So...the big news first, then I'll move on to what I've been up to the past 10 days or so. I have found my next traveling position :) I will be starting on April 28th in Berwyn, IL, which is just 10 minutes West of Chicago! That is about all I know for now about that position, but I will continued with the updates once I know more. My assignment here is finished April 18, so I will have about a week back in Muncie to get my house packed up and moved into a storage space, but I'll be around if anyone back in that area wants to see me. Not that it is so super important since my next assignment is so much closer!!! Shawn is going to be moving with me to Chicago...he is looking for a job now that is in his field, so we may be staying in that area for awhile. We shall see...
Only 4-1/2 weeks left!
So, recently we've been busy busy doing touristy stuff! We went on 3-7-08 into D.C. for the day. We went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. We had gone there once earlier in our trip, but we didn't spend much time there and there was a ton more to see so we went back. We took lots of pictures of planes for Grandpa Manning (some are included in the slideshow today) plus we went to the iMax to see the showing of Figther Pilot. It was a really good movie, but is funny how differently Shawn and I enjoyed it. It made me very thankful that my job doesn't require any time in the air doing spins and flips and stuff...whereas Shawn was ready to enroll in flight school as soon as it was over! Haha! We thought about stopping in at the planetarium that is in that museum as well because the area of the museum devoted to Space and our Solar System was so interesting, but we ran out of time. The Museum Store was also quite fun! I got some gifts for the family...but they will have to wait for that! After we left the museum we walked up to the Capitol Building. The sun was starting to set and the view was beautiful! On the way to the Capitol building we heard a bunch of sirens and to our surprise the Presidential Motorcade went by! Shawn's video camera battery was dead so we tried to get a few pictures, but it didn't really work out well. It was still pretty neat though! After a break at the Capitol Building sitting out in front enjoying the sunset, we walked to a little restaurant that my Aunt Colleen and Uncle Michael suggested. They had eaten there on a recent trip to D.C. and had enjoyed it, and we did as well. By that point we were exhausted and ready to call it a day, so it was time for the Metro ride home. We got on at a different station that usual and I was really amazed to see the number of homeless people that were already sleeping in the station entrance. I hadn't seen that yet, but I had heard about the huge homeless population in the city. It is really a wakeup call when you see something like that.
I've also been able to catch up with a couple friends from high school too! Shawn and I had lunch with my old friend Jonathan. He works here in Alexandria so we picked him up one afternoon and had a really nice time! We are going to make some more plans soon to get together at a time when we can meet his wife as well. We also went Swing Dancing with my friend Sara! That was such a treat! There is this really interesting place in Maryland that used to be an amusement park but the buildings now are all used for different things. One building is a ballroom and every Saturday a dance studio called the Jam Cellar hosts a Swing Dance. The first 30-45 minutes is a short lesson for those (like me) who have no idea how to Swing Dance (or just minimal experience anyway). Then there is a live band until midnight and people of all ages and experience Swing Dance! It was amazing! We of course we totally amateurs, but we had a blast anyway. Of course for anyone who knows me at all you know that I have a thing about control and it is difficult in Swing Dancing because I was not supposed to control the dance...I was supposed to follow Shawn. I improved by the end of the night, but is was REALLY hard for me! I told a few of my friends from work about it and we're gonna try to go again before my assignment is finished here. Sara's sister was supposed to be coming in for Spring Break and she was going to go Swing Dancing too, but the crazy March blizzard that hit Ohio kept her from getting here in time. Stupid snow! Haha. Seeing my friends from high school has brought back a lot of memories, especially since I will be having my 10 year high school reunion this summer!!! CRAZY! Not sure if I'm looking forward to that or not.... I have until August to decide :)
Last week I went home to Indiana for a 5 day visit. Eric and Sara were on Spring Break from school and Mimi flew in from Texas for the week as well! Dave was planning on taking a vacation as well so we were all home together! We didn't do anything worth a mention, except that we were all together and we loved it! On the flight out I noticed that there was a great view of D.C. from the plane, but my camera was stowed carefully in the overhead compartment! So, on the flight back I kept it in my seat but it was kinda cloudy. I did get a couple of pictures but they aren't very good. I arrived back in Alexandria around 2pm on St. Patrick's Day! Shawn was ready to go when he picked me up from the airport all in green with a green carnation for me :) We went out in Old Towne Alexandria about an hour later with my friend Jennifer from work and my friend Megan from work met us a bit later. We went to O'Connel's Pub first then to Murphy's. Both were fun, but Shawn and I didn't stay out too late. Too much traveling and a bit too much vodka for me :) Anyway, now it is back to work!!
