second or third event of hers that I have been to. All politics aside because I am not here to discuss politics, but she is a striking woman! (I'm all ready thinking towards the Christmas party and I'm wondering how awkward the height difference will be for the photo!) Anyway, she went through her thoughts on the importance of the dinner and the visit and then we heard from the WH curator about the history of State Dinners. I was actually fascinated by all I heard... I am such a geek. She was doing this preview for a group of young women involved in the WH mentoring program. I don't know how these girls got to be a part of this group but they are some lucky ducks and I only hope they realize how cool that is! They even got to taste the dessert that was going to be served at the dinner! We on the other hand were rushed out of there. It was a cool event... not as cool as favorite tasting of the Christmas food but pretty close.
The next event on my schedule was the official arrival of the Indian PM and his wife at the North Portico. I do remember last year being in travel pool on his last visit with the former POTUS so I was hoping he would remember me. I think I recognized a few in the Indian press corps but no such luck from the Prime Minister! Anyway, POTUS and FLOTUS came out all dressed up and met with the Singhs as they arrived. They stood there for a few seconds while camera flashes were going off like crazy and then POTUS said his almost-famous line "One of those should work now" and the four of them walked into the WH.
After that, we went inside and waited for the two couples to come to the middle of the Grand Foyer for the official portrait. While we waited for them, the USMC orchestra entertained with a few wonderful songs. One of them had a beautiful oboe solo. Again, I'm a geek. I know. I was going to give her some pointers but I don't think she needed any guidance from me. She was good. Anywho, I digress. We waited and waited for the leaders to come out and all the while, I was getting stepped on by the Indian press corps. Let's just say there wasn't a lot of respect for personal space. Most of the time all I could see were the backs of the Indian cameramen. However, at just the right time, I took advantage of my small stature and snapped a picture with my Blackberry. Sometimes it pays to be short and able to squeeze into small spaces!!
After all that, I never actually got to go into the tent to see the actual dinner. Somehow my name was left off the guest list. Katie Couric was on the list. So was Brian Williams. I'm sure my invite just got lost in the mail since I have moved. It looked really cool on TV and I'm sure was a fun night. I decided to call it a day after we got a glimpse of the entertainment. I can't believe they picked Jennifer Hudson over me!! :)All in all, although it was a bit nutty, I had a great day and I was reminded of how truly blessed by God I am. It is something that I am truly grateful for!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Becky's Back from Baku!
Say that 100 times fast!! I don't even know where to start!! I can't believe that I've already been back for more than two weeks!!
So, a few months ago, my friend Lesley from church asked me if I wanted to go with her to Azerbaijan to see some friends at an English-speaking school. First of all, although I had heard of this country, I didn't exactly know where it was but I knew that VPOTUS had been there last summer and it turns out my friend Hunter lives there. What a small world! Once I located it on a map and tried to learn to spell it, I knew I was supposed to go and it would be a great trip!
Azerbaijan (I have a habit of visiting difficult-to-spell countries!) is located on the Caspian Sea and is an oil-rich country. The US has a bit of stake it in its success because of the oil but really it's just a developing former Soviet Republic full of potential. They are pouring money, millions and millions, into improving their capital city of Baku. I like that name. I learned a lot about the country while I was there and I could talk for hours about what a neat country it is but I won't bore you with that new-found knowledge unless you specifically ask me!! :)
So we spent a little more than a week there and most of our focus was to speak English with Azeri college students and young professionals who attend a conversation club. Basically they learn grammar in school but their teachers are usually Chinese who teach English. So they pay money to actually learn English from English-speaking people. What a concept!! I met a ton of students- the first day I basically talked my head off for about ten hours straight- and it was a real joy to be able to talk with these people. Some of them were close in age to me but most of them were in their early 20s. Just hearing about their life experiences and how different their culture is was fascinating to me. I did receive a couple of marriage proposals but as I told them, the pick-up line "Do you know what a green card is?" does not work for me. Sometimes we just had conversations and other times we "taught" seminars. Teaching is all relative. But it was a great way for them to learn English and we had a lot of fun there. I thought talking would be the easiest task ever asked of me because those of you who know me, know I love to talk. I could carry on a conversation with a brick wall. But this was quite exhausting!!
