So I want to start by recounting a story that I neglected to tell earlier, and how it's manifested itself into many subsequent DC adventures.
On one of my first days here, I was making small talk with one of the security staff at some federal building, I forget where exactly. Part of the conversation transcribed below:
RANDOM GUARD: How are you, sir?
ME: Oh I'm fine, and yourself?
RG: I'm blessed.
(RG Returns my backpack and agrees that my badge is sufficient proof to let me into BUILDING.)
ME: Have a good day.
RG: Have a blessed day!
A few days later, I was walking to lunch with Isabella (NJSP shoutoutz!), and she told me a similar story about being "blessed" and then we got to ANOTHER security guard who also told us to have a blessed day! What is this phenomenon? I have literally never heard anyone describe their state of being as blessed! Is DC some sort of religious Mecca?
Needless to say, "blessed" has become one of our running gags, and we wait eagerly for the day that we can slip it into mundane conversation. This probably counts as sacrilege/blasphemy, but I think that there are other, more severe offenses (in the eyes of the church) which I've already committed that have functionally shored up my eternal damnation. (Examples include: not going to church and generally renouncing the positively ludicrous beliefs of the Catholic church on Harry Potter, gays, abortion, liberals, Muslims, anyone remotely removed from Caucasian descent, etc.)
Anyways, we had a truly blessed day on Saturday, which began by going to a chocolate tasting at Biagio in Dupont. It was all amazing/delicious, I was totally unable to really distinguish the "sensual flavors" and "subtle differences" between different, exorbitantly overpriced chocolates. I should have written some of the descriptions down, they were really rich. The chocolate was so robust it was positively jumping with life! How do I get a gig writing this nonsense? Is it the same people that staff the Pun Department at ESPN? In any case, I'll be adding "chocolate connoisseur-ery" to my laundry list of skills to learn later in life. It's right up there with Morse Code and croquet, and just slightly after "legitimate (non-pasta) cooking." Ah, edification.
Afterwards, we went to the DC United game against the Houston Dynamo. But, as any sage will tell you, life isn't about the destination, it's about the journey. And let me tell you we had a really special one...
It all began on the Red Line of the Metro. All was well from Dupont to Metro Center. Our transfer to the Blue/Orange line was where things began to get sticky. At Eastern Market, the (crowded) Metro decided that it would just stop indefinitely. As the minutes ticked away, we realized that the game was about to start. After 15 minutes of this ridiculous waiting game we decided to just get off here and walk to the stadium. It was, after all, only 2 stops away, and we were armed with two Blackberries. DC is the city where each block is in desperate need of a station (See: Farragut North, Farragut West, Metro Center, Gallery Place, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, Archives, L'Enfant), so I mean really, how bad could the walk be? Once we were about halfway there, we saw a man going into his apartment and sought affirmation that we were going the right way. Conversation:
ISABELLA: Excuse me, could you tell us how to get to RFK Stadium.
RANDOM MAN: Sure, if you just walk about three blocks back, you'll be at the Metro. Go two stops and you'll be right at the stadium!
ME: OK, what if we want to walk?
(RM casts a strong look of consternation and concern upon us. Why on Earth would you ever walk somewhere in this city when it has a Metro stop? he thinks. Clearly he has never tried the Metro on the weekend, otherwise he would know that it is little more than a glorified shuttle service, seventeen year old girl sick of her parents, coming and going at its leisure and not headed anyplace with a great sense of purpose or urgency.)
RM: See that silver car over there? Cross the street to it and then snake your way up to 19th and East Capitol. The stadium will be right there.
US: Ok great, thanks!
(RM no doubt turns away and shakes his head.)
So we got to the game a few minutes later, having missed the first 20 minutes but nothing major (ie no goals). The game itself was really fun, and we had great seats especially considering the price (my only reservation on "great seats" is that die hards would wave these absolutely enormous flags on the sideline and obscure our view of the field). It ended in a 2-2 tie, but we left a few minutes before the end of regulation for fear of more Metro issues/never ever getting home. Of course, our fears were confirmed. First we got to the stadium station and rode a train in the wrong direction for a stop. (Oh hello, Minnesota Avenue! You're so lovely out here, all suburban and what-not. So glad we got to sight see! Of course it was too good to be true that a train was just sitting on the platform when we got to the stadium stop!) Soo then we waited around to get going in the right direction. A train came pretty quickly (and we used our new trick skillz--sitting in the first car), but of course that train proceeded to do a whole lot of nothing between stops. Super unclear why.
