So Lucky

Yesterday was definitely a bit of a rough day for me and my family because of a health crisis involving a close family friend, but, at the end of the day, I found myself feeling so thankful for some pretty wonderful people in my life.  I was thankful for my parents, with whom I had a nice conversation about everything that was going on.  I was thankful for dear friends who sent along encouraging messages throughout the day.  I was thankful for my rockstar boyfriend, who let me have an "off-day" and be sad, no questions asked, and went out of his way to make the end of my day an improvement from the beginning (he succeeded!), for which I am eternally grateful (yes, everyone has off-days!).  Finally, I got a wonderful surprise at the end of the day when I got a call from my little brother.  Texts, much less calls, from him are typically few and far between, so this was certainly a pleasant surprise.  I have said before that I really try to always be in the practice of feeling and expressing gratitude for all of my many blessings, but it's on tough days when consciously taking time out of your day to count your blessings makes your day look a whole lot brighter.

Today is definitely going a bit better, and I have lots of exciting things to look forward to for the rest of this week and this weekend. Tonight I have what I'm sure will be another great night with my guy to look forward to, followed by happy hour with a family friend tomorrow, dinner with Dan's parents on Friday (!!), and plans with scores of girlfriends this weekend!  And next week is 4th of July!  And we have so many fun weekend plans for the weekend after 4th of July!  And then Boston is the next week! I'm totally getting ahead of myself, but I'm so excited!

I hope you're all having a good week so far!  Happy Hump Day!  I will post more about what made yesterday so difficult at a later date.

Start Your Engines...

After having worked myself into the ground for our event last weekend, I was very much in need of a relaxing weekend, and I was luckily able to take a day off on Friday, which was definitely much-needed.  Of course, that didn't stop me from waking up at 5:45, when Dan woke up to run, so that I could go for a run myself!  Come on, what did you expect?!  I then went over to my parents' house and went for a long walk with my mom in the oppressive heat (it was in the upper 90s at 8:30 in the morning. Yikes!), after which we went over to my place and she lent her unexpected baking expertise as I cooked dinner for Dan and myself for that night.  As I mentioned in a post last week, Dan had beaten me at mini-golf when we went to the beach, and, since we had had dinner riding on it, we used my day off as an excuse for him to claim his prize (because I actually had time to slave away in the kitchen for several hours).  All I have to say is, thank GOD my mom was there!! She has baked probably a dozen times in my entire life, but she actually had an incredible amount of baking expertise for someone who does not typically bake (I was making buttercream frosting, which proved to be rather challenging).

I decided to bust out the cookbook that Dan had gotten me for my birthday (I thought that there would be no better occasion than date night to use it) and made an Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting.  I probably should have consulted the instructions before I started making it, because it was actually way more involved than I had planned on, but I think it was worth it!  The buttercream frosting didn't quite have the same texture of any of the other types of buttercream frosting that I've tried, but it still tasted good, and the cake itself was delicious!!!  At Dan's request, I also made vegetarian chili and cornbread, which both turned out to be really good!  Add to that a nice bottle of wine and we had ourselves a nice little romantic evening.  It was interrupted somewhat by a torrential downpour/thunderstorm (we actually were thinking that, coupled with the gale-force winds, it seemed more like a hurricane), but we got up for a few minutes, marveled at the storm, and then got back to watching our movie.

One thing that I learned during my cooking escapades on Friday is that I would not make a very good housewife haha (Dan laughed at me when I confessed that to him). I enjoy cooking from a detailed recipe every once in a while, but I have no interest in spending multiple hours a day cooking (notice, though, that I have no problem spending two or two-and-a-half hours baking cookie dough cupcakes).  I acknowledge that there is a high degree of satisfaction when the person you cook for loves what you make (as was the case on Friday night), and Dan was not only openly very appreciative but also did a good deal of the cleanup, which was much appreciated, but I don't know if I could do that on a regular basis.  My poor children will probably be raised on takeout pizza...no, I'm sure that, at some point in my life, I will learn to cook on a more regular basis, but for now, it's nice to be able to hit the Whole Foods hot bar, make ourselves some boxed mac & cheese, or go out to dinner.

On Saturday morning, we went for a nice six-mile run in the blistering heat, and, as usual, I thought I was going to die on the Mass Ave hill haha.  After Dan left to hit the links, I did some baking (cookie dough cupcakes) for our summer intern who is starting in the office today and who I will be managing (he seems like a really nice kid, so hopefully this will work out just great!).  After having a chill afternoon, I met up with two friends, Jamie and Jen, for the evening.  We sat in Jamie's apartment, chatting away, until Jamie realized that it was 9pm and none of us had eaten.  So we grabbed a bite at Commissary and continued our conversation.  A great, and much-needed, girls' night with two lovely ladies!  I also learned how little I know about Obamacare (both Jamie and Jen have worked, or currently work in, healtcare-type jobs, so naturally, Obamacare, and the looming Supreme Court decision, were a major part of our discussion).