We did get to see the sights of Baku with a couple of excursions throughout the city. The four of us from America (we were referred to as the VA ladies and one student was curious as to what the word Va meant! I had totally taken abbreviations for granted.) went with Lesley's friend Donna on a tour of the city one of the first days we were there. I think we walked about ten miles! We rode the Baku metro which was quite an experience! We got some pretty big stares since seeing Americans on the subway is not an everyday experience for them. Plus we had been given flowers by a street vendor so we were really getting some stares! We had a nice Azeri lunch (which is very similar to Turkish food) and went to the market. We walked to the Caspian Sea and around the city. We ended the night with a wonderful dinner at this Azeri restaurant in the Old City that was such a unique experience! It was soooo nice!
Then a few days later, we got a tour of the city by some of the students at the conversation club. It was sooo fun to spend time with them and get to know them and see the city through their eyes. The main tourist attraction is the Old City and the Maiden's Tower. If Baku had an icon, that would be it. It's a windowless tower from the 12th century and the story behind it involves a king's single daughter jumping to her death because she couldn't be with the man she loved. I am positive there's more to the story than that but that's what I remember 2 weeks later. To me, it reminded me of the fairy tale of Rapunzel. But it was pretty cool and provided a really nice view of the city from the top! My favorite part was that the doorways were short and I was with this tall guy named Aslan. I told him to duck. He got really confused and started quacking. I started laughing and just before he hit his head on the doorframe, I think he quickly learned a new English word.
One night, my friend Audrey and I had the opportunity to eat dinner at a student's house. Nabat had come up to me the day before and she told me how excited she was to have us come to her house. I was excited too! I just love going to a place and really getting to experience the culture. She and her family (parents and a 10 year old brother) live in a new high-rise that was really nice. This family was clearly a wealthy Azeri family and they were the nicest people!! Nabat's mother had cooked for us for two days!! Her parents spoke no English and she spoke enough for us to communicate with and she translated everything to her parents.
The main problem for me was that I had eaten something for lunch that was bad and I was a bit ill. Ok, that was an understatement. I think I visited their bathroom four times in the first 30 minutes we were there. At least it was a nice bathroom!! At one point, I think I almost passed out on their floor. But thank God, I was able to hold it together enough not to create any international incidents. But they clearly noticed that the smile on my face was a mask to how I was feeling and after a wonderful meal (I did what I could to eat but it wasn't a lot since I was spending most of the time in the bathroom!), they offered me some medicine to make me feel better. At first I politely declined but eventually I gave in and within minutes, I was feeling soooo much better! Just in time to fully appreciate the homemade from scratch cake her mother had lovingly made!!
However, the next morning, I woke up and got ready for the day but suddenly noticed that I had broken out in hives over pretty much my entire body. I didn't freak out and just took a Benedryl and thought I was sleeping it off. I got severe hives again several more times. We asked another American friend who lives there (who is a trained pharmacist) what exactly I took (the family had given me the rest of the medicine to take with me and take again later but the packaging was in Russian). Basically he told us that the medicine is generally only given in developing countries and that in America, is basically only prescribed by veterinarians of large animals. Yep, that's right. I accidentally took a horse pill. Besides the severe hives and fever, I was okay but I still felt like I couldn't be around others. So I had to sit out the last two days and was in an Benedryl-induced funk. Oh, and I caught a cold on top of that. I was really, really bummed that I missed some of the fun and interactions with the students. I missed a field trip to the country side to tour a fortress. My friends' pictures looked really cool and so I might have to make a return trip so I can experience it to the fullest!! In the meantime, I am grateful for all the great care I was given by the staff of the conversation club and I really enjoyed my time there with them!!
It's definitely never really been on my list of most-desired places to visit but Azerbaijan was a great place and I would totally go back! Who knows, maybe another trip next year without a horse pill is in my future!!
So, a few months ago, my friend Lesley from church asked me if I wanted to go with her to Azerbaijan to see some friends at an English-speaking school. First of all, although I had heard of this country, I didn't exactly know where it was but I knew that VPOTUS had been there last summer and it turns out my friend Hunter lives there. What a small world! Once I located it on a map and tried to learn to spell it, I knew I was supposed to go and it would be a great trip!
