And I’m Back

So I know I’ve been MIA for the last few months, mainly because I’ve been busy but mostly because I’ve been lazy.  Yes, I’ve been very lazy lately but busy too.  Work’s been a bit crazy since September so that’s that.  Dang Congress.

Any who, these is what’s been going on lately…

Um, let me see… Well… Okay so here is what I’ve done…

The CHCI 34th Annual Gala was mid-September.  Per usual, the whole week was a bit crazy for me because of my boss’ obligations to the events of the week but the Gala went off great.  The food was exactly what was picked at the delicious tasting I had a few months back. And it’s great to see people all dressed up and having a good time, especially my wonderful co-workers.

I went to Vegas for my 24th birthday with my two best friends Lindsey and Ashley.  Had an amazing time, that I can remember thankfully.  Ate a bunch of great places.  Definitely recommend Sushi Samba if you are into asian fusion restaurants and like sushi.  AMAZING!! But overall, it was a great trip with my amazing friends.

The wonderful DC Drag Queen 25th Annual High Heel Race was the last week of October and a friend was going to be in it!!  I was beyond excited.  He even asked me to do his makeup and hair. I felt honored.  At the last-minute, he opted for no make up.  But still looked, well, great may be a stretch but he looked decent for a man who has never been in drag.

And then a couple of weeks go I went to a horrible A&M vs. Missouri game over the Halloween weekend.  I only say horrible because A&M lost, per usual, in overtime.  They seem to think that football is played in only two quarters instead of four.  Hopefully next year in the SEC will be a bit better, probably not but one can dream, right?  But while I was there I got to spend some more time catching up with Ashley and her family at their ranch.  There is nothing I love more than a beautiful country sunset like this one.

Isn’t that gorgeous!!  Makes me miss Texas but after the eat-a-thon I had for the four days I was there, I’m still trying to work off the couple extra pounds I gain.  Totally well worth it for the Blue Bell new creations of Christmas Cookie and Spiced Pumpkin Pecan.  It’s good things these bad boys aren’t sold in DC or else I would be in big trouble.

And up next on the itinerary….

My mom is coming for Thanksgiving and I can’t wait!!  So excited for her to be here with me.  I think I’m going to make a couple of Cornish hens for dinner that day.  What she doesn’t know is that she’s taking me shopping for Black Friday.  I’ll let her figure out that one when she arrives.

I’m going home to San Antonio for Christmas and New Year and Bailey is coming with me!!  This’ll be the first time Bailey gets on a plane so we’ll see how she handles that, and what else I learn about travel, with pets this time.

In January, Ashley and I are going to get together again but this time in Miami for her 25th birthday.  All I can think is this stupid song but none the less, very excited!!  Yippee!!

Let the new adventures begin!!

A Delicious Tasting

This past week, I got to go to a food tasting for an annual gala held in September.  My COS, chief of staff, was unable to go, mainly because it takes about 2 hours of your day, so he nominated me from our office because of my LOVE for food, especially desserts.  I, of course, was very appreciative of this and accepted to attend.

So I get to the Convention Center to meet up with the other people from the organization at noon.  They take us through everything.  The tables, the center pieces, the linen.  I feel a bit of an outcast.  Mainly because I’m the only one from a participating Member’s office but I’m familiar with the event and know that it means a lot to a lot of different people.

Finally we get to the tasting room which is set up beautifully with different center pieces and the ways the tables can be the day of the event.  I was more concerned with the food.

This is all the possible dishes as they would be served.  I would have been okay eating each and every one of them.  I’m like a cow, I have four stomachs.  At least I like to think so.  I, of course, was interested in the desserts.

I would have had them all right then and there if could have.  Yes, there are SEVEN different options.

First, the salads came out…

Upper left was some sort of red snapper.  The fish was a bit rubbery because it was out for a bit so we nixed that option since salads would already be plated once guest arrive.  Upper right is a red and yellow beet salad.  This was honestly my first time eating beets. Is it just me or do they kind of taste like corn?  Not my favorite.  Lower right was a duck and bean salad with a mango salsa on top.  Mango salsa, amazing.  White beans, amazing.  Duck, tasted Chinese.  That’s the best way I could explain it.  Tasty but for a Latino oriented event, may not be the best. My favorite was the lower left, “Love from Peru.”  It has a marinade shrimp with a great “potato salad” made the way it’s made in Peru.  I loved it!!

