Hi, there

The Executive Summary: I'm really happy.

Oh gosh, I think about the bloggie all the time. I offer a small excuse that it's hard to post without interwebs at home. And, things here have been so busy. Turns out life without a full-time job is actually pretty full. I am gone from 7-9 every day (weekends, too!). I am busy with:

networking | happy hours | "meeting for coffee or a drink" | running! | consulting for Global Integrity | getting lost on bike rides (in a good way) | sweating (in a bad way) | Tweeting professionally @Carrie-Golden | reading a David Foster Wallace book | visiting and being visited by family | meeting new people | discussing Aristotle at a Georgetown book club | missing those I love far away | eating delicious, delicious summer fruit | slee...zzzz

Could it be that I am enjoying you, D.C.? o_O

Until soon.

No wonder

No wonder I'm stinking hot. It's 85.1 degrees outside.

Ah, spring swells into summer.

(air)Port Post

7:58 p.m
Logan Airport
Gate C36

I ended my internship in D.C. I may or may not have cried while walking to work on my last day. I loved my D.C. summer life, my coworkers, my daily routine, the big black woman, Monty, who worked at my gym (the JCC). I loved stopping off at the farmers market on my way home to pick up veggies. I loved going for walks. I loved visiting my grandmother on weekends. I loved hopping on the MARC Penn Line to visit my friend in Baltimore. I loved Baltimore. For once, I had an internship where I got to do the job I would have if I worked there. And, for once, I loved the job I got to do. But, my time came to an end. I scrubbed my apartment, left some wine and a gift card for SweetGreen, packed my bags and headed North.

I saw my eye doctor in Boston before jumping on a bus down to the Cape. Carrying all my stuff from the last 3 month, eyes dilated with the 4:30 p.m. sun setting in my eyes, I staggered grouchy, groggy and blind around the J-Way streets trying to find my way back to South Station. I was a sorry sight, for sure. I made it home -- real home -- and powered off my cell phone, tucked away my computer and swore off communicating with the outside world (not so hard, as Verizon is spotchy at my parents' house). I had a lovely, hectic few days with my family. I read two books. I slept with no alarm. I got new contact lenses and had my teeth cleaned. We got sand in our shoes and ate homemade ice cream. We went sailing. We had fresh fish, smooth as butter, and baked blueberry crisp. We visited my aunt and walked her dog. We had dinner with my 90 year-old grandmother who still swims laps in the ocean. We saw my grandfather's closet, still part full a mere five months after he passed. We went for runs and walks. We saw shooting stars at the bridge down the street.

We got and gave hugs. We laughed. We cried. We changed our life plans. We yelled. We made new life plans. We loved each other. We told one another we loved each other.

We said goodbye.

....

En route back to Denver. I feel rejuvenated and excited. I found myself again this summer. I was inspired. I have ideas. I have motivation and initiative. The anger abated. The confidence came back. I am myself. I am my self.

This will be my year.

food, my real love

Friday:

After work I skipped on over to Baltimore for dinner with my friend to grab dinner after checking out her work's impressive farmer's market and farm, Real Food Farm. They try to bring healthy food options to Baltimore, where there are basically no grocery stores, and cheap food options are essentially limited to fast food and your pick of fried-Chinese-Pizza-Liquor "carry out."

Oh my goodness. I seriously cannot remember the last time I ate such a fine meal! We went to Brewer's Art. I ate the Peppadew Pepper Polenta. It was: Miss Cathy's Mozzarella (cheese made-in-house), Local Farm Ratatouille (fresh zukes, squashes and greens), Cherry Tomato Coulis, Parmesan Cream, sprinkled with some endive lettuce and fresh baguette on the side. To drink I got the made-in-house, Brewer's Art "Wit Trash" Belgian Ale. It was light wheat beer with hints of coriander and lemon peel. Really, on the train ride home I tried my hardest to remember my last comparable meal and couldn't think of one!