On Sunday morning, I went for a run and then met up with Dan for Mass in Georgetown followed by, you guessed it, Tombs brunch.  Delicious, as usual.  Then, after braving the still-extreme heat in the walk to his apartment (seriously, we just had to sit in the air conditioning for a few minutes once we got there), we hung out at the pool for a few hours and then watched some soccer until it was an acceptable hour to go and grab dinner.  We ended up going to an Italian place in Clarendon that we had been to a few times, but, when we got there, we were reminded of the fact that the service is terrible, however decent the food might be.  So we resolved never to return.  It was a perfect and relaxing Sunday with my guy, and I remarked to him on the drive home that we had had a really nice weekend, between our date night and our nice run and our lazy Sunday spent together.  In July, we have so many exciting things going on, so we have a lot to look forward to!!  And this week, his parents, who I absolutely adore, are in town, so I'm psyched to see them!

Happy Summer!

Happy official First Day of Summer!!! It is a balmy 93 degrees in D.C., feels like 97. Or 120.  Woof.

Currently regretting having moved from an apartment building with a rooftop pool...stay hydrated, friends!!!

A Little Bit of Kindness Goes a Long Way

I was really excited to come to work today because, at one point yesterday, a coworker popped into my office to ask me if I wanted to grab coffee this morning and just "catch up".  I think that this particular coworker is an absolutely wonderful person, so I was very touched by the gesture.  When we got to the coffee shop and grabbed our drinks, she wanted to just chat, not about work but about life in general.  The fact that she came to the office early to just chat with me about life really meant a lot to me, and it was nice to get the perspective of a slightly older coworker, who, I believe, thinks very similarly to the way that I do.  One thing that I value about my office is that my coworkers and I do take a genuine interest in each other's lives, and that is a quality that I would absolutely look for in another workplace (it's funny how, despite only being on my first post-college job, I have learned so much about the qualities that I value in an office!).  Anyway, it was a wonderful start to my day, and I look forward to hopefully being able to do that again soon.

I have also had a great week so far because of some of the feedback I have been getting at work.  Everyone involved in our event this weekend was so impressed with how it had gone, and my office superiors got very positive feedback from both the seminar participants and members of the partner organization, the latter of whom I worked closely with in the weeks leading up to the event, several of those weeks in the absence of my supervisor.  Something that I have learned about being in this job is to accept compliments graciously when they come, however uncomfortable I may feel when I am in that position.  I was showered with praise by several members of our team, and my boss even sent an email to the dean of the school in which she mentioned that my supervisor and I, who worked directly on this event, are "assets to the school."  The recognition of my hard work really has been a huge confidence boost, so I look forward to hopefully continuing to assume more responsibility!  We have a summer intern starting on Monday who I will be managing, and I think that should be a huge opportunity for professional growth for me!

I bet you're surprised that I wrote about work, right?!  I realized that I almost never write about it!  But this event was an exciting accomplishment, both for me personally and for our school as a whole.  Many participants said that, while we had not been on their radar before, they were so impressed with our school that they will definitely consider it when applying.  These are students we really want too!!

I also got to have a wonderful evening with Dan last night.  We made a mac & cheese casserole (if you lived with me in The Burrow, you will probably remember it), which is one of Dan's favorites, and watched reruns of How I Met Your Mother.  It was a far cry from the stress that we were under last week, which made me so happy :)  I have the day off on Friday, and I am looking forward to some outlet shopping with my mom during the day, and then a chill evening with Dan.  He is cashing in on the home-cooked dinner that he won when he beat me at mini-golf (which I still bear physical scars from haha- my wound is still swollen!), so it should be a nice, romantic, RELAXING Friday evening :)

Happier Girl

Unlike my last one, this post is safe to read :)  I survived hell week with a shred of sanity left, so for that I am grateful!  The event went well; there were certainly a few minor heart attacks, but everything turned out well.  The attendees were very grateful for everything that we did as hosts, and my coworkers were quick to praise and recognize all of the hard work that I (and my supervisor) put in to this event, so that was definitely a huge confidence boost.

On Friday night, after Day One of the event, I met up with Dan for a delicious Italian dinner at Paper Moon.  We both wanted something quick and delicious, as it was kind of on the late side for dinner, and this did not disappoint.  I was so grateful to even get to spend a few short hours with him on Friday, being that we had only had that one day together last week, after a tough day for both of us.  I was literally giddy with excitement when I met up with him after the event.  I was exhausted after the event, so conked out shortly after we started watching the recording of the U.S. Open golf tournament.  I would have attempted to stay up, but being that I had a 6:15 wakeup call looming the next morning, I knew that I needed some serious shut-eye.  He is such a champ for putting up with me on the nights when I have to be totally boring and go to sleep early because I have work events that begin early in the morning. 

