Federal Holidays

Everyone in a government job will tell you that the holidays rock. Granted, you still have to get your work done, there's no overtime, and it'll all be there when you get back, but there are a few days every year where we get an extended weekend. Some local city governments get other days like Cesar Chavez Day, Pioneer Day, etc., which is handy for meter parking.

Today is one of those days, my friends.

Yep. It's Presidents Day. (If you're working today, I promise that I will not enjoy the next three months as I wait for Memorial Day. And sleeping in is overrated.)

Here's what my research assistant (read: Wikipedia) tells me about Presidents Day.

• Officially, it is Washington's Birthday. It is popularly known as Presidents Day since it falls between Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays.
• Originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in the District of Columbia to honor George Washington.
• Expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices.
• On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968.
• Since 1971, it never lands on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.
• Washington was born on February 11, 1731, based on the Julian calendar then in use in the British Colonies. When the Gregorian calender was adopted in the British Colonies in 1752, he opted to begin observing his birthday on the equivalent date of February 22, 1732.
• The holiday is also a tribute to the Washington as a General who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier - The Purple Heart.

So, I hoped you learned something there. I learned all of those things from my research assistant Wikipedia.

I hope that you enjoy your holiday and enjoy the commercialism of no credit or down payment sales on mattresses and cars. Or be like me and just sleep in.

Friday, Oh What You Do To Me

Dear Friday,

I know that I haven't worked every Friday for almost 4 years, but now, I'm back. Much to my chagrin, I'm back with the majority of the work force and have to work all five days a week. Le sigh.

Even though we used to have one-on-one time where I would run errands, grab lunch with a friend, or just sleep in, now we have to share. I have to get up and come to work. I need to divide my attention between the weekend and our time together.

I might take some days here and there to reconnect, but those days will be few and far between. For now, I hope that a coffee date on the way to work will have to hold us over. And even a lunch with the coworkers.

But just know it's not you, it's me.

Organized

If you were my parent or roommate you might scoff at the idea of me and organization. Based solely on appearances, I might agree with you, but my life does have a high degree of organization. For example, my closet is organized by how often I wear types of clothes, i.e., work clothes are from and center, then it goes by type of clothing and further to color. All clothes will face and fold the same way, and I have all the of the same type of hanger.

For work life, I get to be completely and utterly organized. I get to make labels, alphabetize, color-coordinate, make spreadsheets, track things, create templates, order supplies, it's like my dream job - except it doesn't pay me enough to be flitting off to my own private island.

Which is fine.

For now.

But back to the organization.

I had to start from a weird place. I would say from the ground up, but really, there was some sort of organization here. And when I say organization, I mean I think that folders are stored in the order in which they were made. Because there is no alphanumeric pattern, chronological pattern, or subject-matter pattern that I can discern. Also? They print EVERYTHING. I mean, I'll keep it on my comp and if you want a hard copy, I'll make one, but why do I need a folder about emails back and forth about a party when I can go to the last email that has the entire string?

Moving on.

So, I have started my project and have made some descent headway. I don't know if I'll ever be done based on the new things that I find regularly, but at least it's something to keep my hands from being idle and the social media's playground...

Speaking of...back to work!

So What Wednesday - Namaste Edition

I'm back! This week for So What Wednesday, I'm linking up with Shannon at Life After I "Dew" and taking a yoga angle on it.

I have found a yoga studio that reminds me of Core Power in Denver, so now as I am about to move out of the neighborhood, I have found my namaste groove. What makes this post even better? SWW is all about ranting and yoga is all about centering oneself. Yin and yang. So with my clarity comes some rants that are naturally running through my head during downward facing dog.

So WHAT if...