Azerbaijan (I have a habit of visiting difficult-to-spell countries!) is located on the Caspian Sea and is an oil-rich country. The US has a bit of stake it in its success because of the oil but really it's just a developing former Soviet Republic full of potential. They are pouring money, millions and millions, into improving their capital city of Baku. I like that name. I learned a lot about the country while I was there and I could talk for hours about what a neat country it is but I won't bore you with that new-found knowledge unless you specifically ask me!! :)
So we spent a little more than a week there and most of our focus was to speak English with Azeri college students and young professionals who attend a conversation club. Basically they learn grammar in school but their teachers are usually Chinese who teach English. So they pay money to actually learn English from English-speaking people. What a concept!! I met a ton of students- the first day I basically talked my head off for about ten hours straight- and it was a real joy to be able to talk with these people. Some of them were close in age to me but most of them were in their early 20s. Just hearing about their life experiences and how different their culture is was fascinating to me. I did receive a couple of marriage proposals but as I told them, the pick-up line "Do you know what a green card is?" does not work for me. Sometimes we just had conversations and other times we "taught" seminars. Teaching is all relative. But it was a great way for them to learn English and we had a lot of fun there. I thought talking would be the easiest task ever asked of me because those of you who know me, know I love to talk. I could carry on a conversation with a brick wall. But this was quite exhausting!!
We did get to see the sights of Baku with a couple of excursions throughout the city. The four of us from America (we were referred to as the VA ladies and one student was curious as to what the word Va meant! I had totally taken abbreviations for granted.) went with Lesley's friend Donna on a tour of the city one of the first days we were there. I think we walked about ten miles! We rode the Baku metro which was quite an experience! We got some pretty big stares since seeing Americans on the subway is not an everyday experience for them. Plus we had been given flowers by a street vendor so we were really getting some stares! We had a nice Azeri lunch (which is very similar to Turkish food) and went to the market. We walked to the Caspian Sea and around the city. We ended the night with a wonderful dinner at this Azeri restaurant in the Old City that was such a unique experience! It was soooo nice!
Then a few days later, we got a tour of the city by some of the students at the conversation club. It was sooo fun to spend time with them and get to know them and see the city through their eyes. The main tourist attraction is the Old City and the Maiden's Tower. If Baku had an icon, that would be it. It's a windowless tower from the 12th century and the story behind it involves a king's single daughter jumping to her death because she couldn't be with the man she loved. I am positive there's more to the story than that but that's what I remember 2 weeks later. To me, it reminded me of the fairy tale of Rapunzel. But it was pretty cool and provided a really nice view of the city from the top! My favorite part was that the doorways were short and I was with this tall guy named Aslan. I told him to duck. He got really confused and started quacking. I started laughing and just before he hit his head on the doorframe, I think he quickly learned a new English word.
One night, my friend Audrey and I had the opportunity to eat dinner at a student's house. Nabat had come up to me the day before and she told me how excited she was to have us come to her house. I was excited too! I just love going to a place and really getting to experience the culture. She and her family (parents and a 10 year old brother) live in a new high-rise that was really nice. This family was clearly a wealthy Azeri family and they were the nicest people!! Nabat's mother had cooked for us for two days!! Her parents spoke no English and she spoke enough for us to communicate with and she translated everything to her parents.
The main problem for me was that I had eaten something for lunch that was bad and I was a bit ill. Ok, that was an understatement. I think I visited their bathroom four times in the first 30 minutes we were there. At least it was a nice bathroom!! At one point, I think I almost passed out on their floor. But thank God, I was able to hold it together enough not to create any international incidents. But they clearly noticed that the smile on my face was a mask to how I was feeling and after a wonderful meal (I did what I could to eat but it wasn't a lot since I was spending most of the time in the bathroom!), they offered me some medicine to make me feel better. At first I politely declined but eventually I gave in and within minutes, I was feeling soooo much better! Just in time to fully appreciate the homemade from scratch cake her mother had lovingly made!!