Next came the main course.

Excuse me for starting to devour my food before I took a picture of everything.  There was, from upper left, filet mignon, rib eye, crab stuffed chicken, and halibut in a wonderful cream sauce and capers.  The chipotle mashed potatoes with cijotle cheese served with the chicken was melt-in-my-mouth amazing!!  I could have had a bowl of just that and been perfectly satisfied.  And the filet mignon, wow.  No words.  Very tasty but I was so ready for….

DESSERTS AND LOTS OF THEM!!  There was chocolate, mocha, cake, pie (not pictured), and others.  (I’m drooling in my mouth just looking at this picture.)  Everything was so delicious.  Of course, some were better than others.  The mocha cake, lower left, had a very strange texture and the banana cake, upper left, well, tasted like bananas so that was a no go for me.  But I loved everything else.

Of course, my wonderful lunch had to come to an end and I had to hop in a cab to get back to work.  Needless to say, I had the best lunch EVER!! (Sure beat the left-overs I was going to have that day.)  And my job rocks.

It May Be Raining Cookies

Today has been a crazy office day.  With the talks about the debt ceiling and budget cuts, the mood/atmosphere in the House is pure mayhem.  It may not be Monday but it sure feels pretty manic.  (And I’m sure this is what it’ll be like for the next few weeks.)

Any ways, cookies and sweets are always greatly appreciated and greatly needed in my office, especially by me.  Sugar is what makes the office go round.  This is how the raining cookies began:

Went to staff my boss at an award presentation where cookies and brownies were served. (I got a brownie.)

Intern comes back from a briefing with diet coke and a cookie.  (MAJOR SCORE!!)

Girl Scout group takes a meeting in the office and gives me a box of Thin Mints.

Needless to say I’m on a HUGE sugar rush and give the fact that my lunch consisted of chili cheese fries, I definitely need a work out tonight.  We shall see if that really does happen…

That Mid-Afternoon Feeling

The time between 2:30 to 4:30pm or so everyday are worst for me when I’m in the office.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m at work.  It’s just that part of the afternoon when I’m in a food coma and get lazy, lack motivation, and do nothing at my desk.  Well maybe “do nothing” is a bit of a stretch but you know what I mean.

It’s the mid-afternoon lull that happens to most people.  In the end, it’s very unproductive. 

Today’s food coma was induced by mac and cheese, a hot dog, and blueberry fritters.

A Working Doggy

During times of recess and it’s slow in the office, I like to try to bring Bailey to work with me.  Mainly because no one in my office cares too much but mostly so Bailey isn’t alone all day at home.  She loves it here.  At least, I think she does.  While in the office, Bailey runs around, begs for food from anyone eating anything, and greets people as they enter.

If I bring her in the morning, she is tuckered out by mid afternoon and takes a nap under my desk where I have a doggy bed and blanket.  If I bring her in the afternoon, say after lunch, she’ll be all sorts of active running around and wanting to play, like today.  I also forgot her toys today.  I’m a bad mother.

But usually she looks like this…

Doesn’t she look like a perfect little angel?  Just sleeping away and chasing squirrels.  Please ignore the extra love handles and tummy rolls she has.  She is sensitive about that area of her body, just like any woman would.

Bringing Bailey does make the day go by faster.  And given that fact that “It’s Friday, Friday, Friday” I wouldn’t mind this day going by fast.

Dang Donuts!!

Generally, I have a pretty unhealthy diet.  I love anything that is bad for you.  This includes but is not limited to donuts, cookies, burgers, fries, fried pickles, fried anything really, hot dogs, pizza, chocolate, candy, and crispy tacos.

Todays choice of unhealthy food consumption, donuts.  First, I must say the donuts were not my doing.  My office received a box of Dunkin Donuts from a company for using their services.  And being me, I wasn’t going to let a box of donuts to waste.  I was the first one to dig in.  After my breakfast at home AND a donut, you wouldn’t think I would be full, but no.  I had to go for another.

