Rain, Trains and Old Person Pains

I can hardly believe it has been a month since I left LA.  Time really flies as you get older.  It felt like the decision to actually move took forever.  Then I had an extended "Transitional period"  before I moved, but it feels like my departure was only days ago.  On the plus side, I guess my return to LA will be that much faster.

So what I have I been up to since I left SoCal...

I spent the first week and a half crashing with Tuck and her husband Tim at their house in Laurel, MD while my apartment was being readied.  Laurel is about an hour outside of DC.  I got experience my life as a non-car commuter, taking the MARC train, the metro and the bus (which is surprisingly nice) in to town. I wish I had a suit and fedora because I felt like I was in an episode of "Mad Men".  It's actually really easy to get around as all forms of transportation take a Smart Trip Card for payment (except taxis, but they are soooo much cheaper than in LA so it's not a big deal). I actually like the public transportation thing.  It allows for excellent people watching. Oddly though, despite its communal nature, people keep to themselves on the metro and buses.  Everyone reads or listens to iPods so there is very little talking (the one exception was when I was on the bus in Baltimore and got to listen to a couple nastily argue non-stop for 20 mins in hushed tones - it was funny and uncomfortable).

I moved in to my new place a few weeks ago and it has been amazing.  By a stroke of luck I got upgraded to a higher floor and an apartment with hardwood floors and a washer/dryer for no extra charge.   Thanks to the generosity of my company, I didn't have to do any of the labor involved in schlepping my furniture up to my 10th floor apartment.  The move was seamless as my OCD kicked in and I was unpacked by the end of the day and fully decorated by the next day.  The only problem I encountered was that I managed to get sick almost immediately upon my arrival to the east coast and stayed sick for almost 3 weeks.  I had finally started feeling better when I moved, and then my over-zealousness kicked me back to a full scale assault on my lungs.  I have felt good now for a week and it has been absolute bliss. it's amazing how we take for granted the ability to breathe unlabored.

My apartment is huge and the complex I live in is enormous.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDugrJ6tDjw Once again, I have a rooftop pool and since the building is 15 stories, it has a spectacular view.  Actually, I am on the 10th floor and I have floor to ceiling picture windows in the family room and bedroom.  The view is incomparable and I swear I can see more trees from the view from my family room than are in all of Los Angeles.  It is really, really green here.  I can't wait for the fall when the leaves turn colors (which if you are from LA like I am that is the only thing that east coasters can claim is better than LA). I imagine, my view will be even more beautiful.  I am even excited to see it blanketed in snow (although I am simultaneoulsy terrified).



view from my apartment

My apartment is conveniently located just a few blocks from downtown Silver Spring, which itself is 1/4 of a mile from the northern DC border.  As a matter of fact, 16th Street which is just a few blocks from my place will take you straight to the White House.  Downtown Silver Spring has a ton of restaurants and shopping including the AFI Theatre http://www.afi.com/silver/new/ which thanks to my lovely book club/supper club friends, I have been able to patronize.  It is super fancy and they show retrospectives as well as current high-brow movies. The metro is just down the street and there is a Pirate Bar, yes, I said Pirate Bar, down the street http://www.piratztavern.com/ .  Apparently they serve grog there.  I am waiting for my friend Sylvia to visit so I can check it out.  There is also a shoe repair, dry cleaners, spa/salon and a 7-11 in my building so I actually dont need to leave it much.

I'm at the north just off of the Red Line

Speaking of weather, it is weird that I actually have to pay attention to it for the first time in my life.  I made the mistake of not checking the weather for the first week and managed to get trapped in rain storms without proper shoes, jacket or umbrella.  Not that those would likely help anyway because it rains so furiously that the rain actually bounces off the ground and the wind blows so hard it blows sideways.  I think I will just need to bubble wrap myself. Now I keep an umbrella in my purse at all times. Even when it is 90 degrees outside.  All in all though the weather hasnt been that bad. Apparently the worst of it happened the week before my arrival.  Also, I think I mentally prepared myself for absolute misery, so even bad days don't seem that bad. It's like going into a movie with really low expectations and when it totally doesn't suck you say it is actually pretty good. Although we did have a Hurricane watch or warning, I really don't understand the difference yet, it was a lot of hype a no big deal at all.  It just rained for 12 hours. Unfortunately my floors started leaking.  Yes, I know, weird.  I had little puddles around my house.  Thankfully I have 24 hour maintenance, so they came immediately (at midnight) and wet vac'd, and then came again the in morning. No damage at all other than some wet towels.  Really grateful for that upgrade to hardwood floors.

hurricane damage to my floor and throw rug

Work is going very well.  My new team is cool. I have 2 employees, Christa & Meredith and while they are vastly different in personality, they compliment each other very well.  Christa is very hippie-bohemian and couldn't be nicer.  Meredith is more reserved and very dry and sarcastic.  They both laugh a lot, which make them an absolute pleasure to be around.  Back to school season (BTS) started last week, so I have been working like crazy.  It has been amazing to be on the beautiful campuses of these historic universities.  It's funny how they are all just a few miles apart, but the schools and their students have such vastly different personalities. The kids are George Mason and Howard seem far more open and friendly than those at George Washington and Georgetown, but of course that is just my initial assessment.

We have been tabling on the various campuses for the past several days and the standing on my feet for hours on end is taking its toll on me.  I went to take out the trash to the trash chute and managed to pull a muscle or pinch a nerve in my back.  I had to sleep on a heating pad for a couple of nights and just when it was not bothering me anymore, I reaggravated in when I was getting out of the shower.  Now it's even worse and I'm hunched over like an octagenarian.  I feel more ridiculous than anything else.

my team at George Mason

Since I have been working the whole time, it is has left little time for exploring.  I did make it to the Library of Congress and the Eastern Market and I walked by the Capitol.  Thanks to my friend Adam, I was introduced to his friend Deanna and her friend Ashley.  I have met up with them a couple of times, and even had cocktails at a bar on the patio facing the National Portrait Gallery.  I made a list of all of sites/musuems/attractions I want to see.  The list is long.  Good thing I live here now, otherwise I would never fit it all in. I finally got my car a week ago, and am starting to understand the geography of the city.  Traffic isn't too bad, although throw in a traffic circle in with rush hour and it gets a bit dicier.  I think I have done fairly well though.




inside the Library of Congress



the Capitol









 

So what's next for me... well Labor Day weekend I am headed to Providence and Boston to see some friends and go to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.  I am beyond excited.  My mom is coming to visit mid-month for a week, and then I kick into high gear for Practice Test season.  Basically I am going to blink and it will be Thanksgiving and I will be back in LA (albeit briefly).

I miss everyone so much.  Please call, email, text, skype (kaplan.kerrywalters) . I would love to hear from you and catch up.  I promise I'll send email updates at least every month.  Subscribe to my blog and you will get a notification when I write. There are a ton of weirdos out here so I will have plenty to update you about ;)

All my love,

Kerry