However, the next morning, I woke up and got ready for the day but suddenly noticed that I had broken out in hives over pretty much my entire body. I didn't freak out and just took a Benedryl and thought I was sleeping it off. I got severe hives again several more times. We asked another American friend who lives there (who is a trained pharmacist) what exactly I took (the family had given me the rest of the medicine to take with me and take again later but the packaging was in Russian). Basically he told us that the medicine is generally only given in developing countries and that in America, is basically only prescribed by veterinarians of large animals. Yep, that's right. I accidentally took a horse pill. Besides the severe hives and fever, I was okay but I still felt like I couldn't be around others. So I had to sit out the last two days and was in an Benedryl-induced funk. Oh, and I caught a cold on top of that. I was really, really bummed that I missed some of the fun and interactions with the students. I missed a field trip to the country side to tour a fortress. My friends' pictures looked really cool and so I might have to make a return trip so I can experience it to the fullest!! In the meantime, I am grateful for all the great care I was given by the staff of the conversation club and I really enjoyed my time there with them!!
It's definitely never really been on my list of most-desired places to visit but Azerbaijan was a great place and I would totally go back! Who knows, maybe another trip next year without a horse pill is in my future!!
Monday, November 2, 2009
My New Nephew and Catching Up!!!
Wow! It's been a month since I've blogged! Whoa! Where did the time go? I have recently been inspired by my friend Dana who recently caught us up on her life over the past few months in a series of blog posts. So I haven't had nearly the exciting events that Dana's had (she got married to Michael, started a new job, just among the excitement of her life!!) but I have had a few worth sharing! So I'll split them up in about three posts over the next couple of days! Part of my excuse in not blogging in the past month is that I was in Central Asia on a trip for 10 days. That still doesn't account for the rest of the month but it was big part of my time away from my blog! But before I get to that post (let me warn you now that one will be long!!), I have to share more exciting news!!
I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW!!! Nolan Anthony joined the family (to Katherine and Mark) on Sunday, October 18th, mere hours after I returned from my trip to Azerbaijan! I had requested to Katherine to wait just another day or so (since he was past his due date by almost a week!) and the little guy waited until I was safely on US soil and at my house to make his grand entrance into the world!! I haven't met him in person but I'm going on Friday (with Laura) to see them! He's one cute kid already (that's a running theme for all my nieces and nephews!) He makes my count to 5 nieces and nephews (three nieces and two nephews now!) and I can't wait to get there to hold him and tell him know in person how much his Aunt Beck Beck loves him already! Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures after my visit but for now I'll only bombard you with a few!!
Nolan Anthony born 10/18 at 10:54p CST at 7 lbs., 9 oz. and 21 inches long
Nolan's first Halloween! Is this kid cute or what?
Already an Irish fan like his daddy!!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Around the World w/o Leaving the US
I realize that I'm a bit tardy in this post but I honestly don't know where the time has gone! This week has FLOWN by! This work thing is really getting in the way of important things like blogging! I apologize in advanced that this post will be long!!
All of LAST week, I was on an international trip with POTUS and we never left the US or the wonderful EST time zone! We started out with a day-trip to exciting Troy, NY. I have no idea why we were there, not do I really remember much about it. We went to a community college and POTUS talked about innovation. All I remember was that we had to traipse through a body shop with a lot of extra car doors all around. There was no food and the line to the bathroom was long. I'm sure those weren't the most important things that came out of the trip but I'll be honest, I can't remember much more than that.
On Monday afternoon, we headed to NYC for my annual visit for UNGA. I have no idea how I luck out to be assigned to this trip every year but I always have to remind myself not to judge the city based on this trip. With all the world's leaders in one place, the roads are shut down, gridlock is everywhere, and it's just not that fun. We always stay right across the street from the Waldorf (although I was lucky enough to stay there two years ago), which is where POTUS and other world leaders stay, so we were in the middle of the madness. Cab drivers generally gave up on getting me to my hotel about six blocks away!
Anyway, we worked out of our bureau for most of the time which I always enjoy. Getting to see people in person that I mainly only talk to on the phone or in e-mail is a bonus!! Tuesday, I was working out of the Waldorf for part of the day because that is where POTUS and Medvedev met.
