field trip to the smallest mansion on earth...and other updates.

Okay...where do we we start? I need to go back a few days and fill you in. Monday, I went on to a site visit with Mary to the Sealander residence. (Our two main projects we are working on are Sealander and Fant) They have a row house on Capitol Hill and have had Mary working on it for a long time now! Luckily, I was at the meeting Monday night and didn't leave work until 8:30 because the metro crash was that night. I wouldn't have been on that exact train but it wouldn't have been fun to be on the metro at all because they evacuated everyone and it was a big mess. Tuesday and Wednesday were all a blur, mostly centered around Mother Rytasha. Cleaning up after Mother Rytasha, letting Mother Rytasha use our computers, answering phone calls (on Mary's cell phone!) for Mother Rytasha, checking on Mother Rytasha, cleaning up for Mother Rytasha and making travel arrangements for Mother Rytasha to get to the airport. Whew! What a week of Mother Rytasha. If you haven't googled her by now, you should. Last night we even got to meet the Ambassador of Bolivia or somewhere (not sure?). He came to visit Mother Rytasha, so of course there was cleaning and preparing involved for such an important guest!

Today was by far the best day of the week, maybe even the summer thus far...not only because it's Thursday, which means tomorrow is Friday, but because Megan, Anna and I got to take a "Drysdale-sponsored" field trip to the Fant farm in Maryland. The day began with Megan and Anna picking me up at my house around 8 and driving 2 hours out to the Fant-Middlekauf farm in Sharpsburg, MD, a.k.a. the middle of nowhere. We ended up spending 3 hours just waiting around at the farm. We saw the cows, went down to the pond, toured the stone house and the other brick house, took some pictures and just sat around. When Mary finally came down from meeting with the carpenter, we saw her long enough for her to ask us to go pick up lunch for her and Susan, bring it back and go back to the office. What a great road trip of a day that was!
Mary was out of the office on Friday which made for a pretty nice day. We had a lot of work to do but the girls and I had a fun day just us.
Saturday I worked on a Habitat for Humanity project. Nat organized the day of service for her office, however the group was mostly comprised of friends of chamber staff. It was a good day. It wasn't too hot and I got to install some stairs. Hard work but good experience! Due to the fact that we woke up at 6 to get there on time, the rest of the day was filled with napping. Until the night rolled around...about 9:00pm I decided I wanted to go out on the town. I hadn't been out yet in DC and I thought it was about time. So, I called up my friend from college, Keeley, and we made a plan. Long story short-this was one of the most interesting nights of my life. If you are ever in DC and want to go out, don't go to Town on 8th and U St....that is unless you are gay! I have never felt so out of my element but still had a good time. Going out in DC is much different than Fayetteville and I was quickly aware of that. I think it's going to be a while before I feel like going out again here! haha
Sunday, Nat, Alex and I hit McLean Bible Church for the 12:30 service. I really enjoy going there. As for the rest of the afternoon, I was in heaven-there was a Law & Order: SVU marathon all day!
We'll see what my fifth week in the city holds for me...

It's been one of those weeks...

Obviously. Since I haven't had time to blog all week! Working for the Devil Wears Prada can really take it out of you. And by the way, she really does wear Prada! I saw her wearing some Prada jeans the other day and it was all I could do to hold in the laughter. Which is what I am forced to do 90% of the day. That or hold back the tears-from laughter or also frustration at times. All in all, this experience is good. I am starting to feel kind of bad for talking about my boss and how crazy she is or complaining about my job so much. But I can't keep the hilarious stories from y'all! You have to know the funny things that happen everyday, even though you will never understand how hilarious it truly is. Even when things are so horrible, the girls that I work with are so great that we can all laugh about it! So a quick overview of the week...