Only 4-1/2 weeks left!
So, recently we've been busy busy doing touristy stuff! We went on 3-7-08 into D.C. for the day. We went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. We had gone there once earlier in our trip, but we didn't spend much time there and there was a ton more to see so we went back. We took lots of pictures of planes for Grandpa Manning (some are included in the slideshow today) plus we went to the iMax to see the showing of Figther Pilot. It was a really good movie, but is funny how differently Shawn and I enjoyed it. It made me very thankful that my job doesn't require any time in the air doing spins and flips and stuff...whereas Shawn was ready to enroll in flight school as soon as it was over! Haha! We thought about stopping in at the planetarium that is in that museum as well because the area of the museum devoted to Space and our Solar System was so interesting, but we ran out of time. The Museum Store was also quite fun! I got some gifts for the family...but they will have to wait for that! After we left the museum we walked up to the Capitol Building. The sun was starting to set and the view was beautiful! On the way to the Capitol building we heard a bunch of sirens and to our surprise the Presidential Motorcade went by! Shawn's video camera battery was dead so we tried to get a few pictures, but it didn't really work out well. It was still pretty neat though! After a break at the Capitol Building sitting out in front enjoying the sunset, we walked to a little restaurant that my Aunt Colleen and Uncle Michael suggested. They had eaten there on a recent trip to D.C. and had enjoyed it, and we did as well. By that point we were exhausted and ready to call it a day, so it was time for the Metro ride home. We got on at a different station that usual and I was really amazed to see the number of homeless people that were already sleeping in the station entrance. I hadn't seen that yet, but I had heard about the huge homeless population in the city. It is really a wakeup call when you see something like that.
I've also been able to catch up with a couple friends from high school too! Shawn and I had lunch with my old friend Jonathan. He works here in Alexandria so we picked him up one afternoon and had a really nice time! We are going to make some more plans soon to get together at a time when we can meet his wife as well. We also went Swing Dancing with my friend Sara! That was such a treat! There is this really interesting place in Maryland that used to be an amusement park but the buildings now are all used for different things. One building is a ballroom and every Saturday a dance studio called the Jam Cellar hosts a Swing Dance. The first 30-45 minutes is a short lesson for those (like me) who have no idea how to Swing Dance (or just minimal experience anyway). Then there is a live band until midnight and people of all ages and experience Swing Dance! It was amazing! We of course we totally amateurs, but we had a blast anyway. Of course for anyone who knows me at all you know that I have a thing about control and it is difficult in Swing Dancing because I was not supposed to control the dance...I was supposed to follow Shawn. I improved by the end of the night, but is was REALLY hard for me! I told a few of my friends from work about it and we're gonna try to go again before my assignment is finished here. Sara's sister was supposed to be coming in for Spring Break and she was going to go Swing Dancing too, but the crazy March blizzard that hit Ohio kept her from getting here in time. Stupid snow! Haha. Seeing my friends from high school has brought back a lot of memories, especially since I will be having my 10 year high school reunion this summer!!! CRAZY! Not sure if I'm looking forward to that or not.... I have until August to decide :)
Last week I went home to Indiana for a 5 day visit. Eric and Sara were on Spring Break from school and Mimi flew in from Texas for the week as well! Dave was planning on taking a vacation as well so we were all home together! We didn't do anything worth a mention, except that we were all together and we loved it! On the flight out I noticed that there was a great view of D.C. from the plane, but my camera was stowed carefully in the overhead compartment! So, on the flight back I kept it in my seat but it was kinda cloudy. I did get a couple of pictures but they aren't very good. I arrived back in Alexandria around 2pm on St. Patrick's Day! Shawn was ready to go when he picked me up from the airport all in green with a green carnation for me :) We went out in Old Towne Alexandria about an hour later with my friend Jennifer from work and my friend Megan from work met us a bit later. We went to O'Connel's Pub first then to Murphy's. Both were fun, but Shawn and I didn't stay out too late. Too much traveling and a bit too much vodka for me :) Anyway, now it is back to work!!