It was definitely tough to be out and about and walking across the bridge at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but I knew that I just had to make it through a half-day of the event.  As I said, there were a few blips, but overall, everything turned out well.  I briefly met up with Colleen after the event, and then went to the gym to blow off some serious steam (in actuality, it was a struggle to not pass out).  I napped for 45 minutes (if you know me, you will know that, however chronic my lack of sleep may be, it is almost never enough to entice me to nap.  This was the exception to the rule) before meeting up with Lauren in Georgetown.  We saw "The Nine Parts of Desire," a play originally written by an Iraqi-American playwright and acted in by American actresses.  When we saw it, it was peformed in Arabic by an Iraqi woman, and there were English subtitles on a screen behind her.  She depicted the lives of ordinary Iraqui woman, attempting to convey their constant pain and suffering.  It was definitely a powerful play, but, although Lauren speaks some Arabic, we both agreed that we felt as though there had been a lot lost in translation (meaning that she was actually saying more than that which was translated into subtitles).  I am glad that we saw it, but, given how exhausted I still was after the event, I was eager to leave, even though we left in the middle of the post-play discussion.  We ended up meeting up at Tombs with Dan, and it was, as it tends to be in the summer, empty.  That was nice for us, as it afforded us the chance to take our pick of tables, which you just can't do during the school year, but, at the same time, it was bizarre to see it so empty.  I hadn't been there to go out since Dan and I went last summer for a quick drink, so it was nice to be back in my former second home :)

On Sunday morning, the tables were turned, as Dan left before 7 for an 8:30 tee time.  My parents picked me up at 9 so we could spend Father's Day with my grandparents.  My dad and I went for a nice hike up and down the ski slopes (the inclines and declines were DEFINITELY steep.  I am SORE today!!!) and then we hung out at the pool for a bit.  We had dinner and headed home, and I literally went right to bed, as we didn't make it home until almost 10.  I felt so blessed to be able to spend Father's Day with two of the most important men in my life, my dad and Grampsy.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I am infinitely lucky to have my family so close by, and I cherish the time that I get to spend with them.  We are going up to NY to see my dad's family in July as well, which I am very excited for, as I have not seen them in a long time.

I am looking forward to what will hopefully be a more relaxing week this week!!!

Blargh

Okay, folks, this week is not my friend.  I try (and sometimes fail) to keep my posts cheery and positive, but I am really not feeling it this week.  We are hosting a major seminar with a partner organization this weekend, and, since Monday, I have felt as though I was hit by a bus.  Yes, I have been preparing for this event for nearly two months, but, for a variety of reasons, this one is going to be stressful right down to the wire, particularly because we (meaning our team) will not have as much control over how the event goes the day of as we typically would with one of our own events.  That is stressful, people!  To add insult to injury, printer/general computer issues have meant that it took me a full work day to print name tags.  Ridiculous.  I was thisclose to sobbing in my office this morning.  Luckily, I finally conquered the network printers, and those suckers are all ready to be put in folders.  To add to my comment about feeling as though I was hit by a bus, one of my coworkers, who I am working with on this event, just got back from a relaxing two-week European anniversary vacation, and she had to come back to this beast of an event.  I feel terrible that she had to come back on such a stressful week! 

That is all of the whining that I will do about that.  Dan and I both had particularly rough work days yesterday, so we were not such a fun bunch last night.  I am a firm believer that, no matter how awful today has been, tomorrow will be better.  I don't think it's healthy to begin a day with a defeatist attitude, so I try to never do it.  Also, I try to give myself things to look forward to after work, because I am pretty good at checking the stress of my day at the door if I have something fun going on after work.  I got together with Cat on Monday and we threw together a delicious pizza at her place, and I got to spend a few wonderful hours with Dan last night after work.  I am meeting up with one of Dan's (who has become one of my) friends tonight for happy hour, and get to see another friend tomorrow night who I have not seen in WAY too long.  All of those things are great.

This is the first week in my relationship with Dan when I have felt as though we really won't get any quality time together, and that has put me in a definite funk.  It is no one's fault that we won't get to spend time together, because, due to Dan's packed social calendar and my stressful event, it just doesn't leave a lot of time for each other.  I of course had a great time last night, but, since we were both coming off of tough days, we were both out of sorts.  He has plans tonight and tomorrow night, and I have to be at my event until 7:30 on Friday night.  We'll meet up after that, but then I am going to need to be at work at 7 on Saturday morning, so we'll only have a few precious hours together (I will also probably be exhausted).  There is the potential for us to possibly meet up for a little bit on Saturday night, but then I am going to see my grandparents for the day on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day, and Dan is golfing.  Harumph, I hate this week...all I want is to see my boyfriend!!!  I said to him toward the end of last night, though, that I have to believe that next week will be better (because that's how I'm getting through this week).  I guess this is life though!  Sometimes life gets in the way of...well, other aspects of life!