Monday, I don't even remember what happened other than Anna, Megan, Jodi (the girls I work with), Natalie and I went to dinner at Luna Grill. It was fun to hang out outside the office and talk about the funny happenings of the day. The big highlight of the week was the arrival of Mother Rytasha and her disciple. (They are staying in Mary's upstairs bedrooms for some unforeseen amount of time.) Since the first day I started working for Mary, there has been construction going on upstairs. All of this construction plus hours and hours of us moving furniture, books, etc., cleaning anything and everything, and overseeing the progress of painters, plumbers and contractors has all come down to this week. Wednesday night to be exact. So Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday were all a blur of dust and dirt and trips to the hardware store and CVS to prepare for this "holy lady, Mother Rytasha, and her disciple." I cannot even tell you about Mother Rytasha without feeling bad....so you need to google her and see for yourself. If you would like more information, I can share the pamphlets and DVDs with you that I have already received from her disciple. Just ask. I'm more than willing to share. :)
The rest of the week has been pretty smooth. It's been really funny to see other people interact with Mary outside of our little bubble of an office. We are all used to her and are prepared to react to anything and everything she says. I have observed a few run-ins this week where others in the "real world" don't really know how to react to Mary. I just smile knowlingly and usually feel the need to apologize. I just throw my hands up! haha
The only thing that's getting me through the tail end of this week is looking forward to the beach this weekend! Virginia beach is calling my name and I am coming gladly. It's time for some serious R&R.
Amidst all these funny stories and fun things I'm doing, the homesickness still comes in waves. I know the Lord will use this summer to change me in ways I can't even know right now. As always, I know that He is forcing me to rely on Him and trust Him alone. Why are we as humans so stubborn? Our Rock is right there just waiting for us to lean on him, instead I choose to FALL on him when I just can't stand up anymore. But thankfully He is still there and is just as loving. I am learning to praise Him in the good and praise Him in the hard times. All things are blessings and our God is good...no matter how crazy Mary is!
"For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid Rock?" Psalm 18:31

Weekend O' Fun

What a weekend! It has been jam packed and lots of fun but has gone by way too fast. Natalie got back from Germany on Friday night with presents in tow. Alex and I were ready too...we got her a funny balloon. (I'll have to post pictures soon.) I got my first taste of Five Guys (De-lish!) and we pretty much called it a night. Everyone was pooped from a long weekend. Saturday morning Nat and I ate breakfast/brunch at the Silver Diner. It's probably the best diner I have ever been to, and they deliver...next Saturday morning, breakfast in bed! :) Actually, we are going to the beack next weekend! Hooray! After we were sufficiently stuffed, we drove out to see the Pope-Leighey House, it's one of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses and ended up getting a double whammy-we got to tour Woodlawn plantation too. We have always loved plantation houses. Both were pretty cool. Next up, Monticello! From there on out the day was pretty uneventful. I ran errands to CVS (which has pretty much replaced my Wal-Mart obsession, seeing as there are NO Wal-Marts here!) and Barnes & Noble, then retreated home to watch a Will Smith marathon of Hitch and Pursuit of Happyness. I also took the time to start filling out my "Do-it-yourself Memoir Book" I got at Barnes and Noble. I was very disappointed when I got to the point that I couldn't fill it out anymore because I hadn't come to my "adult years" yet. Haha I thought this was going to be a good activity for me this summer...turned out it was only good for one night. Let's hope I don't lose this before it's time to write in it again!
This morning, Natalie and I went to church at McLean Bible Church. It was HUGE!! They have a parking deck and a giant building. It was nice to go to a church similar to Fellowship though. I really miss church. After church, Nat and I went on a search for Beth Moore study books to do a bible study of our own this summer. This was a harder task than we thought. We drove out into Springfield to go to a Lifeway that was closed. Then we finally found a Family Christian Bookstore that was open and they didn't have any Beth Moore study books! We settled on a Max Lucado book. We'll see how it goes. This 2 hour search and trek had made us very tired and non-functional. It was time to eat-chips and salsa, please! We went to El Ranchero. You would think from the name and the way it looked that this was going to be some good authentic Mexican food. Well this was no La Huerta. They had wierd salsa and the fajitas were just okay. I voted it a "no return" for my list of DC favorites. We headed home with stomach aches and not feeling much more functional than when we arrived, to take a nice Sunday nap. And now somehow, I am sitting here in Natalie's office while she does some work on 7:30pm on a Sunday night. We are going to treat ourselves to a veggie dinner and a movie at home tonight. She deserves it more than I do, but for now I am just trying to enjoy my last few hours of freedom before I have to return to Mary tomorrow.

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you (us) who belong to Christ Jesus to live."
1 Thess 5:20

Kosher Diet Coke

Cleaning. Scrubbing. Run to CVS. Cleaning. Listening to Mary's lecture. More Cleaning. Pick up food at Teaism. Go back to CVS. More cleaning. More listening. Pick up coffee at Starbuck's. Squeeze in lunch. More cleaning. And so on and so forth. This has been my day today. Mary is having a meeting with a client/lawyer tonight about a legal issue, he's also staying in Mary's guest room tonight. You know, the one that has been under construction since I started here. Well, it's still not really done yet but we had to get it all done and have everything clean today. And get the food, and drinks, and cleaning supplies and "whatever else it will take to complete the task" (Mary). By the way, the client/lawyer is an orthodox Jew. Therefore, we had to make sure everything was "kosher." Have you ever heard of kosher diet coke? Neither had we. I don't think it exists but Mary is certain it does. I haven't even left work yet and I am exhausted!! I think I'll go for some Five Guys or Cosi on the way home and then stay on the couch and watch a movie! Can't wait to get home.