All this fine dining made me search around for new places to try back in Denver. I came up with two. Both are pricey, but I truly would rather give up all crappy $10 sandwiches and $2 coffees that I could make myself to save up for a delicious, real meal. One is Fruition and the other is Root Down. I have been by Fruition a million times, but the Root Down place looks amazing and I can't believe I've never heard of it before. Here's what their website says:

We want the food at Root Down to be sensational—that is, igniting all the senses to create a full dining experience. Following a “field to fork” mentality, we prefer to stay as organic, natural and local as possible. Root Down serves “globally influenced seasonal cuisine,” which basically means we go where inspiration leads us. We’re not tied to one style or genre—we’re hoping to create one of our own.

----
Saturday:
101 degrees and 71% humidity today

I went to visit Grandma and was dripping wet for hours. I'm pretty sure I smelled, too. Fortunately for all involved, one can't smell oneself and Grandmas can't smell anything.

When I got home, I immediately stripped to my underwear and have not been able to force myself either to put more clothes on or to leave the A.C. I set it at about 79 or 80, which feels heavenly, these days.

An aside: I am feeling guilty for not carrying around my camera and posting snazzy photos for my bloggie. I know everyone loves looking at photos. The guilt is manifesting itself in this post with lots of links to other sites. You know, to make up for the lack of photos on my website, you can see photos on other people's websites. Pretty ingenious of me, no?

Things to gnaw on

A few thoughts I've had and been meaning to post lately.

1. Why do I automatically think taller people are older than I am?

2. As D.C. actually has tall buildings, I ride elevators more than I do in Denver. Call me old fashioned, but I just think it's the nicest thing when gentlemen let me on and off the elevator first. I know, not so rah-rah feminist of me, but, plain and simple, it makes me feel like a lady.

3. Israeli Couscous is so yummy. Great texture. Quick to cook. Good hot or cold. I love it.

4. I really do hate summer. I try to like it every year, but I just don't. I hate being hot. I hate humidity. I hate when my clothes feel tight and stick to me. I sweat a lot. I don't feel like going outside. I don't feel like moving (let alone working out). I just don't like summer. The only thing summer has going for it is long days of sunlight. Fortunately for me, fall is my favorite season, with winter a close second, and that's what's coming up next!

Summer wears on

It's 6:00 a.m. I'm heading to the gym in a minute.

The skies are grey, and it would be a perfect day for crawling back into bed and calling in sick. I've got my proposal, my baby, due today. There are phone calls to Peru to make. My iShuffle playlist awaits me, as I slowly wake up on the stationary bike. These are the summer days we would come out of Mr. Tyler's pool shivering and pretty much blue all over with purple lips. Mom would be waiting with arms open to wrap us in a towel. She'd feel so guilty throwing us into swimming lessons when we're that tiny and had so little body fat to keep us warm, we knew she'd make us hot chocolate on return. With marshmallows. We had it pretty good those days. Mid July is when you start to feel that summer, in fact, is not endless. But you rest assured that there are plenty of sunny days left ahead. More ice cream on Fridays at Smugglers or Captain Frosty's. More s'mores over the cooling barbecue coals. More sunsets at the bridge and shooting stars at midnight walks.

Summer wears on.

At this time of morning just a few weeks ago the sun would be up already. At night, it has started to get dark earlier. Hard to believe I've only three weeks left here in D.C. and just about four weeks until I'm back in Denver. I have this feeling that I'm leaving my real life here. The life that I love. The life that I went to Denver to be able to have. It's a nice affirmation that what I'm doing in graduate school will get me where I wanted (and want) to go. I just have to remember I'm not here yet. One more year. If I do land a job and get myself this real life for more than a summer, it'll all seem worthwhile. It's hard to imagine being in Denver, in school, taking exams, studying things like criminal procedure and evidence, for a whole other year. But, for now, I'll get myself to the gym, pump up my music, and move on with my grey summer day.

Summer wears on.

Back at it

Oops, I didn't update for quite awhile. I'm back, though! There's almost too much to say, it's overwhelming. I suppose this is why I left it for so long.