Basically, this site needs to become an app. Or someone with some serious spiritual power needs to bless these trains.
In late breaking news, never shop at Trader Joe's on Sunday afternoon! But you should definitely go to Georgetown and ogle the hoard of people trying to get into Georgetown Cupcake. Absurd.
Leaving lots out, but overall a really fun weekend! Can't wait for the 4th!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A Giant Greenwich
Sorry for the delay between posts. I've been really busy riding trains (I went home last weekend!) and watching The West Wing.
So yesterday I had a really interesting conversation with someone at work after they found out I go to Duke. She told me that she lived in Durham for several years right after college, because she had a job in Research Triangle Park (RTP) and that she had just visited Durham last week. She was telling me about how much she loves it, and a few of her sentences really struck me. She said that Durham is a place that is really important and really resonates with her because it was the first place she was really an adult. She felt as though she really "came of age" there (hate that phrase but love the sentiment) and was also very involved in the community. Plus the Triangle is just a really cool place.
She asked me about my time in DC, what drew me here, and what my impressions of the city are. After what she had said about Durham, I definitely felt a kinship to DC. It is the first place I am (a semblance of) a real person; I live on my own, I commute and work in an office full time, etc. It's nothing like school. It's probably also different from being a truly real person since my responsibilities are lessened by the fact that I'm 19 (aka no Bills, Bills, Bills to pay, shout out to OPE internz). Anyhow, I feel a special affection for DC, and I think it'll always have a place in my heart because of this summer. Not to mention the fact that it's full of really interesting people, places, and things. One of my impressions of DC that we discussed was the fact that, to me, it feels like a real working city defined so much by the Federal government. We drew parallels to the entertainment industry in LA, the auto industry in Detroit, and, to a lesser extent, the banking industry in New York (New York was more of an exception for us because it's also so intricately defined by the Arts). That's the flavor of DC. Everything is about the Hill and the [white] House. Also, because of the city ordinance which prohibits buildings taller than the Monument, the city is populated by an eclectic mix of a few shiny office buildings flanked by lots of brownstones and colourful row houses--or, as I called it, a Giant Greenwich (Village not CT)... She was fond of this description.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Basically it was a really interesting conversation about life that we had as we walked back, on the White House Ellipse, to EPA from a meeting we had at the Department of the Interior. (Aside: the meeting was originally scheduled for the White House. Still pretty bitter about the move. But on the upside we got emailed for our names/birthdays/Socials to send to Secret Service for our upcoming WH tour!)
Work has been pretty interesting this week. Green Sports is really taking off! And the idea of America's Great Outdoors is finally starting to come together and make sense. I've been busy putting together documents and scheduling meetings and going to lots of meetings (and even participating, how crazy!), and I'll definitely share updates when they're more concrete.
We also had a cool meeting with author/filmmaker Lynne Cherry. Everyone should check out her Young Voices on Climate Change, a lot of the stories were really cool/empowering. I especially liked Kids vs. Climate Change and Dreaming in Green. Stephanie also likes to end meetings with a fun/interesting video, so here's a REALLY amazing one on the social media revolution--it's short and chock full of great graphics and statistics. Enjoy!
This weekend should be fun. The plan is for some museums, a DC United soccer game (Kristin here's your shout out: COME!), some crazy chocolate tasting shenanigan in Dupont, and maybe the zoo. I'll update again over the weekend! I've also got to hunker down and find out if Bartlet wins re-election, and watch some Wimbledon! (Go read this article about Wimbledon strawberries--so ridiculous I could have written it.)
