I'm pretty depressed that I won't be going home for the holidays. It's even worse that I haven't celebrated the 12 Days of Christmas in 2 years. My trip to NYC for New Years is still looking pretty good though.
~Nicee~I got pulled into the whole Dr. Phil craze. I was watching one night during the "Get Real" challenge. Dr. Phil was talking with this group discussing their tapes. Tapes are what you tell yourself when you don't succeed or meet expectations. It can also be the thing you tell yourself to avoid facing certain things. So I began thinking what my tape would be and I found it. Now I've given it up. For the first time in a really long time, I have no baggage.
Most amazingly, I thought about the man of my dreams. I haven't thought about him in years. You see, the man of my dreams is not a man at all. It's a thought, a belief that there is someone out there who will love me so deep that I am his everything and that he'll do whatever it takes to make me happy. He's my prince and I'm his princess. And we live happily ever after. Because of my tape, I had given up on the man of my dreams ever happening. Now I feel I can have loved and still have love.
~Nicee~My vacation lasted until the middle of the month. Some pretty interesting things happend though. I stayed in Tampa for the first weekend. Somehow Sept. 11 affected me more than I had first expected. Though most reading this may not know it, my computer is a MAJOR part of my existance. It would be an understatement to say I LOVE IT. I gave it away. And to my sister-in-law. Yes, the same one who caused me to move out on my own in the first place. There was soooo much bullshit about how much, how often, how long I used her computer. I did finally do something I really needed to do - get glasses.
~Nicee~a Well, the beginning of the month started off pretty crazy. The guy I had been hanging with since I got here FLIPPED. This bastard broke into my place after I refused to let him in. After all that I had to decide whether or not staying in this area was what I really wanted to do. I wasn't really all that happy about being around here. Living and working in Arlington and DC with all the arrogance and with Bush certainly putting us in war made me pretty uneasy. Working in and near all these important building just made me feel like a prime target. Of course my boss made the point that they would never hit DC because they need someone to surrender. And let's face it I was home sick. So on Sept. 10th I sat down and discussed an extended stay proposal. Having gotten a pretty good majority of what I was asking, I felt it only fair to stay. Then on Sept. 11 my worst thoughts happened. Then I started thinking if I made the wrong choice. My mom was freaking out. So after figuring out how I could get the hell out of here, I took my two weeks vacation in FL.
~Nicee~I got a job as a server/host at a pizza place in Ballston with a friend. I really wasn't expecting to get a job since I had no experience but amazingly I did. The first 2 weeks were pretty testing but I finally got the hang of it. Having to multi-task doing that really helped me deal with things at work a lot better and faster. Of course, I started realizing that even though I liked meeting new ppl, I really didn't care that much about waiting on others. I much prefer ppl waiting on me.
~Nicee~
WHOA!!! It's been a while. Sorry about that. I've been working my butt off. Good news though! For all of you who have requested to see me in Tampa again. I'll be back Sept. 16-23 (perhaps I can be convinced to stay a little longer.)
My brother calls me and says that my Bank of America called his house about my purse. It seems that the man went through my purse and saw that my bankcard was from there and returned it. My faith in ppl is back :).
I volunteered at the DC Central Kitchen. The experience was a lot more fun than I had originally expected. Although, I was happy to be helping the less fortunate, because of the fun the workers put into it, I barely even thought about why I was doing it.
I was anxious to get home quickly so I wouldn�t miss much of Angel. Due to this, it seems that I was not as cautious as I otherwise would be. When I got onto the metro I realized that I had left my wallet lying on the bench. The doors closed as I realize this and as we start moving I see a man look at my wallet then pick it up. I assumed that he would promptly take it to the station manager, as he knew people had seen him pick it up.
I got off at the next station and immediately asked the manager to call the other station. Amazingly, the man did not return my wallet. This depressed me as I had my bankcard, identification and metro cards inside my wallet. To top it all off, I missed all of Angel. This was a very bad day.
I learned how to do RealAudio. I agreed to have a picnic at Iwo Jima with my friend and spent most of the previous night searching for food as neither of us had much money. I was pretty impressed that the picnic went so well. After the picnic, we went to Arlington Cemetery so I could see the areas that I missed the first time when I went with my roommate.