So now, mid-afternoon, after another donut, I am full, feeling slightly gross, and in need of something non-sugar.  Needless to say, donuts were a bad choice for the day.

Sadly, I sure it won’t be the last time I make this type of mistake…

How 3×3 Inch Squares are the BEST THINGS EVER!!

Everyone know’s what Post-It notes are.  Those little 3×3 inch yellow squares that are ubiquitous in every office.  My desk is no different.  I have an array of Post-It notes.  I have regular 3×3 inch yellow ones.  I have the larger size.  I have minis.  I have pink.  I have lined.  I have pop-ups.  I have blue.  I have large with lines.  Needless to say, I have quite a Post-It collection.

There are days where I’m sure I go through about half a pad of notes.  Today is one of those days.  They are my best friend.  My boss gets just about all his notes from me on Post-Its.  He prefers yellow, along when yellow highlighter as opposed to other colors.

Needless to say, I love Post-It notes and I get a very odd satisfaction when I go through a whole pad.  And I don’t mind shouting it from the roof tops, “I LOVE POST-IT NOTES!!”

I Heart Federal Holidays

One of the perks, few perks really, of working for the federal government are federal holidays.  Federal holidays add about an extra week off from work.  (Even though I always have my Blackberry so I’m never really “off” per-say but you get the picture.)

Anyways, monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  In February there is President’s Day.  May brings Memorial Day.  July is Independence Day. September has Labor Day.  October is Columbus Day. And November brings Veteran’s Day.  Of course there is Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  All great holidays too but everyone gets those off.

But how many people get Columbus Day off?  Honestly now.  Even some school are getting rid of this holiday.  I think federal holidays are great!!  In fact, I think there should be more federal holidays.

Now I bet that is something both sides of the aisle can agree on.

My “Before I’m 30″ Plan…Possibly

There is nothing I hate more than when people ask me what I plan to do when I’m 30.  Who actually know how to answer this question, really.  I would say only about 25 % of people 22-25 know this answer.  I’m not quoting just based on personal experience. 

Anyways, my “Before I’m 30″ plan is as follows:  (Well right now it’s “as follows.”  Give me about two days and I’m sure it will change.)

Work on the Hill through the 112th Congress.  That’ll give me two solid years of working in politics. 

Before my two years are up, apply for the Peace Corps and *fingers crossed* get accepted.  I would like to do forestry or environmental or agriculture volunteering since that is my back ground but it’s such a great opportunity that anything would be awesome.  So do that for the 27 month period of the program or so and then return.

At this point, I figure I’ll take a few months of a break and just relax but at the same time apply for grad school.  The Peace Corps has a Fellows USA program that helps volunteers with school credit and such. 

Hopefully, after applying to a few schools, I’ll get into one and work on getting my Masters in either urban planning or environmental science, or something along those lines really. 

This is where my plan ends, after grad school.  I guess the next logical step would be “find a job” but that can be so over-rated.  If I add up everything, my plan has me at around 29 or 30 give or take.  Being 23 right now, it’s a bit daunting.  Yes, I know 30 really isn’t that old but it’s one of those ages that seem so far away to seem realistic at the time.  I know I will *hopefully* turn 30 one day. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love planning but this sort of planning is a bit scary.  It’s not like I’m planning what I’m having for dinner or what I’m doing this weekend.  This is a plan for almost a decade of my life!!  Mind you, this is a professional plan.  If something happens like love or whatever, that can alter the plan.  But with my recent luck with the opposite sex, it doesn’t look like love will be interfering with this. 

The only thing left is to make it happen.

12 Days and Counting!!

So in 12 days, it will be November 3rd.  For many this day has no great significance.  If you work in politics or have been paying attention to the news, you know that November 3rd is the day after Election Day. 

Now, you may be wondering “Why are you waiting for November 3rd when Election Day is the 2nd?”  There is a very simple easy answer to that.  On November 3rd, the election cycle will be over!!  Thank you baby Jesus.  No more crazy schedules, last-minute events, and *fingers crossed* my boss will relax a bit. 

Needless to say, this campaign and election season has been intense.  Doesn’t matter if you’re a D, R, I, L, TP, or just plain confused.  And staffers are just waiting for it all to end, in 12 days!! YAY!!