Peace & Blessins,
George
OH! I also learned this week that they (I'm invoking the magical "they" from outer space/Model Congress/probably real Congress here--as in, "they say that three ounces of sweet persimmon on koala's meat cures pancreatic cancer" and "they say that one in four gay-bashing Republicans are actually gay") can apparently make pseudo-Styrofoam from fungi and it biodegrades. Blew my mind/began to redefine my hatred of both Styrofoam and mushrooms! I know these are the sorts of stories you eagerly await to hear from me!
So yesterday I had a really interesting conversation with someone at work after they found out I go to Duke. She told me that she lived in Durham for several years right after college, because she had a job in Research Triangle Park (RTP) and that she had just visited Durham last week. She was telling me about how much she loves it, and a few of her sentences really struck me. She said that Durham is a place that is really important and really resonates with her because it was the first place she was really an adult. She felt as though she really "came of age" there (hate that phrase but love the sentiment) and was also very involved in the community. Plus the Triangle is just a really cool place.
She asked me about my time in DC, what drew me here, and what my impressions of the city are. After what she had said about Durham, I definitely felt a kinship to DC. It is the first place I am (a semblance of) a real person; I live on my own, I commute and work in an office full time, etc. It's nothing like school. It's probably also different from being a truly real person since my responsibilities are lessened by the fact that I'm 19 (aka no Bills, Bills, Bills to pay, shout out to OPE internz). Anyhow, I feel a special affection for DC, and I think it'll always have a place in my heart because of this summer. Not to mention the fact that it's full of really interesting people, places, and things. One of my impressions of DC that we discussed was the fact that, to me, it feels like a real working city defined so much by the Federal government. We drew parallels to the entertainment industry in LA, the auto industry in Detroit, and, to a lesser extent, the banking industry in New York (New York was more of an exception for us because it's also so intricately defined by the Arts). That's the flavor of DC. Everything is about the Hill and the [white] House. Also, because of the city ordinance which prohibits buildings taller than the Monument, the city is populated by an eclectic mix of a few shiny office buildings flanked by lots of brownstones and colourful row houses--or, as I called it, a Giant Greenwich (Village not CT)... She was fond of this description.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Basically it was a really interesting conversation about life that we had as we walked back, on the White House Ellipse, to EPA from a meeting we had at the Department of the Interior. (Aside: the meeting was originally scheduled for the White House. Still pretty bitter about the move. But on the upside we got emailed for our names/birthdays/Socials to send to Secret Service for our upcoming WH tour!)
Work has been pretty interesting this week. Green Sports is really taking off! And the idea of America's Great Outdoors is finally starting to come together and make sense. I've been busy putting together documents and scheduling meetings and going to lots of meetings (and even participating, how crazy!), and I'll definitely share updates when they're more concrete.
We also had a cool meeting with author/filmmaker Lynne Cherry. Everyone should check out her Young Voices on Climate Change, a lot of the stories were really cool/empowering. I especially liked Kids vs. Climate Change and Dreaming in Green. Stephanie also likes to end meetings with a fun/interesting video, so here's a REALLY amazing one on the social media revolution--it's short and chock full of great graphics and statistics. Enjoy!
This weekend should be fun. The plan is for some museums, a DC United soccer game (Kristin here's your shout out: COME!), some crazy chocolate tasting shenanigan in Dupont, and maybe the zoo. I'll update again over the weekend! I've also got to hunker down and find out if Bartlet wins re-election, and watch some Wimbledon! (Go read this article about Wimbledon strawberries--so ridiculous I could have written it.)
Peace & Blessins,
George
OH! I also learned this week that they (I'm invoking the magical "they" from outer space/Model Congress/probably real Congress here--as in, "they say that three ounces of sweet persimmon on koala's meat cures pancreatic cancer" and "they say that one in four gay-bashing Republicans are actually gay") can apparently make pseudo-Styrofoam from fungi and it biodegrades. Blew my mind/began to redefine my hatred of both Styrofoam and mushrooms! I know these are the sorts of stories you eagerly await to hear from me!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Hook 'n Bullet!
Hello again!
My second full week here in DC has been a good one, and I'll do my best to update you on it and, as always, editorialize a bit.
