Once again, I was able to go to the Opportunity Finance Network annual conference.  I know it sounds like a mouth full but the basics is that is the big industry conference for the organizations that apply to my grant program.  It’s always amazing to go and meet the folks that write proposals and provide the services…throughout the country.  This year the conference was in Charlotte, NC so I was able to have a chance to spend the weekend with my friend Laura (AOII sister) and her family.  At one point during the conference a co-worker and I got to steal away for an afternoon at the Discovery Place museum. 

Well…tis another year that we all met at the Point. And, of course, had an awesome time.  For those of you that don’t know, Cedar Point is just amazingly awesome…ok for those of us that love roller coaster thrills its awesome.  Though I do know, from a first hand experience, that not all folks enjoy the roller coaster thrill as much as others…Andrea?!  Hehehehehe!  (Yea, I just let that cat out of the bag…insert evil laugh here). 

You can see by the pictures that it is a little chilly, up north…  Cold  wind or not we had a great time.  Furthermore I took the chance, while in Ohio, to visit my friends Kristin (and fam) and Greg.  No pictures of that fun but always glad to have time with friends I don’t get to see often. 

I definitely know summer is over when Mom comes to visit!  LOL!  Ok, for real she just doesn’t like the humidity DC has (which I can’t blame her) so she visits in the fall and spring (when the weather is perfect or rainy).  So this fall she decided to drive out…or my list was too long for her to fit in a suitcase so she had to upgrade to a trunk! 

Mom arrived on Saturday, the day my friend Julie was in town, so I had breakfast with her in the morning and then we all had dinner at, the Founding Farmers resturant, that night.  Julie (and crew) were in to run the Army Ten-Miler…it was great to see her, as always.  For the rest of Mom’s stay…get ready. 

Sunday we kind of hung out, ran around town and had a mad quick trip into IKEA to purchase a new glass desk for my apartment.  Yes, mad quick because we were through the entire store, found the pieces, purchased, and loaded within an hour.  I think we should get ‘efficient’ gold medals!  Then Monday I worked a full day while Mom met me for lunch and went shopping in the city.  She got some great deals…Tonica (a very fashionable co-worker) would be proud.    Tuesday, I worked in the morning then I met Mom over at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, for a tour.  My friend, Katie, works there so she got us in and we by passed a very long line so that was great.  The tour hasn’t really changed since I saw it in second grade but it was still just as awesome…maybe even more after having met a former U.S. Treasurer.  Then Wednesday, I again worked in the morning then Mom came to pick me up and we went out to the Arboretum.  Very beautiful!  It is great for the soul that my city has actual green space…it is not so great for the nose that my city has lots of green space!  Afterward we headed over to visit the latest Kennedy grave; Arlington is always amazing.  Thursday we had a day of play.  The morning started with a spa treatment at Bliss (the newest spa in town), Mom had a pedicure and I had a facial.  It was so relaxing and both of us would definitely recommend or return.  Then we went shopping and finally back up to the NW area for pizza from 2 Amy’s…very delicious.  Finally, Friday ended the trip with a venture out to Skyline Drive where we drove the north side and wandered around a couple of trails.  It’s official…I’ve actually walked on the Appalachian Trail. 

I was back out to Phoenix for a work trip so I had a chance to visit with Joan and Connie (Uncle Greg was still in Alaska).  The work part of my trip was great…I even had a chance to see Bryan (my old boss).  Then I spent the rest of the weekend chillin’, eating, and knitting at Joan’s house.  We even had a chance to see the traveling Vietnam wall…very cool.  Always fun to hang out with them.   

So toward the end of August work sent me to San Antonio, TX for an IRS conference…funny thing about it; I was excited to attend an IRS tax focused conference.  Why you might ask?  For two reasons…1) because the conference was for those working in VITA sites or working with a low-income population (for those that don’t know all the government letters); and 2) because Mom was able to come down for the weekend and meet me in Texas. 

We got there on Saturday and stayed at the loveliest place…it was this very great small very personal historic hotel.  The service was amazing!  There was an awesome breakfast in the morning, then in the afternoon warm cookies, and at night a glass a wine…all complimentrery.    The Riverwalk Vista

That night we had great Tex-Mex from a favorite of the locals and walked the riverwalk.  On Sunday we did some wondering around the city: we walked the Mexican market, stopped at the Governor’s Mansion, bought cowboy boots, and then rested!  Mom had another full day of visits while I was at the conference however that night we had the best B-B-Q ever!!    So, like I’ve newly found the love for red meat I’m now even more in love with the perfect Texas BBQ…wow!!!  My favorite is baby back ribs (and yes, I’ll even take them off the bone).  Honestly, my mouth is watering as I just think about it.  So delicious.

Towards the beginning of August I had the most lovely visitors!    I’ve known the Cardon family since Mom started working at the Mt. Pleasant Health Department…I was 8.  Obviously we’ve all grown up together therefore it was delightful to be able to show them my new city life and have time to chill and chat. 

It started with meeting for lunch over on Capital Hill; they had just finished the tour through Dave Camp’s office (possibly the only Republican I’ve voted for).  As I came out of the metro I heard Carolyn question if it was really me or not…apparently she was looking for my deep dark brown hair (at that time I was very blonde)!   After lunch I took them on a very short tour of my office (short because it’s a small cubicle)…and thank goodness for Jimmy otherwise the whole lot of them might be still wondering around the depths of the metro. 

