Arlington: The Rap

So, this guy who calls himself “GoRemy” just released this video over the weekend called “Arlington: The Rap” about how tough it is to live in Arlington. Between all the Pottery Barns, Macy’s stores, Gold’s Gyms, Whole Foods’, and Starbucks stores … it’s a tough town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo

Note: I wear brown flip flops too. They’re called Rainbows, and they’re wonderful.

The Nats won?

It’s true baseball fans, the Washington Nationals, “the worst baseball team in the American League” according to my friend Bryan, beat the New York Mets 7-1 last night. I went to the game with Bryan, an Elon alum, with other members of the Elon College/University alumni association.

The center field entrance to Nats Stadium

Nats games are really fun, but it’s the first baseball game I’ve ever been to where I’ve seen several people walking around the ballpark in business suits, definitely an uncommon site at any other ballpark. Nationals Stadium is truly a magnificent stadium, that sits next to the Navy Yard on the Anacostia River.

The enormous center field scoreboard. It even posts the batting lineup.

Although its nosebleed section, where we sat, is incredibly high, and when Bryan said, “Are we in heaven, yet?” as we walked up the eternal ramp to the 300 and 400 sections, I immediately shot back, “Is that Lynyrd Skynrd I hear?” But it was definitely a great game, and the Nats was one inning away from making it a complete shutout.

Welcome to D.C. baseball!

The highlight of the game though, was definitely the “Designated Driver of the Game”. Some poor soul named Elliott Jaffa had his name lit up on the scoreboard. Hopefully he gets free tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a sponsor of the “DD of the Game". Otherwise Elliott may never live be able to shed his new title.

Poor Elliott Jaffa

Something interesting to note about Nats games is that you don’t have to park at the Navy Yard for the game. You can either take the Metro to the Navy Yard station, or, as the Elon Alumni Association did, you can park at RFK Stadium, the old Redskins/Nats stadium, now the home of D.C. United soccer, and there are free buses that take you straight to the ballpark, a pretty nice deal, considering parking is free at RFK.

But anyway, Bryan and I had fun, and I look forward to more activities in the District.

Also: just a tidbit. I went to the same high school as the Nats's third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman.

Running for Good

On Wednesday of this past week, my mom sent me some information about the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure that was being held on the Mall this past Saturday. As someone who has a love-hate relationship with running and working out, I was hesitant to sign up, as I haven’t really run in a little while. But on Thursday, I learned one of my co-workers at IIE, Emily, was also participating in it too. Seeing this as an opportunity to get to know one of my co-workers outside the office, I took used my lunch time on Friday and went down to the Department of Commerce to register.

While I did wake up at 7:15am for an 8:00am start time (yikes!), I still managed to make it on time, as the festivities pushed the start time back by half an hour. It was definitely a cool thing to see so many people from around the world gathered together to support the fight against breast cancer, as well as to be surrounded by so many women (and some men) who have survived breast cancer and come back to support others going through the disease.
Instead of running it, Emily, her friend Megan, and I walked it, which turned out to be the right choice as 60,000 people all walking down Constitution Avenue makes for a pretty congested race. But it was definitely a great experience, and a great way to get involved in the D.C. community.

Following the race, Megan, Emily and I went to Teaism, a restaurant that is famous for its teas, although it should also be famous for its incredibly delicious French Toast. Warning: don’t get the double. I ordered only the single and could only finish half of it. It’s definitely nice to begin forging friendships with people from work and others.

Things to Keep in Mind When Riding the D.C. Metro

1.) Plan for the Metro to break down, ESPECIALLY during rush hour. A train somewhere in the system will break down when you are riding it, and it’s better to be insanely early to work and sit in a quiet Starbucks to pass the time than to be late. Although being a few minutes late because of the Metro is generally a legitimate excuse in this town.

2.) The Metro’s are EERILY quiet. It’s amazing because there can be a fully packed trained car and all you can hear is the sounds of the train moving down the tracks. So just be prepared.

3.) Look at people’s bags. Seriously. A lot of people are issued messenger bags or tote bags from their companies, and it’s a great way to see the kind of work places there are in the D.C. area.

My friends Derek and Lauren ... you'll rarely see people this excited to be on the Metro.

“Mrs. Landingham! What’s next?”

So, I feel obligated to explain the title of this blog before delving into it. As many of my friends know, I’m a huge fan of “The West Wing”. I have the complete series (yes, the Presidential pack with DVD folios), and have watched every episode, an incredible feat considering I was introduced to the show only a year ago.

In the very first episode, as President Bartlett’s staff dismisses from its first of many meetings in the Oval, the President calls out to his assistant, “Mrs. Landingham! What’s next?” This phrase became the catch-all statement for the series, the staff always wondering, “What’s next?” and the audience always wondering the same question.

photo courtesy of http://www.kathrynjoosten.com/gallery.shtml

As I think about my time at The Washington Center, and in D.C. this summer, I also ask the question, “What’s next?” It seems the most appropriate question when thinking forward to this new and unknown world I’m about to enter. So, what is next? I don’t yet know, but I am excited to find out!