Work has been a lot more fun and a lot more productive this week. The rest of the intern team has started, and it's been great getting to know them/having peers around the office. Our internship coordinator, Shira, is really fantastic, and she's organized a lot of fun events for us, both in and out of the office. For instance, we have a meet and greet with Administrator Jackson, tours of the Capitol and Supreme Court, and a speakers series over lunch. This week we had our first speaker, Seth Oster, who is the Associate Administrator (AA, ie head honcho) for External Affairs. Like the rest of the higher admin, he is a "political" and he came to the EPA after many years in the private sector. While he was introducing himself, he said "I serve at the pleasure of the President," which obviously gave my chills given my recent West Wing obsession. (Speaking of, Season Two. WOAH NOW. President Bartlet's reelection campaign is stressing me out substantially more than real world news, and I can hardly stop watching. Problem?) Reeling it back in, Seth's talk was great and I'm really looking forward to meeting the other AA's. (AAs? Do you use an apostrophe? #grammarproblems)
In addition to the entrance of the new interns, I also feel like this week brought me much closer to the staff I'm working for. On Wednesday the Public Engagement team (about 15 staff and 4 or 5 interns) a really fun meeting over lunch. The first hour and a half was serious business, and the last half hour was "forced socialization" as our director, Dru, put it. By the end she was showing us videos of her three year old son dancing, and playing youTube videos of Bills, Bills, Bills from Glee because she finds the Warblers hilarious. Solid office bonding experience clearly.
On Friday a bunch of us went to the free jazz in the Sculpture Garden after work, which was really nice/so classy. Besides the crazy hippie protesting alone next to us. . . I left early to meet up with Alex and Eliza who were visiting from Jerz. They introduced me to my new favorite spot in DC.
Freedom Plaza is an open space that is inlaid with a map of downtown DC. When you stand on the blueprint of the Capitol and look down Pennsylvania Avenue, you get the most majestic view of the actual Capitol, flanked by office buildings and the Old Post Office Pavilion. You have to see it, especially in the evening, it's amazing. You will wax patriotic instantaneously. I'm feeling immense American pride right now just thinking about it. My little camera didn't do it justice at all, so I won't even bother posting the horrible picture I took there.
The monuments on The Mall are best beheld at night, and that's all I'll say about that. Oh, and they desperately need to finish this Reflecting Pool construction (I realize I've already kvetched about this, but it bears emphasis. And really, have I ever been one to quickly drop my complaints? #dcinternproblems)
The National Portrait Gallery is probably my new favorite museum, we had such a great time there on Saturday. Besides the actual art, my favorite part is the Kogod Courtyard which is a fantastic architectural wonder inspired by no less the voice of God (just like the music at Alpine, Dukies!) and designed by people more brilliant than I will ever dream of being. The art was great, especially the Calder exhibit which just totally left me in awe of what someone can do with a few pieces of wire. Certainly not your 3-month-old's mobile. The wire, the color, the shapes, the shadows. So cool. I don't think my chatty writing can come close to honoring the place enough. The Presidents and Champions collections were my favorite. I could walk around the place all day. Especially because there is virtually no crap (aka modern "art") like monochromatic abstractionism and other spilled paint formations.
In addition to being touristy and watching too much West Wing when I get home from work, I'm enjoying Dear Girls Above Me, and this ridiculous Metro site, which is about as clever as Did Duke Win?.
Thanks for reading :)
-George
My second full week here in DC has been a good one, and I'll do my best to update you on it and, as always, editorialize a bit.
Work has been a lot more fun and a lot more productive this week. The rest of the intern team has started, and it's been great getting to know them/having peers around the office. Our internship coordinator, Shira, is really fantastic, and she's organized a lot of fun events for us, both in and out of the office. For instance, we have a meet and greet with Administrator Jackson, tours of the Capitol and Supreme Court, and a speakers series over lunch. This week we had our first speaker, Seth Oster, who is the Associate Administrator (AA, ie head honcho) for External Affairs. Like the rest of the higher admin, he is a "political" and he came to the EPA after many years in the private sector. While he was introducing himself, he said "I serve at the pleasure of the President," which obviously gave my chills given my recent West Wing obsession. (Speaking of, Season Two. WOAH NOW. President Bartlet's reelection campaign is stressing me out substantially more than real world news, and I can hardly stop watching. Problem?) Reeling it back in, Seth's talk was great and I'm really looking forward to meeting the other AA's. (AAs? Do you use an apostrophe? #grammarproblems)
In addition to the entrance of the new interns, I also feel like this week brought me much closer to the staff I'm working for. On Wednesday the Public Engagement team (about 15 staff and 4 or 5 interns) a really fun meeting over lunch. The first hour and a half was serious business, and the last half hour was "forced socialization" as our director, Dru, put it. By the end she was showing us videos of her three year old son dancing, and playing youTube videos of Bills, Bills, Bills from Glee because she finds the Warblers hilarious. Solid office bonding experience clearly.