Okay, I'm done whining haha.  I'm sure you want happy Kristen back.  Maybe I won't post again until Monday when I'm sure I'll be in a better mood.  Also, I will also note that I do feel bad for whining about not seeing Dan, because I know that I have one regular reader in particular who has lived with her husband for mere MONTHS (and very few months at that) of their two-year marriage because of her husband's job.  I know that one week of not seeing my boyfriend can't even come close to comparing to what she is going through, and I can't even begin to explain how much I admire her strength.  I could take a page out of her book!

Just Another Manic Monday

Happy Monday, dear readers! Time for my standard Monday post.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Mine was really nice, filled with lots of time with Dan, family and friends.

On Friday night, I raced to Safeway to grab some ingredients for my first pie of the summer (blueberry-raspberry-cherry crumb pie, so easy that a child could make it!).  I had time to scarf down dinner and put my pie in the oven by the time that Dan got to my place. We spent lots of time chatting, and then settled in to watch Remember the Titans, a favorite for both of us (fun fact: my mom went to T.C. Williams High!).  We both remarked that it was the first time we had watched the movie since becoming more familiar with the D.C. area, and, thus, the school and city names for the Titans' opponents sounded much more familiar.  It's kind of cool to hear shout-outs to your area :)  One thing that I love is that we are both 90 year-olds, so we hit the sack relatively early without having to worry that the other was not tired. 

On Saturday morning, we went out for a nice run to Rock Creek Park.  We had done this particular run once in February or so, when it was really still too cold to be running outside.  My fingers felt as though they would fall off and, given how steep the hills were, I had an asthma attack (note: this is what happens pretty much every time I run outside with Dan haha.  I think he is starting to doubt that I have actually completed a half-marathon before).  Even though it was already hot by 9:30 a.m., the hills didn't feel TOO terrible (but that didn't stop me from being completely red-faced at the end.  My personal philosophy is that, if you look cute at the end of a workout, you were not working hard enough.  I have never looked anywhere near cute following a workout, so I suppose that means that I'm doing the right things!).  We kicked back and watched Euro while I made us a nice breakfast of Dynk's pancakes (a Swedish pancake recipe that originated with the Lake crowd and has now become the only pancake recipe that I ever use).  After we were both full of pancakes and showered, we headed over to Dan's so that we could spend a few hours at the pool (I shamelessly mooch off of him for his pool, being that my building does not have one.  Don't worry, it's not one of the primary reasons why I'm with him haha).

Following our time at the pool, we met up with my parents and my aunt and uncle (who were visiting from southern VA) for dinner at Indigo Landing, which is reasonably close to my parents' house.  We had a delicious dinner with good company, and it is always such a joy for me to have the people that I love the most in the same room.  We were able to eat outside, and, being that the restaurant is very close to Reagan, we watched the planes land.  I had some delicious fish and Dan helped me eat my strawberry shortcake dessert, so, all in all, it was a lovely night.  I should also note that I was still basking in the glow all weekend of having booked the Boston trip, so I was in a particularly good mood.  After our early-morning run, draining time lazing by the pool, and a relaxing dinner, we were both on the verge of collapse (seriously, both of our eyes were getting heavy while watching Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals/Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, both of which were of interest to us).

On Sunday morning, we got to have a nice, lazy start, since I wasn't meeting up with friends for brunch until 11 and Dan had a late tee time.  That meant that I had time to watch the first set-and-a-half of the French Open Men's Final and got to instruct Dan on some of the finer points in tennis.  We still have yet to complete our epic tennis showdown ;)  I met up with a great group of girls at Ted's Bulletin (yes, the same place Dan and I had gone not two weeks prior; what can I say, I can't resist the homemade pop tarts!!!).  Afterward, I had a nice lazy Sunday, working out, doing laundry and watching Downton Abbey.  Perfect.

I feel like I'm sounding like a broken record here, but, as usual, I have a busy lineup for this week.  I have three separate evenings scheduled with three lovely girlfriends, and the rest of my weeknights will be spent with Dan.  I think our main priority for tomorrow will be watching the season finale of Mad Men (I am seriously peeved that, after a year-and-a-half-long hiatus, they couldn't churn out a longer season, but that's niether here nor there).  We have an event coming up at work this weekend (we are hosting a conference for one of our partner organizations, so I have spent much of the past two months doing work for the event), so here's hoping that all runs smoothly with that!!!