Then on Wednesday, I went over to the United Nations to hear POTUS's speech. While I've been to UNGA every year for the past four years or so, I haven't been to the actual speech since my first year. So I took the opportunity to go and get to wear those ear thingys for the interpretation. The UN building was built by Mike Brady, I'm pretty sure, and really does need some modernization. I did enjoy sitting in a lime green seat in the auditorium. Beyond the actual building, it's just a neat scene. To me, it kind of previews what heaven will look like. People from all over the world under one roof. Literally all the world's leaders in one room. Nice ones and bad ones. I was even in the same room as Ahmadinejad, Gahdafi, and Hugo Chavez! Anyway, it was really cool to be there. After POTUS's speech, Mr. Gahdafi got up to speak. I thought I would hang around just to say I listened to his speech. Well 40 minutes into it, my stomach was growling, I was having a hard time focusing, and I decided I needed to leave. I checked with the WH aide with us to make sure I wouldn't create an international incident if I left in the middle of his speech. She assured me that wouldn't be a problem so my friend Anne and I left. And boy am I glad we did! I hopped into a cab, sat in stand-still traffic for about 30 minutes and then eventually made my way to the bureau and when I walked in almost an hour later, Gahdafi was just wrapping up his speech!! It was very difficult to understand what he was saying when we were in the same room but it made even less sense that he was still talking 97 minutes later!
On Thursday, we left NYC and went to Pittsburgh for the G-20 meeting. I am sure the info is out there but I still don't know exactly why Pittsburgh but it was a lovely short visit. I had been there before since my brother-in-law is a native but traveling with POTUS is a slightly different experience! The city had basically shut down because of the summit and the fear of a ton of protesters. I never saw any locals except for some of the policemen and the people who worked at the hotel where we stayed. It was a very weird feeling because it definitely seemed like we were in another country, not just a few hours away from home!
On Friday, I was in travel pool which meant that I was in the small group of reporters that had more access to POTUS than the others and I was in the motorcade (and AF1 on the way home). The Pittsburgh convention center is humongous and we literally had to RUN all around that building to catch up with POTUS and the meetings he was holding. We sprinted to a room about a 15 minute job away to catch a glimpse of POTUS and Gordon Brown meeting. Then we sprinted back and waited for the next thing. It's always a lot of hurrying up and waiting. And then sprinting. This trip included battling with the international press. At one point, I was in the plenary session with all the G-20 leaders when I was getting pushed around by some unknown group of international press. At one point one of the guys stepped on my foot so hard that my shoe came off and I couldn't retrieve it. I had to bully him a little bit and push him around to get my shoe back. I couldn't be hobbling around for the rest of the day! I showed him who was boss!!
After the plenary session, it was time for the class photo of all the leaders. This time the international press corps behaved much more calmly and I didn't have to push anyone around. But it took quite a while for all the 30 leaders to file into the room and then to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time. It was quite humorous to watch. Finally POTUS says, "I think one of those will work" and they all left.
All of LAST week, I was on an international trip with POTUS and we never left the US or the wonderful EST time zone! We started out with a day-trip to exciting Troy, NY. I have no idea why we were there, not do I really remember much about it. We went to a community college and POTUS talked about innovation. All I remember was that we had to traipse through a body shop with a lot of extra car doors all around. There was no food and the line to the bathroom was long. I'm sure those weren't the most important things that came out of the trip but I'll be honest, I can't remember much more than that.
On Monday afternoon, we headed to NYC for my annual visit for UNGA. I have no idea how I luck out to be assigned to this trip every year but I always have to remind myself not to judge the city based on this trip. With all the world's leaders in one place, the roads are shut down, gridlock is everywhere, and it's just not that fun. We always stay right across the street from the Waldorf (although I was lucky enough to stay there two years ago), which is where POTUS and other world leaders stay, so we were in the middle of the madness. Cab drivers generally gave up on getting me to my hotel about six blocks away!
Anyway, we worked out of our bureau for most of the time which I always enjoy. Getting to see people in person that I mainly only talk to on the phone or in e-mail is a bonus!! Tuesday, I was working out of the Waldorf for part of the day because that is where POTUS and Medvedev met.