• I have just found a studio that I like? At least I found one to get back to the mat. Nothing is serenely amazing as an ass-kicking workout while you're meditating.
• I spent some good money on headbands, a mat bag, and a big girl mat? My hair cannot touch my sweaty skin and bobbypins are not friendly for laying on, I needed a new mat bag because my new big girl mat is thicker and bigger than my yoga-for-beginners-with-alignment-lines mat.
• My big girl mat smells a little and absorbs all my sweat? It's made of natural rubber and keeps me from needing a yogi towel. Also? My ass print is visible in it when I get up from final shavasana.
• Nothing like your ass print to make you want to workout more.
• I wish Lululemon Athletica were a publicly traded company? Everyone's ass I can see in class has their damn logo on it.
• I am one of those asses? I get mine of sale and have yet to invest in tops, but you bet your bippy I've had to show restraint.
• I am no master, but love that I can keep up? Even though it's been awhile since I've been on my mat, it all comes back naturally.
• I get really irritated when novices plop next to me? I have a tough enough time with my own flow and balance, I don't need you cramping my style.
• I think aspects of yoga are a little hokie? At the same time, I have cried at the end of a class with a lot of heart openers. My guess is that this has been worked on before.
• I practice restraint of snarky comments on other yogis? I mean, leggings are not for practicing yoga. I know that they are stretchy and cotton, but they are see through. Like, see the pattern on your Wal-Mart undies see through.
• I have scheduled my classes out for two weeks? When I find a teacher that I like and make time for it, I'm a little obsessive about yoga.
• I decided to become a full-blown member to have my mat stored on site? Kind of awesome to not lug that sucker around on public transportation.

Go link up with Shannon and say so what!

I Love Goooooollldddd

Say it like Goldmember. I'm toit like a tiger.

Moving on.

I have some VERY big news...

Thanks to my need for lattes, my aunt Marsha enabling said habit with gift cards for holidays, and my iPhone app, I have achieved Starbucks GOLD.

You might be thinking, "What took you so long?", and I would tell you that I was too lazy to register my cards online. It took an app on my phone to make me track and use all those points to my advantage. As a side note, when I've used the gift cards from my aunt, I keep loading my (RED) card so that proceeds go to the World AIDS project. Doing good, one latte at a time.

Besides getting free add ins like syrups, apparently, I'll earn free drinks every 15 times I use the card. Not to mention a fancy card with my name on it. But let's be honest, I'm not going to use that too often since I rarely carry my bag of tricks with me everywhere.

I'll be spending this Valentine's with my love, a Personal Grande Skinny Caramel 2 Splenda Latte from my Gold Member, Starbuckian mug.

It's Not Right But It's Okay

That title's from Ms. Houston, but thought it was appropriate since I have been more than scarce as of late. (Aside from my cable-lacking inspired post from last night.)

Some of you may be wondering what I've been up to, some of you could care less, some of you could think, "Oh lawd, she's back." However you slice it, I was indisposed from the blogging world, twitter, the book of face, life, liberty, and the pursuit of boys.

To start, I started a new job. That's always hard, but pulling some 10-12 hour days your first week makes for a little of stress. Add to that needing to find a place to live on a budget that is half of what you're currently accustomed to, and you'd have me. Going to bed before 9PM and up before 6AM.

I do love the job. The work is varied, the people are great, and I actually use my Masters. Well, it may not seem like it at time when I'm affixing labels to files, but truly I am creating and implementing a Document Management System. There, that's also what my Masters gets me: positive spins.

I have come up for air and only have about 9 hour days the second week, but I have gotten into the swing of things, found my groove, and know that it will only get easier.

But I still need to find a place to live. Which is a blog post altogether. (Side note: I'm also taking donations for my rent...)

Later this week, I will tell of my farewell from the DC Gravy Train. It involves the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, so there's some enticement.

Life Without Cable

There's lots to be said for ditching the boob tube and getting back to a simpler existence. That something? It's damn expensive thanks to Comcast and their monopoly on cable providers for my building.

Now that I'm off the gravy train, I have to save all my pennies. But not those gross ones at the bottom of my purse. Those can be pitched.

Back to my point. Although I have been absent from blogging as of late - and well, all social media and life, for that matter - I have found that I spend far less time in a vegetative state, going to bed at a reasonable hour, enjoying a good book, and generally not really missing cable.

That is, until the Grammys were on.

I had made plans to sit in judgment and watch the Grammys at a friend's house, but said friend came down with a strain of the plague, so I opted for the disease-free comfort of catching bit and pieces online. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I do love the performances. I had hoped that the Whitney tribute would be upfront, so I want to the gym and hoped on a treadmill to kill two birds with one stone. Not so much. In fact, Bruce was lackluster for me. Thankfully, Bruno picked up the pace and I found myself dancing a little on the treadmill.

So tell me true, readers, did I miss out?

As an aside, I have also taken this cable-free time to get some blogs out so stay tuned this week!

Missed you, mean it.