I spent all day at Six Flags. I had expressed how much I enjoyed amusement parks so he decided to take me before it was time to leave. I didn�t bother to tell him at this time I planned to stay in DC until late September. I got some really good pictures with Bugz and Sylvester but Daffy Duck wouldn�t take a picture with me. Can you believe the nerve of that Duck!?!?
I attended Sonrise Service with a friend I met shortly before getting to DC. We woke up around 6 a.m. to get ready and walked to the Lincoln Memorial where the ceremony was taking place. This was a refreshing experience as it was the first Sonrise service I've attended and the only church-related activity I have done in over six months. I have wanted to get back into going to church since it was such a big part of my life growing up. It was unfortunate that the sound system kept giving them such problem. It cut out about four times before they decided to stop trying. Personally I enjoyed the performance more without the sound. I am used to not having a lot of elaborate equipment so it felt a lot more like home.
The weather was almost perfect and the sun came up just as we got into Amazing Grace. Though initially the thought of waking up before noon on a day I didn't have to go to work was not amusing, the service and atmosphere was worth it.
Thanks to waiting on my friend to take me to the airport, I missed my 9am flight and was put on standby for the next flight. This was the first time I have had to experience this. I had no idea that standby passengers were considered the lowest beings on earth to the airlines and I certainly didn�t know I wouldn't be on the next flight because they purposely overbooked flights. So what was supposed to be a noon arrival back home, turned into 8:30pm. There was no part of the flight home that I enjoyed. This was truly the flight from hell.
I made my 'famous' Strawberry Delight Cake.
Went shopping at Potomac Mills & the D.C. Armory where they were having some sort of Expo. It was funny to see how much bootlegged items people could sell in one place without being arrested. I also got a chance to talk to my best friend.
I went on a trip to Tennessee for work. This was the first time I flew at night, had a delay, had a connecting flight instead of direct, or didn't have a meal. All things I've discovered I don't like. To top it all off for one leg of the flight we were on a prop plane through a storm. I was in the first row and I thought the door was going to fly open any minute and I was going right through it. IT SUCKED!
I finally went to the Lincoln Memorial - the monument I wanted to see most. I thought there would be more to it than what I saw but it was ok. I also got to see the Korean War Memorial and Haines Point.
Today is my favorite little cousin's birthday and since I can't be home for that I'm pretty home sick. The thing I miss most is the weather.
Not that this is not so exciting but this is what's up with me.
I was offered a job, which is somewhat desirable, but I�m not sure really fits that great in my long-term career goal.
I visited the Capitol to see the budget and appropriations process first hand. I attended a Finance hearing that examined US trade policy. The hearing focused on principal trade policy challenges and opportunities. The driving point of that I noticed was the importance of maintaining American�s leadership role international trading system and the significance of free trade.
I also attended an appropriations hearing on the controversy of the Army Corps of Engineers Inspector General�s Office about unfavorable reports about its dealings in the Upper Mississippi project. This meeting was the more interesting of the two though I felt rather embarrassed for the ranking officer before the board who did not seem to be prepared for this meeting. I was rather relieved by this, however, now knowing that someone can not just go before the committee and bs their way through.
I was also able to see a rally going on just outside the Capitol. The group was protesting the lack of equalized for the private versus the public sector.
Well, it's been a few weeks and I can say my buns are still back there. :-) And must all my friends call me from FL and complain about how hot it is? Go figure.
We got a couple inches of snow the other day so I got to play in the snow for the first time. :-) Made my very first snowman. I'll post the pic when I get them all developed. I gave him strawberry eyes so he looked a little demonic but I thought he was adorable.
Look for the March Calendar coming soon. xoxox
Well, I'm FINALLY settled in DC but I don't have my computer with me so I'm only updating this from work. Work is hectic but I'm adjusting. Tomorrow's my mommy's birthday. I gotta get going, I'm going out for the first time here tonight and it's supposed to be cold so hopefully I don't freeze my bunns off.
Much love... Niki
I'm back to civilization! The trip back home was relaxing but whoa!!, back wood city. Well, I'll be here [Tampa] until I leave on the 24th. It was near impossible to get anything done while I was away so I've been busy, busy, busy catching up with everything with the site and with the move. I did take a little time yesterday to make some pretty cute calendars and wallpaper.
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