Last night was our last choir concert of the season.  It went really well, I think.  It was nice to only be performing one piece (the orchestra did the Organ Symphony as the first half, which was absolutely amazing – if you’ve seen Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, you would recognize the piece).  It meant that rehearsals weren’t as strenuous, which was nice, after March’s concert .  We rehearse Monday nights til 10:00, which means running home after work, changing and scarfing down some dinner, and then straight to the Cathedral.  I’m really going to enjoy having my Mondays back, but I’m going to miss seeing those people all the time.  There’s a huge age range in the choir.  Our youngest member is probably a girl in her freshman year of college, and we definitely have members in their 80’s.  And there are so many different professions represented too.  It’s just nice to be around completely different people for a change.  Otherwise, I’m with people my age or federal employees.  We re-audition at the end of May, and then next season starts up after Labor Day.  I shouldn’t be, but I’m a little worried about re-auditions.  I’ve got the music and I know most of it, but I’m still concerned.  There are some amazing singers in our choir, most of them still being trained.  While I have a number of years of training under my belt, it’s been a while since I’ve had a lesson.  D.C. has also just lost one of its big chorales, and so all of those members will be looking for new places to sing.  Thankfully, we re-audition first, but our directors have to know that there’s a whole lot of other talent out there.

I ran the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Race again this year.  I actually trained properly this year and knocked more than 5 minutes off my time.  I’m still insanely slow, but I’d rather be slow and finish happy than be fast and want to vomit as soon as I cross the finish line.  I’m running the Army Ten Miler in October, and the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando in March.  I’m ridiculously excited about that race, and I want to be sure I’m in good running shape for it.  I’ll never be a marathoner, but a half marathon sounds like a good challenge. 

I ran a whopping 3 miles this weekend.  Clearly, more running is necessary.

I went to Hawaii for a week in April.  It was awesome and beautiful and relaxing, and I wish I had more time for vacations.  It’s so rare that I just take a day to do nothing but sit and read and not worry about things.  When I’m home, even if I have a day off, I have a list of tasks that I feel the need to complete.  I need to work on being a better relaxer.  I don’t see that happening anytime soon though.

Other than that, I’m not sure what takes up all of my time, but it’s definitely busy.  I guess that’s a good thing.

1. The other day, a guy thought I was in high school.  I took this as a compliment and not a comment on my outfit at the time.
2. I often get confused for a college student.  I figure it’s good to look young, though it can get annoying to continually be confused for an undergraduate intern.
3. Secretly, I think I look much better than I did in college.  If nothing else, I’m much healthier.  I would have laughed at you if you told me that five years after graduation, I would be running 10 mile races.
4. I’m definitely a better person than I was in college.
5. I think I have a problem with accumulating books and dvds.  I discovered that I have over 150 books in my personal library that I have yet to read.  But my apartment is a great place to be on a rainy day.
6. I’m slightly obsessed with budgeting.  While others might point and laugh, this means that I have money to go on vacation (or buy books and dvds) and feel less stressed about the economy.  But only a little less stressed.
7. Were the economy better, I would probably quit my job in order to focus full time on job hunting.  My current job is slowly driving me crazy.  But I really like paychecks.  And health insurance.
8. I agree with Obama that D.C. has no idea how to deal with inclement weather.  But I do like that if it snows enough (read: 4 inches), my office will be closed.
9. I have four birthmarks, but I bet that my mom is the only other person who knows where all four are.  I only dislike one, and that’s because people continually think it is dirt or makeup and try to rub it off.  Some even tell me I’m wrong when I say “No, that’s a birthmark, it won’t rub off.”  Some people are not smart.
10. I bought a Wii Fit, and the people who say it’s not a workout are lying.  Okay, so you could make it very easy for yourself, but if you do the yoga and strength exercises, it’s not a bad workout.  It will never replace my 40 minute cardio sessions, but it’s a good addition.
11. I have two cats who I adore, but I really wish that the one would not insist on getting up before 8:00 every day.  Weekends are for sleeping in.  The other cat understands this perfectly.
12. I like living in D.C., but I miss Midwestern sensibilities.  I don’t miss getting stuck behind farm equipment on the road though.
13. I used to be a closet sci-fi geek.  I think it’s safe to say I’m out of the closet on that one.
14. I really miss my law school workload.  I know, it’s crazy, but I liked spending hours reading Con Law and Criminal Law and Juvenile Law.  Contracts, I don’t so much miss.
15. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  I still think Ninja would be a good job title.  It would look sweet on a business card, that’s for sure.  
16. I get irritated by happily ever after movies, but I get mad when a movie doesn’t have a happy ending either.  I think this is a battle I will never win.
17. I sometimes wonder where I would be in life if I had followed my dreams.  Probably not as successful as I am now, but I’m not sure if that’s consolation or not.  It’s nice to have a steady job though.
18. I would like to quit my job and be a writer.  First, I need to improve my writing skills.  Or just marry a millionaire.
19. I really love to dance, and am completely awful at it, and really regret never taking dance lessons as a kid, but none of this stops me from making a total fool of myself and loving every minute of it.
20. The Giving Tree still makes me cry.
21. In high school, I played the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and I absolutely loved the looks of awe and wonder on the little kids’ faces when they came to see the show.  I felt like I really was magical.
22. I love The Muppets and am highly disappointed in the new version of Sesame Street.  Did any kid really think that it was a good idea to be like Cookie Monster and only eat cookies?  Kids are smarter than that.  Besides, he had Captain Vegetable to counter him.
23. I took the same oath for my job that Joe Biden took.  I think his job is slightly more important though.
24. I really love to bake, but I never do it because I also love to eat what I bake, and I would prefer to never have to break out the fat clothes again.
25. Making a list of 25 random things about myself was a much harder task than I thought it would be.

