Randomness of May - July

I have no idea what photos are in here - just randomness of what I have found on my phone over the last couple of months.. 

I work hard - haha - feet on the desk, shoes off, "listening" to a webinar. 

 

I'm a highly organized person and my office doesn't normally look like this: 

 

 But it was all because of this - I welcomed 42 interns in May and June - 42! That is 10 more than last year and while I love this program it is a tremendous lift for the entire summer.

 

And through this catch up phase the 12 week intern program will be over by the time this blog posts. On July 25 we celebrated National Intern Day so we took our HR Intern out for bubble tea! 

A card the interns gave me at our last intern event :) 

New dress, new earrings (thanks cousin) and high bun - I'm ready for this intern event! 

  I am very much addicted to bubble tea - it is amazing and Gong Cha is my favorite.

This wouldn't be complete without my favorite, quotes.

#truthbutsadtruth

 

#EveryoneNeedsToLearnThis

 In May we went to Jazz in the Garden - this is an annual event that we do - it's like our unofficial kickoff of the summer. After Jazz in the Garden - Stephanie, Anton and I got o Hyattsville, Maryland for Bonchon - I love Bonchon - soooo good!

First Row Left to Right: Kiara and Brittany 

Top Row Left to Right: Me, Neville, Martha and Stephanie

Anytime I am on the mall, I need to take photos of the Washington Monument and US Capitol - I won't always be able to see these things everyday, so I need to take advantage of it now.

In June, Gina and I went and say Secret Life of Pets 2 - it was adorable! And it was fun to hang out with Gina - she is such a good friend and I am so thankful for her in my life.

One weekend in June we decided to go to the a festival at the Wharf, Taste of the Philippians. But we were not prepared and did not get tickets and there were so many people that we sadly didn't get to go - but that's okay because we went to a burger place and had wonderful conversation. Then we meet up with Anton and Stephanie's friends and went to the summer solstice at the Smithsonian's where they stay open late. What a great idea and there were no lines! So we wen to the American History Museum and the the National Museum of African American History and Culture (as we didn't finish the museum when we went earlier this year). There was a talk going on and then a dance party - that is so cool!

A couple photos of my adorable niece, Raelynn Nicole - she is adorable!

Beautiful huge butterfly chillin in the flowerbed at work. 

It's summer here and hot and that means air conditioning and pools and blog catching up phase - which is now done! August is going to be fun with trips to North and South Carolina (bucket list items checked off for me - thank you Karen) and then to San Diego for work and then a short trip to Boise and in September a trip to Columbus, Ohio. 

I ask for prays for the rest of 2019 as I am going to make some hard choices coming up.

Donating Blood

On Wednesday, July 17, I was scheduled to donate blood through the Red Cross event at my work. I have never donated blood before. I tried to donate blood last year and was turned away because of my tattoo (if you get tattooed in certain states it's a 12 month waiting period, compared to six months in most states). So, this time around I didn't have any new piercings or tattoos so I should be good! After answering the billion highly inappropriate question questions, they prick your finger to test your iron levels. She first tested my middle finger on my right had and it was .1 away from passing, so she offered to test my middle finger on my left arm and it was three points above (weird). So I was allowed to give blood! 

I get in the chair and the lady asks me which arm, remember I have never done this before, so I saw my right arm because when I go to the doctor and they take blood that is the arm the guy takes it from. He also says I have really good veins so I was pretty confident that I was going to rock at donating blood...Yeah epic fail. 

So, the lady stuck my arm and that hurt a little and then she twisted the needle ouch! But the needle is in, let's do it! About 10ish minutes later another person comes over and starts to take the needles out...but first she realizes that the arm cuff is still on my arm and I told her my arm felt really cold and tingly...yeah, lack of blood flow does that. Okay, needle out - hold pressure. As I was holding pressure on the wound, I felt something warm and moist under my arm and so I lifted my arm and it was covered in blood! There was an intern next to me and she looked over and said she gasped so then a person come over and apparently I was bleeding everywhere. I wish I could have seen the floor, but I did see them clean up my blood using a few paper towels. So, after all of that I was told that my blood was starting to clot and they couldn't get all the blood they needed for the vials - because they didn't tell me I had to keep squeezing the stress ball - my first time people! Give directions! So another person told me that they couldn't use my blood unless they got the vials of blood...great, so another needle poke in my left arm. 

Two hours later I walked out with 4 needles pokes. 

 

 A few hours later I took off the bandage and I was not expecting to see a bruise! 

 Wow! look at this bruise the next day, Thursday, July 18. I was not expecting this impressive bruise and the distinct needle whole...totally looks like I did heroin the wrong way - joking! haha!  

 Friday, July 19 - still looking impressive. 

 Saturday, July 20 -  this made my friend a little nauseous when I showed it to her. 

 Loving this bruise and sad to see the yellow coming, that means healing - Sunday, July 21. 

 Yes, I took pictures each day for an entire two weeks... I know I am sick, but this bruise was amazing! Monday July 22: 

 One week later, Thursday, July 25. 

 Going into week two it was getting smaller and smaller, Friday, July 26. 

 Saturday, July 27: 

 Sunday, July 28: 

 Monday, July 29: 

 One bruise is gone :( Tuesday, July 30:

 Two weeks, July 31 - pretty much gone :( 

 Officially gone two and half weeks later - Sunday, August 4: 

I know it is weird - but it was fun experiment to watch the evolution of my massive bruise for two and a half weeks. 

Last Birthday in my 30's

How did this happen? How am I almost at the end of my 30's?!?! *Gulp* My 39th birthday landed on a Thursday this year, so of course I went to work where my coworkers made me feel very special. One of the best bakers I have ever known, Gwen made her chocolate chip cookies - these cookies are the best cookies ever! Cindi, our executive assistant also had everyone sign and give me a card - she did this because in the previous couple years everyone I worked with except Laura had forgotten my birthday, so this year they made up for it and in the coming years :) Cindi also created the email birthday card that went to both our HR departments in DC and Columbus - who would have thought I was on the Idaho postcard? 

Princess also really knows how to show me birthday love...

On Friday night I hosted a little get together with my friends on my rooftop where we (okay, Mike) BBQ'd, chatted drank and later chilled by the pool. 

Starting on the left side of the photo and going clockwise: Kathy and her husband Hassan, Martha, Kiara and her boyfriend Stephen, Neville, Anton and his wife Stephanie and Mike and Gina. I know all these people except Kiara through Pew. Kiara and I worked together at ACS for a few months and she is the one who watches Princess when I'm not in town. 

People often tell me that I make friends easily. I am not sure if that is true or not but I am very thankful for these people in my life. When I came to DC almost 5 years ago I wasn't going to make friends because I had enough friends in Idaho and that was hard enough to leave them, I wasn't going to do that to myself again. And as I have blogged about before I have had people in my life that were not the best for me, but these people all mean so much to me and I am thankful for each and everyone of them and our relationship.

I asked a random stranger to take our group photo and this is what I got...

My dear and best friend got me a birthday cake.

It was one of my best birthday's I have had on the east. I also felt the love of all my friends on the west from phone calls and presents. I am very blessed.