Happy (Almost) Thanksgiving!

I've always loved Thanksgiving, and I think every year but three that I can remember, we've had Thanksgiving dinner at my house in Vienna. The exceptions are the year my grandparents (dad's parents) took us to the Homestead resort in West Virginia for a joint Thanksgiving/Dad's birthday celebration, the year my family tried going out for Thanksgiving dinner, and the year I studied abroad in France.

My memories of the holiday consist of sleeping in, waking up in time to see the last bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, lounging in pajamas for a bit before getting dressed and helping with last-minute preparations. In recent years, we've also had mulled wine prior to the meal, which I love. The spices and warmth are a perfect winter alcoholic beverage, and a great way to kick off the day.

For us, Thanksgiving has always been about being with family. It's a holiday of thanks, eating, and family time, and little else. We don't do any of the crazy 4am shopping events on Friday, and while we sometimes go to Black Friday, generally we take it easy, stay home, and continue eating and drinking. The time off from work, lack of obligations, and being at home makes it a really nice break right before the rest of the "Holiday Season."

This year is a bit different - in addition to this being the first Thanksgiving in 12 years without Riley, there are a few other changes to our guest list. Rather than having out of town family, my sister and I are each having a friend over, and Harry is having his boyfriend over. One of my mom's best friends from her childhood, my "Aunt" Renee, and my aunt's friend and his boyfriend are coming this year, as well. It'll be a fun family and friends food fest!

Why yes, yes I am excited.

Tae Kwon Do

I did tae kwon do fairly religiously while at Northwestern. For the first two years, I rarely missed class and tested for a new belt (rank) at the end of each quarter. As I got busier, I didn't go quite as regularly, but I was still an active member in the club, and it was a huge part of my life at Northwestern. I really loved it. It was a fun and somewhat untraditional form of exercise, and having the 1.5 hours of class time twice a week dedicated to it was also a great mental break from class work.

I hadn't done TKD since graduation in June '08 until I took a TKD class at GWU last night. It was amazing - I can't believe how much I have missed it. Everything was familiar, from the order of activities of the class down to the old, unairconditioned gym in which classes were held. The blocks, the stances, the kicks, and how the master taught and led the class were all familiar, as is the soreness I feel today in my shoulders and calves from doing things I haven't done in two years. It was great to be back, though, and I look forward to going to more classes in the future.

R.I.P. Riley

My dog, Riley, passed away last week. He was twelve and a half, and we had had him since just before my 12th birthday in 6th grade. He had been ailing for a few months, but when my dad took him to the vet on Tuesday, he was much sicker than we thought. My whole family is having trouble adjusting...we know he's gone, but I still expect to see him around the house. He had a great life, "the life of Riley," we used to say, and I think everyone who has ever met him had a story about a time when he stole food either off their plates or somehow got up on the dining room table when we stupidly left the room unattended.

I stayed at home last week and Monday night, and it's weird to not have him around, cocking his head at us, trying to understand what we're saying, or barking for treats at exactly 9pm, or lying in the hallway opening his eyes to look at us whenever someone passes by. He leaves a big hole in our lives that will be difficult to fill. I love you, Riley.

Parlez-vous français?

On the bus on the way to work this morning, I overheard some people speaking French. They spoke slowly enough so that when I could hear them, I understood what they were saying. Their speech had all of the idioms and expressions I had come to recognize and appreciate while studying abroad in Nantes in the fall of 2006. As I listened to them speak, I started to think of my host family in Nantes, and the similar snippets of conversation I'd overhear on the bus there, on my way to classes. I realized it has been four years this fall since I was in France, and I miss it - the people, the language, the food - I need to find a way to go back! Upon my arrival at work, I emailed my host mother Brigitte and said as much. I remember roaming around Nantes with Molly, discovering new crepe places, ordering food and not being *quite* sure if we said what we meant, and ordering pizza over the phone and being so excited when we actually received what we ordered, watching American television dubbed in French and being amused at the difference in voices, and discovering what French université is like for les etudiants français.

I need to start saving up for a trip to Europe!

Job Contemplations

One thing I've learned about myself at my current job and past jobs is that I thrive when I have a variety of responsibilities. The more diverse my job description, the happier I am. I've also learned that I actually enjoy speaking with clients on the phone, and feeling like (a) I'm able and qualified to help them, and (b) they value and appreciate what I have to say. Accidentally getting into the consulting field has turned out to be a possible career path. I like doing research when I know it will help a client complete a particular project, especially when I have the opportunity to discuss it with them and maybe even witness or participate in a grant proposal as a result.

I've always hated sort of useless busy work, that's repetitive, and that isn't valued. So, being able to do work that real people out there see and use is pretty amazing.

L'Shanah Tovah 5771

I realized it's been exactly a (Jewish) year since I last updated this. And I also felt bad for having neglected it for a year...considering a ton has happened since this time a year ago.

Rosh Hashanah is coming up this Thursday and Friday, and will be observed by some synagogue attendance followed by disgusting (and delicious) amounts of food consumption. My parents are almost done with all of the food preparations, and I look forward to a feast of kreplach, challah, matzoh ball soup, apples and honey, brisket...other food I'm usually too full for by the time I see it, and desserts including honey cake, apple cake, and chocolate cookies, for which I find room in my stomach to eat every year.

A year ago around this time, I worked as a paralegal coding asbestos litigation documents in Rockville, MD, commuting from Arlington, VA and back. In January 2010, I left that position for a different job. Today, I work as a Grants Associate for a grants consulting firm in Washington, DC, and live in DC near Chinatown. Last year...well, I kind of hated my job, and wasn't very happy with my life overall. This year, I love my job, and my life, and my apartment. My new job has a great, flexible working environment, supportive coworkers who don't spend their days under head phones, and an atmosphere that enables me to make whatever I want of my position. This past summer was the most fun I've had over the summer possibly ever - I traveled often, saw a lot of people and places, and had comparable numbers of people visiting me.

As the sky turns bluer and the mornings are almost cool, I look forward to fall, a season of pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, college football, crisp, cool air, beautiful fall foliage, and numerous other things. With the help (or distraction?) of all of that, I'll be studying for and eventually taking the GRE, and continuing the process of applying to grad schools.