Nope.  Though I’ll be there in less than two weeks!  I miss living in the land of giant dogs.  Well, until I get a giant goober on my pants.  Then I remember why giant dogs aren’t awesome 100% of the time.

According to my friends, I grew up in the middle of nowhere.  Southern Illinois.  Farm country.  I can identify crops and farm equipment and I can tell you the primary animal on a farm based solely on the odor coming from that farm.  Apparently these are strange skills.  Who knew?

I’m now about 800 miles away, in Washington, D.C.  Why?  I ask myself that question at least once a month.  I’m here because I jumped on a job opportunity, and I can’t complain.  It’s not always easy to get into the federal workforce, so it was a chance I just couldn’t pass up.  Plus I just wanted to try living elsewhere for a while.  D.C. is definitely different.  I’m going to get spoiled with all the restaurants and museums so close.  And the metro, for all its faults, is still pretty great.  I haven’t had to get a cab since I moved here.  Plus the people watching on the metro is a lot of fun.

I do find myself missing the midwest though – mostly midwestern sensibilities.  I don’t know if I can explain it, but it’s just a different way of living.  Even when I compare a major city like St. Louis.  It’s a little slower, a little friendlier, a little less ridiculously competitive.  Here, the first question anyone asks is “Where do you work?”  And the reaction that you get when you respond tells a lot about the person asking.  More than once, I’ve seen people say “Oh… that’s… interesting…” and then go and find someone with a more prestigious job to talk to.  It’s all about networking.  And I agree that networking is important, but at some point, I just want to not think about work and have a little bit of fun.

So sometimes I change the subject by talking about the day when people rode tractors and combines and horses to high school one day.  If nothing else, I get some interesting looks.

Posting two days in a row!  It’s a Christmas miracle!  Though I hope real Christmas miracles are much more spectacular than this post.

Last year was my first holiday in D.C., so it was full of all sorts of new memories.  I feel like I did so much during last year’s holiday season, while this year is just going to pass by in a blur.  Maybe it’s because it was so new back then, or maybe it’s because I have so many more commitments this year.

Two things really stand out from last year’s holiday season.

First was Crystal’s Festivus party.  It was a completely random event, but it was nice to have both Marie and Mary Beth come down for the weekend to hang out, and it was fun to just meet so many new people at the party.  And of course, white elephant gift exchanges are always a great time.  There should be more of those in life.  “Please wrap up some ridiculous item that you have lying around in the back of your closet and gift it to a stranger.”

But the big thing, something I may never get the chance to do again, was the trip to the White House for Christmas.  A co-worker (now former co-worker) was detailed to work on the President’s Budget last winter, and as thanks, he got four tickets to visit the White House in the evening to see the decorations.  Now, that’s not as fancy as it seems.  But it was still a very cool experience, one that not everyone gets.  We got to walk through the White House and see all the Christmas decorations while being serenaded by various choral groups, and possibly most importantly, getting to take pictures.  I wish I were a better photographer, because my photos from that evening are just passable.  What a wasted opportunity.  But the photos are definitely good enough to remind me of how wonderful a day it was.  I’m going to try to work some photo editing magic on the pictures and get them up on Flickr within the next few weeks, though some of you have seen them already.

The decorations were just incredible, and there’s just something a little romantic about the idea of all these beautiful decorations in this gorgeous building with all the antiques and historical portraits around.  It’s one of those things you see on television, but never get to see in person.  I’m lucky and did get that opportunity.  And I suppose it could happen again, but it’s not something I’m going to count on.  I’m just glad I got to experience it once.

*insert sounds of doom*

Umm.. hi Mom.  About that doom comment…

Seriously though, my mom, my sister, and one of my mom’s friends are coming to visit.  They’re driving out tomorrow, and should be here sometime late tomorrow evening.  They’ll be here til Wednesday morning, when they make the crazy drive back.  I’m looking forward to the visit.  I’ve taken off work Monday and Tuesday to go touristing with them, which should be fun.  There’s so much to do in D.C., and it’s hard to do it, even though I live here.  It’s a good excuse to visit the city.  And go back to the Spy Museum.  Because I love it.