Back to the factory

Well, the weekend was fun but on Monday I had to go back to the "factory" as Natalie calls it. It's only Wednesday and I have already been to the design center 3 times this week!! Once yesterday and TWICE today. Sometimes I don't understand why Mary makes the decisions she does but what Mary says, goes! Tuesday I set a new record for my latest night at work. I stayed until 8:00 working on things for a client meeting this morning...and poor Alex was waiting on me outside for a half an hour while I drew rug drawings- one rug that had a horse on it with some coordination of strawberries (it's really a mule but everyone calls it a horse and it's name is strawberry) and another with sunflowers and the client's wedding year. Very interesting requests, right? But once again, we do WHATEVER Mary asks.
Tonight I had dinner with my friend, Keeley, at Matchbox in Chinatown. It was really good! I had their signature sliders. Next time, I think I'll go for the pizza. (Keeley's looked yummy) Keeley is a ZTA (a year older than me) and I haven't seen her in over a year. It was good to catch up and see a familiar face. I even had enough time tonight to squeeze in some retail therapy at Target...my fave! And it's a Greatland-even better. I'm excited to debut my new bag I bought tomorrow. I had my eye on it last week and it was still there. You know I couldn't resist. Amazingly enough I made it there and back without getting lost. I'm getting the hang of this place. I'm even starting to get a pretty good grasp on the metro. I was so nervous on Monday because it was my first day on the metro the whole way with out Natalie. We usually take the first train together and then split and I take a different train by myself. But I figured it out and on Tuesday was feeling much more confident. And I definitely have the route to the design center down now. I never thought I would feel this way but I think I have had enough of that place for this week. The 3 times in one week (mostly two times in one day) can really make the design center lose it's appeal.
Wednesday has come and gone and we are over the hump! Look out Thursday and Friday because the weekend will be here before you know it! Natalie will get back Friday. Can't wait!

Working for the weekend

The first weekend in DC was quite eventful. We had a busy day on Saturday, getting Natalie all prepared to leave for Germany that night. I even got a library card at the Arlington Public Library-I know, it's a shock for someone who doesn't read. Looks like I will have plenty of time to read this summer though! After Alex and I took her to the airport, we went to a late night showing of Terminator: Salvation at the Tyson's Corner Mall. Now, that is a serious mall. Alex and I walked around for a little bit and I could hardly soak it all in...and that was only a portion of the mall. I will definitely be returning there! On Sunday Alex, his friend Kevin and I went to a Nats game. The Nats aren't very good (they got killed by the Mets) but the new ballpark is very nice and we had a good time anyway. I even got my first taste of Ben's Chili Bowl. I would reccomend the Chili Cheese Dog to anyone! It was de-lish! I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend and will be counting down every working day until the next one!

Fabulous Friday

The first Friday in D.C. was even better than all the days before. Every day it keeps getting a little better. I'm starting to feel much more comfortable and much less intimidated by Mary. Today I got to go to the design center! It was the most amazing and overwhelming place I had ever been in my life. 7 floors of showrooms with the most beautiful fabrics, furniture, lighting and anything else you could ever need for design. I spent a good 5 hours there. Mary sent me to return fabrics and select some new options as well. I was just soaking it all in....and thoroughly enjoying not being in the office! haha I had to navigate the metro all by myself. I only know my little path to work and home (which I had better really know because Nat is leaving for Germany Saturday night and I will be on my own next week! yikes!) The girls at work helped me and I wrote down my directions and was set to go with suitcase (full of fabrics) in tow. I did so good on the way there. Didn't even flinch. On the way back...I got a little confused and got on the train going the wrong way. I figured it out at the first stop though and quickly switched trains. It's just so confusing. I'm having to adjust to this new system. I am so used to just getting in my car and driving and knowing exactly where I am going all the time. I will probably get the hang of all this by the end of July, when it's time to go home! After work, I met Natalie at the metro and we headed into Chinatown to meet Borris, Stacy, Clark Nickell and Gan for dinner at Busboys & Poets. It was a really cool place and it was soo good to see familiar faces. We had a great time and great food (Nat and I shared a grilled Brie panini. Delish!) and then everyone (minus Natalie and plus Stacy's friend/coworker Lane) hopped on the circulator and went to Georgetown. I love Georgetown (and Rach does now too!), it's so cute! Most of the shops were closing so we went down to the waterfront and looked around and of course took a million pictures. What a fabulous Friday!!