Yesterday I saw a bunch of Orthodox Jews walking by the White house. They were wearing tall black hats, full-length black coats and suits underneath. It was 101 degrees. They weren't walking on the sidewalk, but in the street. I wondered if that was because women were walking on the sidewalk. Then, they were stopped at the crosswalk because cars in the other direction had a green light. One way was clear, so the Jews started walking across the street in a huge pack. But, then a massive truck came rumbling down the street. The Jews hesitated. Some took a step forward, others a step back. Most froze right there in the middle of a four lane street with oncoming traffic. It was like sheep, or a pack of freshmen girls going to a college frat party. Then a car came from the other direction. More confusion. One Jew reached the other side but the rest spread out in a line clear across the street. I thought for sure I was going to witness a Jewish Abby road album cover gone-wrong version.

I can tell the days are getting shorter, although perhaps it's the ridiculous humidity in the morning that diffuses the light differently. I'm not sad that summer is ending because I love fall. I am a tad bit sad to think that my life here in D.C. is ending. I love what I'm doing, have friends here, like having my weekends and evenings (mostly) free. I like being able to hop on a bus up to NYC to visit my brother. I love Trader Joe's and how curly my hair is on the east coast. I love walking to work and catching up with college friends. I like visiting my grandma every weekend.

(The Cuteness. Grandma, not me.)

I had lunch with my boss today. Just the two of us. He wouldn't let me pay, even though I invited him. The internship business is a whole other post, but I am really enjoying my internship and feel so lucky to be having this opportunity.

I've been reading various magazines at the gym. Harper's. The Atlantic. The New Yorker. I really like Harper's. What do other people think? Do you read magazines? Post a comment and tell me which ones you read and like!

What's going on

Must sleep, but didn't want to leave the bloggie!

Here are some highlights from the weekend:

• bike 50 miles (round trip) to a u-pick blueberry farm (got 1 quart + whatever I ate while picking).
• saw the awesome Quaker private high school that my friend teaches at
• saw Golem at the Jewish Music Festival
• hung out with Grandma
  
• got some pretty flowers from the farmer's market
• hung out with college friends who made delicious dinner

I've also been listening to this one song by Sabina a lot. I can't find a great recording online, but the version I have is somehow more acoustic, harrowing, desperate and beautiful. It makes me want to learn how to sing. Maybe I'll practice it in the shower. Here's an okay version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPJlBxkWuj4&feature=related

Thursday Thunderstorm

Walked home from work in the rain today (thankfully I packed my umbrella this morning). I liked it! It seems like it doesn't rain much in Denver because it's either snow or sun. It really felt like summer, though. Thunder, lightening, rain with sun off in the distance. The air was warm and I was still wearing short sleeves. Ahhhh, now if I can just finish this paper and move ON with my life. I'm at 1,064 words. Counting down 'til 2,000 (or however long it takes me to say what I have to say). What do I have to say?

Officially an Intern

Wowzers, I am pretty tired after my first day of work! I'm interning at the American Bar Association. They have an international division called Rule of Law Initiative and I am working within their Latin America and Caribbean office. So far it's great! Basically we are consultants for international development that focuses on legal systems and promoting good governance and rule of law. The projects involve developing legal systems and laws, implementing reform to make countries have better governance and stronger rule of law. They just got grants to start multi-year projects in 3 countries: Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize. They already do work in Mexico, Ecuador, and Panama. I'm super excited and already have fun assignments to work on. For example, part of my job is to read news from Latin America (in English and Spanish) and keep the group informed about daily going-ons. How cool is that!?

Other cool things about the internship: there is a roof top for eatin' lunch, a park a block away, the White House a block away, it's a 20 min walk from my apartment, I have my own nice cube, computer, printer, phone and desk, there's a fitness center (yet to be seen) and my hours are 9-5:30ish. Hurrah!

I made a little shopping trip because I felt a little under-dressed. I also signed up for the JCC gym which is across the street from my sublet apartment. I'm pretty exhausted and didn't get much done on the paper front. Boo.

May flowers

Here I sit at a vegan-only cafe in Philly with the hippest of the hipsters and the punkiest of the punks. I have let the bloggie fall to the wayside with the understanding that I would be blogging daily again in the summer. I'm not done with my Quarter work (1 paper, 1 final left), but I've left Denver, not to return until mid-August. The past Quarter was especially hard - law school politics and slaps in the face, grad school politics and less-than-stellar professors, and my internship took a turn for the worst. I have been battling plantar fasciitis and heel spur, so running has been iffy, slow, and painful, if at all. I haven't been dating or meeting anyone. All meals have been pretty much alone and, well, all of Denver has been pretty lonely. All told, I'm pretty much ready for a break from Denver and school.