However, that also means that I must clean like woah.  Ick.  Happy Friday night to me!

By the way, how did you get to sing in the choir at the Capitol Fourth?  Can you share your background in music?  You’re also a runner!  When do you find the time?  What is your favorite type of music and who is your favorite artist?  These are things we’d love to know about you.

I actually got to sing in the choir at A Capitol Fourth almost by accident.  The choir that performs is officially the Choral Arts Society of Washington.  Of which I am not a member.  Because they don’t have enough members available every year to perform in A Capitol Fourth (it’s summer, people are busy, spending time with family, etc), they put out the call to other local choral groups, including the group that I am in, the Cathedral Choral Society.  A few weeks back, I got an e-mail through our listserv asking if anyone wanted to sing on the Capitol grounds for the Fourth of July.  I honestly didn’t know that this meant A Capitol Fourth – I really didn’t know what it involved.  But we were given a person to contact for more information.  So I did, and I secured myself a spot, and then I realized what I had volunteered for.  Dumb luck, I guess!  I’m definitely watching closely for the call for volunteers next year!

I actually ended up in CCS almost by accident as well.  I was telling a co-worker that I missed singing, and she told me she had a friend in CCS and sent me the address to the website.  Just so happened that auditions were coming up in a week, so I auditioned and I was in.  I actually only sang one concert with CCS this season – I auditioned in January and sang the March concert, then was out of town for the May concert.  But I’ve reauditioned and am planning to participate next season.  Singing in the National Cathedral is incredible!

My background in music… I think I sang my first solo in church when I was in kindergarden or first grade.  It was a Thanksgiving song and I still remember some of the words.  I sang all through school, performing in choirs at school, cantoring at church, performing in musicals both in school and with community groups.  In college, I pretty much ditched voice for band.  I could sing anywhere at anytime, but getting the chance to play my French Horn was much more rare.  I still took voice lessons and gave a senior recital, but never bothered to major or minor in music.  I didn’t want something I loved to become a chore.  I’ve sung a few weddings as well, though not since I moved to D.C.

Other than voice, as I mentioned, I play the French Horn, though not much lately.  Played from 4th grade through college though.  I started piano lessons in kindergarden and took lessons for years, but it’s definitely not one of my talents.

I don’t know what my favorite type of music is.  I like a lot of different kinds of music, and it kind of all depends on my mood.  But I really like a good melody, especially if it’s something I can sing along to.  But it can be a slow ballad, an upbeat pop song, or the chorus to a rap.  Doesn’t matter.  I also really like orchestral music with a lot of brass.  I loved getting to sit right behind the orchestra (and right behind the horns!) while they played John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare last week.  It was so good that it gave me chills.

Favorite artist?  It probably all goes back to James Taylor, to be honest.  I was sort of raised on his music and you really can’t go wrong with his stuff.

According to iTunes, lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Kate Voegele, Girlyman, Hem, Vienna Teng, Michael Buble, LeAnn Rimes and Timbaland.  Yes, that’s a weird “and,” I know.  But TH fans, I did just buy his album from the iTunes store and so far, I’m really liking what I hear!

When do I find the time to run?  Well, looking at my training log, the answer is “I don’t.”  But really, it’s not so hard to set aside 30 to 45 minutes after work to get in a workout at least three times a week, sometimes more depending on what’s going on that week.  I’d like to get back to working out before work, but 5:15 is just so early!  I try to put in a chunk of time on the weekends as well.

Thanks for the questions, Kris!  I really enjoyed answering them!

I sang in the choir for the Capitol Fourth celebration.  It was televised on PBS and hosted by Jimmy Smits, and performers included Huey Lewis and the News, Taylor Hicks, Hayley Westenra, Brian Stokes Mitchell, the National Symphony Orchestra, and more.  It was a very cool way to spend the 4th.  The crowds were insane, and the view was gorgeous.  I’m also a music dork, so I loved getting to sit right behind the orchestra as they played the Olympic Fanfare.  And I’m not sure I knew there were words to the 1812 Overture, but I’ve sung them now.  With cannons.

One hilarious moment occurred in the later half of the concert.  Taylor Hicks performed early (I’ve never been a huge American Idol fan and so had never really listened to any of Taylor Hicks’s music, but now I can’t get “Soul Thing” out of my head), and later in the concert, he snuck into the back of the orchestra to take pictures from the stage.  I can’t blame him – it was an incredible view with the Capitol in the background and the crazy number of people on the Capitol Lawn.  But it was just so funny to watch.  It made him seem so normal, like he wasn’t jaded by everything that’s happened to him.  Someone took a picture of him on his camera with the Capitol in the background as well, and he grinned like a little kid.  So funny.

The one thing I was dreading about the evening was the crowds getting home.  Clearly, I live in the right area, because I walked up to Union Station, got right onto a train, and there were maybe three other people standing.  Definitely not the smashed in experience I expected.

I hope that I get the chance to sing in the concert again next year.  It was great to meet so many new people and to get to perform in such a huge event.