Day 4 and it keeps getting better...and funnier. Today Petra, a massive german shepherd came to visit. This lightened the mood and was quite hysterical! It was an overall good day at Drysdale, Inc. Went to Baileys in Crystal City with Sadie and Nat tonight. Enjoyed a rousing night of terrible karaoke. I'm slowly getting a grasp on finding my way around. I am so homesick though...I miss my parents, friends, and of course my beloved bel air. Excited about dinner with borris, Clark nickell and stacy Warlick tomorrow night! Should be a good time!

The Day of the Epic Fumble

So day two was not nearly as bad as day one. I made up my mind last night that I don't care what Mary thinks about me or whether or not she really likes me. I just have to do the best job I can do for her and work as if working for the Lord. Which also meant toughening up a little bit (I'm still working on that part, haven't quite got it mastered yet). I figure just keep asking questions about how she wants things and if she gets frustrated by my questions then oh well! I would rather have that than her telling me a drawing is wrong and making me do it again and again. This plan worked well for the morning. I got smart today and brought my lunch, which I actually got to enjoy while doing...nothing! The best part of the day came around 2:00 this afternoon. Mary is having some remodeling/demoing done of her upper floors (she lives in the floors above the office) for a house guest that is coming in 2 weeks. In my day and a half at Drysdale, Inc. I have already become accustomed to the banging, sawing, hammering, etc. that comes from the little worker bees upstairs, who are tearing out walls and things of that nature. But at around 2:00 we heard the loudest crash you have ever heard in your life. Two of the other girls went running upstairs to make sure everything and everyone was alright. From two floors down, I can tell that something awful but hilarious has happened. A few minutes later, a distressed Megan (girl I work with), comes down and asks me, "Are you doing anything important right now?". I was just doing some drawings so I asked her what she needed. She then explained "The Epic Fumble". Upstairs, where Anna and I had been measuring bookshelves only moments before, and Thomas and his assistant had been working to remove and add walls every so diligently, there was a room covered in books! The wall that once had floor to ceiling and wall to wall wire shelving, housing about a million books and magazines had completely fallen off the wall. But to make matters worse, this had knocked the cap off the radiator which then spewed water all over the books and magazines. Thomas could have been trapped under all these books! Thank goodness he was okay...okay enough to somehow jump over the mound of books and couch and table, to get to the radiator and stop the spewing water. As hilarious as this was, it was not hilarious that for the next 2 hours Anna, Megan and I had to relocate and dry off all of the books. By the time we got this done, it was nearly time to go. We actually got out around 5:45. As hard as things may seems sometimes, this job gives great stories to tell. Who knows what the summer will bring?

The Devil Wears Prada...

or perhaps Chanel. But today she wore Ralph Lauren. I started my internship yesterday and experienced the worst, craziest, wierdest, saddest, most tough day I have ever had to endure in my life. This is going to be a looonngg summer working for Mary Drysdale. Just imagine The Devil Wears Prada....times ten! She may be crazy, difficult to please, and hard to work for but there are two good things. One, the girls I work with are amazing! I really like them and we just laugh about all the funny things that happen all day. And two, I will learn a lot. I know the Lord will never give us situations that we cannot handle without his help. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. I almost started balling multiple times yesterday out of sheer nerves and the feeling that I knew nothing and that Mary hated me. However, I kept it together...even until 7:15! (I'm supposed to get off work at 5:30) During my overtime hours, as I was working on attempting to finish the drawings that she had me working on and revising again and again all day, I was forming a plan in my head of how I was going to ball to my mom to take me home with her and I was going to do my internship with Missi and just stay in Fayetteville. I couldn't come up with a good excuse for Mary though. But the other girls made me feel better and told me that they were often in the same boat. I felt reassured...actually by the time I got out of there I felt so free that I didn't care about anything that had happened before. So after the first day of work, Natalie, Mom and I enjoyed dinner at Zorba's Greek Restaurant in Dupont. Mom and Nat were rolling (and choking) as I told them all the crazy happenings of the day. After dinner we made a quick trip to Target to get the drawers and other organizational stuff I needed for my clothes and things. I also made sure to get some lean cuisines and things that I could take for lunch-I learned in my first day of work that there are no lunch breaks (or really any breaks at all) and I'm probably never going to get to leave for lunch! Bring on the lunchables and lean cuisines! It was one very long first day...that's going to be followed by 60 more of them. Start the countdown!