On Friday a bunch of us went to the free jazz in the Sculpture Garden after work, which was really nice/so classy. Besides the crazy hippie protesting alone next to us. . . I left early to meet up with Alex and Eliza who were visiting from Jerz. They introduced me to my new favorite spot in DC.
Freedom Plaza is an open space that is inlaid with a map of downtown DC. When you stand on the blueprint of the Capitol and look down Pennsylvania Avenue, you get the most majestic view of the actual Capitol, flanked by office buildings and the Old Post Office Pavilion. You have to see it, especially in the evening, it's amazing. You will wax patriotic instantaneously. I'm feeling immense American pride right now just thinking about it. My little camera didn't do it justice at all, so I won't even bother posting the horrible picture I took there.
The monuments on The Mall are best beheld at night, and that's all I'll say about that. Oh, and they desperately need to finish this Reflecting Pool construction (I realize I've already kvetched about this, but it bears emphasis. And really, have I ever been one to quickly drop my complaints? #dcinternproblems)
The National Portrait Gallery is probably my new favorite museum, we had such a great time there on Saturday. Besides the actual art, my favorite part is the Kogod Courtyard which is a fantastic architectural wonder inspired by no less the voice of God (just like the music at Alpine, Dukies!) and designed by people more brilliant than I will ever dream of being. The art was great, especially the Calder exhibit which just totally left me in awe of what someone can do with a few pieces of wire. Certainly not your 3-month-old's mobile. The wire, the color, the shapes, the shadows. So cool. I don't think my chatty writing can come close to honoring the place enough. The Presidents and Champions collections were my favorite. I could walk around the place all day. Especially because there is virtually no crap (aka modern "art") like monochromatic abstractionism and other spilled paint formations.
In addition to being touristy and watching too much West Wing when I get home from work, I'm enjoying Dear Girls Above Me, and this ridiculous Metro site, which is about as clever as Did Duke Win?.
Thanks for reading :)
-George
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Alphabet Soup
An update on my first week here in DC.
So I'm living at Catholic University, in this lovely building:
And the National Shrine is right outside my door:
(Look at me taking pictures and everything!)
Anyways, I've spent my first few days here just settling in and figuring DC out. I have a few first impressions to discuss. First, the HEAT! The first few days here were brutal, especially in dress clothes, but the last two or three have been much better.. I've finally had the chance to walk around DC at lunch and on campus in the evening without sweating profusely, which is great. There are so many amazing sights to see, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it all. Yesterday I took a walk up to the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial and just took it in for a bit. I also wanted to walk down the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, but when I got there, I found that the whole thing was torn up! "Renovation..." The other incredible thing is that so many of the museums are free, which is fantastic for both my minute attention span and my sometimes cramped schedule. I will keep you posted on the monuments and exhibits that I enjoy the most.
Next, the Metro is SO clean! It is a totally different world from the Subway. DC is also really small! I feel like I already have a decent grasp of the geography and generally understand where the five (only five!) Metro lines go--something I definitely cannot even pretend to say about New York. (I know you're all DYING to read my commentary on such a fascinating subject as underground trains.)