... Thus! I'm in D.C. for the summer doing an internship. My generous friend, Elizabeth, has kindly let me stay in her Dupont Circle one bedroom place for the summer. It's a beautiful apartment with a twelfth floor view of the city, matching red kitchenware and plenty of books on Latin America. The JCC is across the street and gives 35% off to students. Monty, a big black woman - perhaps not Jewish? - sits at the front desk and takes good care of me. Work is 1 mile away (hellooo showing up sweaty to work!), and I'm excited to start on June 1. More on that later. For now, I hopped on a bus up to Philly for my dear friends' wedding. I'll be here playing with Andi, Uti and Oni (3 yrs) and Kai (4 weeks) for the week, while also working on my paper. Then, I head to Nashville to see Jessica and celebrate Ariel and Sam's wedding.

It feels so good to be back on the east coast. My mind can stop constantly figuring out what time it is ET. My hair is back to true curly with the humidity. There are black people around, and Indians, and Asians, and even white peo who look different from each other. There are people down the street who I want to look in the eyes, talk to, and smile at. I don't feel stressed, even though there are school things to do still.

I will miss the ability to hop on my Italo, my bike, and go for a 60 mile ride. I'll miss meeting Katie on the Platte for a quick 2 hour ride. I'll miss the births of 3 of my friends' babies. I'll miss dry, sunny trail runs until 9 p.m. and bananagrams at St. Marks with Tony and Gracie. I will miss those things. But, I'm looking forward to rejuvenating myself -- will I get to a point where I am excited to be back in Denver, where I feel proud again to be a DU student? I'll just have to see where I will be in 3 months. For now, I am pretty happy to be somewhere new, to be myself, and to be far away from Denver.

Last Day of Summer

Sunday, August 16, 2009. Second year of law school starts tomorrow.

Tonight I did everything I could think of to procrastinate: laundry, deep cleaning of entire apartment, dishes, put laundry away, caught up on messages and e-mail things, made lunch, put out my clothes for tomorrow (yes, I do that every night). I think I'm procrastinating going to sleep, even though I'm super tired, because I'm not sure I'm ready to wake up and have it be tomorrow. I just can't believe it. If I were on Cape Cod, I'd be going to Four Seas for one last summer ice cream on the beach/skinny dipping.

I remember what I wore to the first day of first grade. My favorite grey and pink stripped dress. I actually think I wore that for a few years in a row, I loved it so much.

I'm half dreading this because last year was so crazy and busy. I felt like I was working 12-15 hours a day, 7 days a week. Running at 5 a.m. Pack lunch and dinner, or eat dinner around 11 p.m. But, half of me is hopeful - maybe my classes will be more aligned with my interests. Maybe I won't have to put in so many hours. Maybe I will learn "the system." Maybe it will be less stressful. Maybe I'll have less anxiety about the whole thing? Maybe.

No call to wish me luck on the first day. I guess that's what happens when you grow up.

IN it

That's right, I'm IN it. Grad classes end Friday. Law school classes start Monday. This is seriously the end of the summer I never had. I am very much in the thick of it - 2 papers, 1 take-home exam, advance assignments for the first day of law school, scrambling around to rearrange my class schedule and hoping to get at least 1 day off without school work. Oh yeah, and finishing up with internship stuff. Hah!

One paper is drafted. It's on the recent trend of Latin American constitutional reforms of presidential term limits.

Another paper I am working on as we speak. It's on ethics of health development with a case-study of a non-profit doing work in Haiti.

Back to it ...

coffeecoffeecoffeecoff...

So, as you may know, I gave up coffee during finals period after my stomach was really starting to hurt. I thought it'd be good to give it up for the summer. But then I realized that summer for me ended on June 15 (classes started). So, gulp, maybe I shouldn't feel guilty for now drinking coffee again?