Then on Wednesday, I went over to the United Nations to hear POTUS's speech. While I've been to UNGA every year for the past four years or so, I haven't been to the actual speech since my first year. So I took the opportunity to go and get to wear those ear thingys for the interpretation. The UN building was built by Mike Brady, I'm pretty sure, and really does need some modernization. I did enjoy sitting in a lime green seat in the auditorium. Beyond the actual building, it's just a neat scene. To me, it kind of previews what heaven will look like. People from all over the world under one roof. Literally all the world's leaders in one room. Nice ones and bad ones. I was even in the same room as Ahmadinejad, Gahdafi, and Hugo Chavez! Anyway, it was really cool to be there. After POTUS's speech, Mr. Gahdafi got up to speak. I thought I would hang around just to say I listened to his speech. Well 40 minutes into it, my stomach was growling, I was having a hard time focusing, and I decided I needed to leave. I checked with the WH aide with us to make sure I wouldn't create an international incident if I left in the middle of his speech. She assured me that wouldn't be a problem so my friend Anne and I left. And boy am I glad we did! I hopped into a cab, sat in stand-still traffic for about 30 minutes and then eventually made my way to the bureau and when I walked in almost an hour later, Gahdafi was just wrapping up his speech!! It was very difficult to understand what he was saying when we were in the same room but it made even less sense that he was still talking 97 minutes later!
On Thursday, we left NYC and went to Pittsburgh for the G-20 meeting. I am sure the info is out there but I still don't know exactly why Pittsburgh but it was a lovely short visit. I had been there before since my brother-in-law is a native but traveling with POTUS is a slightly different experience! The city had basically shut down because of the summit and the fear of a ton of protesters. I never saw any locals except for some of the policemen and the people who worked at the hotel where we stayed. It was a very weird feeling because it definitely seemed like we were in another country, not just a few hours away from home!On Friday, I was in travel pool which meant that I was in the small group of reporters that had more access to POTUS than the others and I was in the motorcade (and AF1 on the way home). The Pittsburgh convention center is humongous and we literally had to RUN all around that building to catch up with POTUS and the meetings he was holding. We sprinted to a room about a 15 minute job away to catch a glimpse of POTUS and Gordon Brown meeting. Then we sprinted back and waited for the next thing. It's always a lot of hurrying up and waiting. And then sprinting. This trip included battling with the international press. At one point, I was in the plenary session with all the G-20 leaders when I was getting pushed around by some unknown group of international press. At one point one of the guys stepped on my foot so hard that my shoe came off and I couldn't retrieve it. I had to bully him a little bit and push him around to get my shoe back. I couldn't be hobbling around for the rest of the day! I showed him who was boss!!
After the plenary session, it was time for the class photo of all the leaders. This time the international press corps behaved much more calmly and I didn't have to push anyone around. But it took quite a while for all the 30 leaders to file into the room and then to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time. It was quite humorous to watch. Finally POTUS says, "I think one of those will work" and they all left.
After the class photo, we hurried up and waited for the meeting to be over and we then made a quick trip back to the hotel for about 30 minutes. Then we returned for a final press conference and then quickly ran back to the motorcade for some more hurrying up and waiting. I think in all I took about three power naps in the motorcade! We finally made it back to the airport and AF1 and it was a fairly uneventful flight. It felt like we had a long flight ahead of us since we had been at an international summit but the flight was only 37 minutes. For the obligatory food report, all they had on the plane was baked potatoes and my favorite lemonade. But to make up for it, I got some new presidential M&Ms with POTUS's signature on them. I can add them to my collection!! 
More important that all the fun of hanging out with world leaders for a week, I was able to go to the 'Noke to see my family for the weekend! That tops anything!!! I just love them! And once again, I know I am completely biased but my nieces are the absolute cutest kids in the world. I had soooo much fun playing with them and just being their Aunt Beck Beck. I tried to steal them and bring them home with me but Cayton wasn't in on the plan. She said her K teacher would miss her too much and that her bus driver would get lost! That kid is toooo cute!!
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