Work is good! The first day was definitely overwhelming just trying to figure the place out. I'm working in the Ariel Rios North building, which is located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue in the Federal Triangle (IRS, Commerce, and EPA all have their headquarters here, and some other Federal departments also have some space). Apparently the same geniuses who designed Edens were responsible for this inspired collection of buildings, because in order to get to my second floor office from the main security entrance, I need to go up to the third floor, walk around the building, go down a flight of stairs, and walk around the building again. Which, particularly on the first day, is overwhelmingly intuitive! I have a pretty big desk, and a window which looks out onto the Old Post Office Pavilion and 12th Street. (Quotation of day 1 was in reference to the window, "It's cool, sometimes they ring a signal and the President drives by.")
My other project is the Green Sports Initiative, which is all about engaging professional leagues/teams/athletes to participate sustainably--better waste, water, and energy management in the stadiums and at practices, and using athletes as positive role models for green living. Our main goal this summer is to take the work of the Green Sports Alliance, which has partnered with EPA Region 10 (Northwest), national.
I've also been working on miscellaneous things around the office, and sitting in on meetings that my supervisor thinks will be interesting/beneficial. So I've seen a budget meeting for the new Office of Environmental Education (which actually wasn't as boring as it sounds!), I've talked with a member of the board from the American Fly Fishing Trade Association about the importance of protecting our waters--and learned a lot about his political and environmental distinctions between fishermen and hunters, I could talk about that for a while now--and yesterday I actually got to write the briefing report and compile some research documents for a meeting about the health benefits and risks of water fluorination. On Monday about 20 more interns start at the Agency, and I can't wait to get to know them. I'm sure you're all waiting anxiously for me to talk about "work friends," since I know you all rejoice when I starting going on about "town friends," "home friends," "NJSP friends," or "school friends."
I've rambled a bit and have neglected to explain the post title. So much of my week has been spent in meetings and behind documents, attempting to decode the alphabet soup that characterizes language in this town. DC, EPA, OGC, DoI, HHS, EA, EE, AGO, GSA, the list goes on and on and reads like our essay about FOP (@RebeccaCurwin). Stephanie has asked me to stop her any time she uses an abbreviation that I don't recognize, but I feel badly interrupting when there are lots of staffers around. So for now, they just get jotted in my notebook and Googled later!
So far, so good. It's beautiful weather today, so I'm going to go out and enjoy the city. I'll post more stories and pictures soon, and they'll likely be much more interesting/substantive. Just figured I'd take this post to get you all acquainted with my little bubble here, as that's what I've been doing this week.
:)
George
PS: Congrats to Li Na for winning the French Open! First singles Major for China, what an achievement. Pulling big for Roger tomorrow.
PPS: I'm now hooked on the West Wing (way to fit a stereotype, I know). You should all watch, too. I could probably write a long post just about my favorite things from the first half a season I've watched this week... but I won't bore you with that until Big Block of Cheese Day.
And the National Shrine is right outside my door:
Anyways, I've spent my first few days here just settling in and figuring DC out. I have a few first impressions to discuss. First, the HEAT! The first few days here were brutal, especially in dress clothes, but the last two or three have been much better.. I've finally had the chance to walk around DC at lunch and on campus in the evening without sweating profusely, which is great. There are so many amazing sights to see, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it all. Yesterday I took a walk up to the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial and just took it in for a bit. I also wanted to walk down the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, but when I got there, I found that the whole thing was torn up! "Renovation..." The other incredible thing is that so many of the museums are free, which is fantastic for both my minute attention span and my sometimes cramped schedule. I will keep you posted on the monuments and exhibits that I enjoy the most.
Next, the Metro is SO clean! It is a totally different world from the Subway. DC is also really small! I feel like I already have a decent grasp of the geography and generally understand where the five (only five!) Metro lines go--something I definitely cannot even pretend to say about New York. (I know you're all DYING to read my commentary on such a fascinating subject as underground trains.)
Work is good! The first day was definitely overwhelming just trying to figure the place out. I'm working in the Ariel Rios North building, which is located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue in the Federal Triangle (IRS, Commerce, and EPA all have their headquarters here, and some other Federal departments also have some space). Apparently the same geniuses who designed Edens were responsible for this inspired collection of buildings, because in order to get to my second floor office from the main security entrance, I need to go up to the third floor, walk around the building, go down a flight of stairs, and walk around the building again. Which, particularly on the first day, is overwhelmingly intuitive! I have a pretty big desk, and a window which looks out onto the Old Post Office Pavilion and 12th Street. (Quotation of day 1 was in reference to the window, "It's cool, sometimes they ring a signal and the President drives by.")