My day starts early, I have a lot to do, and summer heat-sun-humidity make me sleepy. I'm pretty sure I also use it to bribe myself to get out of bed and go running. I'd rather be addicted to running and coffee than not addicted to either one. And, there are worse things upon which to be dependent. Mmm.. and it just tastes so good. Thus -- I resolved to spend less money and be realistic about my wee, tiny, ity-bitty aid for making it through my long days. I purchased a lovely 3-cup french press! This will be great, too, because I can't make coffee at home AND bike to school with it. So, I plan on leaving this in my "stuff" locker (as opposed to my "books" locker -- and yes, at law school we have lockers). Voila! This is what my press looks like. $14.99 at Targe-ay.

Feels like summer

So, I handed in a paper yesterday and did a little work this morning but took the afternoon/evening off. Really off. No e-mail, no computer, no sitting inside. Got some fabulous pizza at City, O' City, played Bananagrams at the patio of some Mexican place playing great salsa music. Then, went to the Rockies game for FREE, courtesy of Jeremy and the RMSC. Amazing to watch the sunset over the mountains on a warm summer night at the ball game. Took some photos. Don't even bother asking me who won.

Running update

Sigh. I am not one of those people who gets in their best shape during the summer. I hate being hot, which means running in the summer isn't so much fun for me. In fact, it's pretty miserable.

All first semester and most of second semester I ran at 5 a.m. because it was my only time of the day when I could run. I kind of liked it, too, because I listened to the same NPR show that I used to listen to when I lived in Boston (shout-out to Renee Montaigne and Steve Insteep). It was my only time to listen to the news and connect to the world outside the law school bubble. And, it always feels GREAT to get your run and shower over with by 6:30 a.m. You know, just neatly tuck it out of the way for the day while the city is quiet and feels empty.

So, I'm trying to get myself back in the routine of getting up at 5 to run before it gets hot. It's generally probably a good idea since the afternoon is iffy with thunderstorms and tornadoes. I'm struggling! Why do things (or little Carrie bodies) at rest want to stay at rest? Why is my bed just so comfy?

(I've also been trying to work out this siatica/piriformis syndrome thing, which is extremely uncomfortable off and on.) I got to yoga 2x, bike a bunch and even made it to the community pool for a dip on Monday evening. So, here's last week, for what it's worth:

Sunday - 9 along highline. Too hot, not so much fun.
Monday - 7 at 5 a.m. before yoga/class/work
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - 7 at 5 a.m. before yoga/class/work
Thursday - Woo ! Got up and out early to go to my favorite trail, White Ranch Park, out in Golden, CO. I was so miserably tight after Wednesday I wanted a looong uphill to stretch out my hamstring. 13.
Friday - 5.5 at 6 a.m.
Saturday - lazy bum.

Total: 42

Keep on keepin' on.

"Lazy" days of summer

I am quickly settling into a routine with this summer class and internship business. Monday and Wednesday are the busiest. Tuesday and Thursday are the reading-est. For example, today I read about 400 pages for class tomorrow. Ouch. Monday and Wednesday look like this:

5:00 a.m - run
6:15 - smoothie for breakfast
6:30 - bike to school
7-8 - yoga.
9-12 - international political theory class
12-1 - bike home, shower, take the bus to internship downtown.
1-5 - internship
7 - dark - bike to park/pick up frisbee in the park
after dark - crash.

A few clarifications -- Smoothies are my newest obsession. There's just so much cheap fruit and it's a really fast way to get lots in my belly. The usual smoothie includes milk, yogurt, dollop of honey, vanilla protein powder and fruit (banana, bluebellies, strawbellies, etc.) Any suggestions for combos I must try?

Yoga! I am so happy my usual teacher Natasha is back. I definitely have a girl crush on her. No more psycho, slave-driver "I love making you guys do abs" teachers. Phew.

International Political theory class - this deserves a post (with a video impersonation) all to itself. But, yes, I'm taking grad classes this summer. Woo!

Internship - also deserves its own post. I'm working at one of the Colorado State government offices. Up on the 27th floor of the World Trade Center. Swank.