Then Friday night I crossed the river (very big deal) and ventured into the suburbs for a real family dinner.  It was amazing!    We ate, Aunt Susie made a pasta bar, and then laid around chatting for the rest of the night.  It was really nice to be able to catch up again as our lives have been so busy these past few years.  Bottom line, I don’t think this is the last we will ‘hear’ of the Cardon’skis as Aunt Susie is a scrapbooker and a good cook!

P.S. Carolyn…send pictures please.

I often travel around the country and run into great individuals; they each have courageous stories and lives of unconditional service.  These people I’m often in awe of their amazement and even wonder if I’ll live up to the same interesting paths their lives have taken them.  In the same world of greatness, I have recently(or beginning of August) been reminded of the love of a true friendship built from either years of knowledge or a deep understanding.  What I realized is that I might not have the great path of existence of some but what I do have are true friends, yes some are even colleagues.   

I’ve been blessed with these type of friends all my life…at many different stages of my life.  Sometimes they come and go (or mostly I go…on that random, hopefully great, wondering path) however what remains is the kindle of fire that just waits.  It waits until we have a chance to breath in pure oxygen to refuel the friendship.  This breath of air is the main point of reasoning of why I travel home so often.  Though I have found that living in DC, interacting via some form of technology…that the fire of real friends is able to burn through any boundary, even distance.

Well I might have actually come into my Generation X techie hood…  I say this because we all know I don’t do technology!  However I just officially had my first Skpe conversation (end of July I think) and it was awesome.    To make it a notch above the norm we made it into a long distance happy hour…what more can you ask for?!  Good friends, good frosty beverage, good times. 

Anyway, just wanted to let folks know about this big leap for me…who knows, maybe i’ll turn into a techie yet?!  Haha! 

P.S. Since we had this conversation I’ve managed to somehow hurt my internet wireless card, had to spend three hours on the phone with HP, and reset my computer back to factory settings for it all not to work.  So I’m back to the beginning of ‘I don’t do technology.’

Ok, so you know those stupid/funny signs that say ’slippery when wet’?  Well, I think whoever invented them was a genious…or attempting to walk on tile in a downpour!  So the story is something like it was raining buckets in DC, one of those rains that matters not if you have a umbrella.  Actually I think when you do have an umbrella (in this kind of rain) the clouds look at you and laugh!  They say ‘whimpy fool do you know who you’re playing with?’ and then it just rains harder but now the wind blows and the whole umbrella idea goes up with the storm…literaly.  Actually, now that I’m thinking about it; it was be interesting to know how many inches of rain fell that night.  It was amazing that it just kept coming! 

Anyway, so a couple of co-workers and I hunkered down in a dry spot for dinner.  It finally let up a little therefore we all rushed out to face, what appeared to be, lesser elements from an angry Mother Nature, and find our way home.  Well, let’s just say that Mother Nature had other plans for me…I did not arrive home dry!  By the time I got home I was completely soaked…yes, it was raining but what really happened was I fell.  There was no grace in my plummet down a full flight of tile stairs.  All there was of me was a pause, slip, and sploush!  Those crazy scary tile underground steps near my apartment finally got the best of me.  What’s even crazier is that I stopped at the top to remind myself to proceed with caution because steps are slippery when wet!  Haha!

Well, we all know this isn’t the first time I haven’t listen to myself and, unfortunately, probably won’t be my last  either however a very distinct reminder that I have sensors and instincts that I should actually listen too.  I was so black and blue (or greenish at first) on my right side from neck to thigh…it hurt to sit, it hurt to lie down, but mostly it hurt to breath.  Along with the bruising I must have slightly cracked a rib.  However that was only the first wave…

After the bruising healed, my spine and right back muscles felt like they were blowing up!  It was completely different yet very painful.  My ciro said my muscles were spasming so much they were pinching my spine out of alignment…that was causing the shooting pain long my spine.  Thankfully no permenant damage happened when I fell; it just took lots of recovery time. 

Moral of this painful story when your body tells you to slow down, proceed with caution, or slippery when wet…listen to it!  It could be more painful to ignore…

So 4th of July was another great weekend celebration in the Nations capital.  As always, Emily came for her annual trip however this year we were both surprised with another guest…our friend, from MSU days, Oz came to visit from Kansas.  It was great as the three of us haven’t been around each other all together since graduation days!  Amazing how fast time marches on… 

The visit started with flights in on Thursday and dinner with homemade Margaritas at my house.  May I remind you that Emily is a fantastic cook and I’m a fantastic taste taster!    Then Friday I have to admit was my personal highlight of the week (well besides my friends in town)…we toured the city on DC Ducks!  It was awesome…cheezy but awesome!  Afterward we headed to the ballpark for Friday night fireworks and baseball (perfect start to America’s birthday).  Then Saturday we really kept it low key and packed picnic dunches to camp out on the Capital lawn.  We got in line about 3 pm and stayed all afternoon, through the concert and fireworks…it was a long day.  Thought it was funny to see folks order pizza and the companies actually delivered to various corners…very funny!  Finally, Sunday Emily flew home and Oz stayed with me for a couple more days.  Very cool!