I'm working in the Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education, and my direct boss is Stephanie, the Deputy Administrator (ie head) of the office. This summer I'm supposed to have two main projects, America's Great Outdoors, which is a program started by the President earlier this year which aims to enhance outdoor spaces and engage more Americans in a culture of outdoor action, etc. Read about it on the website, it's a pretty cool, New-Deal-ish project. I'm not quite sure what my role with it will be yet, but we have some big meetings about it next week. Thus far it's just been about getting me up to speed on who everyone is, what the legislation says, etc.
My other project is the Green Sports Initiative, which is all about engaging professional leagues/teams/athletes to participate sustainably--better waste, water, and energy management in the stadiums and at practices, and using athletes as positive role models for green living. Our main goal this summer is to take the work of the Green Sports Alliance, which has partnered with EPA Region 10 (Northwest), national.
I've also been working on miscellaneous things around the office, and sitting in on meetings that my supervisor thinks will be interesting/beneficial. So I've seen a budget meeting for the new Office of Environmental Education (which actually wasn't as boring as it sounds!), I've talked with a member of the board from the American Fly Fishing Trade Association about the importance of protecting our waters--and learned a lot about his political and environmental distinctions between fishermen and hunters, I could talk about that for a while now--and yesterday I actually got to write the briefing report and compile some research documents for a meeting about the health benefits and risks of water fluorination. On Monday about 20 more interns start at the Agency, and I can't wait to get to know them. I'm sure you're all waiting anxiously for me to talk about "work friends," since I know you all rejoice when I starting going on about "town friends," "home friends," "NJSP friends," or "school friends."
I've rambled a bit and have neglected to explain the post title. So much of my week has been spent in meetings and behind documents, attempting to decode the alphabet soup that characterizes language in this town. DC, EPA, OGC, DoI, HHS, EA, EE, AGO, GSA, the list goes on and on and reads like our essay about FOP (@RebeccaCurwin). Stephanie has asked me to stop her any time she uses an abbreviation that I don't recognize, but I feel badly interrupting when there are lots of staffers around. So for now, they just get jotted in my notebook and Googled later!
So far, so good. It's beautiful weather today, so I'm going to go out and enjoy the city. I'll post more stories and pictures soon, and they'll likely be much more interesting/substantive. Just figured I'd take this post to get you all acquainted with my little bubble here, as that's what I've been doing this week.
:)
George
PS: Congrats to Li Na for winning the French Open! First singles Major for China, what an achievement. Pulling big for Roger tomorrow.
PPS: I'm now hooked on the West Wing (way to fit a stereotype, I know). You should all watch, too. I could probably write a long post just about my favorite things from the first half a season I've watched this week... but I won't bore you with that until Big Block of Cheese Day.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuck and Fold
Disclaimer: This post doesn't have a clear point.
I've realized that the best part about blogging is that it's made me so much more cognizant of other blogs, and so much more appreciative of what it takes to craft a good story (or post.. whatever we're calling these things). Since I started this last week, I've noticed that so many people have been blogging while away this summer/previous semesters etc. Exciting! This is like unearthing a new section of the New York Times, except better--because it's all about people I know! (and people I actually know; not my usual system of "being friends with Barack Obama" because I know someone who knows Oprah, and Barry and the big O are known to be tight. Or reading the Sunday Weddings&Celebrations section and getting excited when I "know" the couples because they're being married in the Duke Chapel.)
Anyways- I've spent the day folding dress shirts to high heavens (#DCinternproblems?) while updating myself on all the magic happening across the globe. I am so excited that so many people I know are off doing remarkable things and--more importantly--telling me about them via the blogosphere (I can't get enough of this word) or mass emails. I am so used to all my friends' natural characters--the way they hold themselves, their mannerisms and catchphrases--and it is so fantastic to hear and see a slightly different side of them, their narrative voice. Keep it up guys! It's like I get to read page after page of college essays! (@NA-ers, remember how I bizarrely enjoyed those?)
Additionally, I'm shocked how many people reached out after my first post! You don't know how much the feedback means to me. Keep the comments coming, I really love hearing from you all. On a semi-related note, I wish there were a better way to follow blogs, but people are using to many different sites. Ah, first world problems.
Anyways, off to DC in the morning! I'll post another update with photos after settling in/my first few days of work. (AH!)
:)
G
I've realized that the best part about blogging is that it's made me so much more cognizant of other blogs, and so much more appreciative of what it takes to craft a good story (or post.. whatever we're calling these things). Since I started this last week, I've noticed that so many people have been blogging while away this summer/previous semesters etc. Exciting! This is like unearthing a new section of the New York Times, except better--because it's all about people I know! (and people I actually know; not my usual system of "being friends with Barack Obama" because I know someone who knows Oprah, and Barry and the big O are known to be tight. Or reading the Sunday Weddings&Celebrations section and getting excited when I "know" the couples because they're being married in the Duke Chapel.)
Anyways- I've spent the day folding dress shirts to high heavens (#DCinternproblems?) while updating myself on all the magic happening across the globe. I am so excited that so many people I know are off doing remarkable things and--more importantly--telling me about them via the blogosphere (I can't get enough of this word) or mass emails. I am so used to all my friends' natural characters--the way they hold themselves, their mannerisms and catchphrases--and it is so fantastic to hear and see a slightly different side of them, their narrative voice. Keep it up guys! It's like I get to read page after page of college essays! (@NA-ers, remember how I bizarrely enjoyed those?)
Additionally, I'm shocked how many people reached out after my first post! You don't know how much the feedback means to me. Keep the comments coming, I really love hearing from you all. On a semi-related note, I wish there were a better way to follow blogs, but people are using to many different sites. Ah, first world problems.
Anyways, off to DC in the morning! I'll post another update with photos after settling in/my first few days of work. (AH!)
:)
G
Friday, May 20, 2011
Between the Beltway: Embarking
Starting this was an internal battle. I am vehemently opposed to the Twitter phenomenon (despite a soft spot for hashtags and Charlie Sheen), I cringe when people update their Facebook status too frequently, and I have never regularly followed a blog. I don't really know if my voice is worthy of its own place on the Internet. But the last few years have taught me that there is something to be said for capturing great moments. From the document on my phone entitled simply "Quotations," to the (virtual) piles of emails from friends and family I refuse to delete, I have slowly begun to digitally catalog some of the things that have made me smile wide or think deeply of late. I am horrible about taking pictures, and even more horrible about writing my own experiences down. I am quick to live in the moment, confident that, like an elephant, I will not forget.
A rabid patriot, I will be spending the next two months exploring our nation's marble masterpiece--Washington, DC. So this is something I don't want to forget; I won't be okay with forgetting. Thus, I am writing it down. Who knows the next time I will have an office on Pennsylvania Avenue? (Let's pretend my next one will be Oval.)
I'll do my best to document my experience here through pictures, anecdotes, and, of course, my signature environmental rants. I hear this place has a bag tax (shout-out to SESC!), and I'm hoping the coffee machine doesn't use Styrofoam cups.
I want to hear your stories too, because I have no doubt that you are all up to incredible (and, more importantly, hilarious) things, so post them in comments, send me emails, Facebook me to death, write letters, mail postcards, and never, ever tweet.
George
A rabid patriot, I will be spending the next two months exploring our nation's marble masterpiece--Washington, DC. So this is something I don't want to forget; I won't be okay with forgetting. Thus, I am writing it down. Who knows the next time I will have an office on Pennsylvania Avenue? (Let's pretend my next one will be Oval.)
I'll do my best to document my experience here through pictures, anecdotes, and, of course, my signature environmental rants. I hear this place has a bag tax (shout-out to SESC!), and I'm hoping the coffee machine doesn't use Styrofoam cups.
I want to hear your stories too, because I have no doubt that you are all up to incredible (and, more importantly, hilarious) things, so post them in comments, send me emails, Facebook me to death, write letters, mail postcards, and never, ever tweet.
George
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