When I Roll Into the ...When I Stroll Into the...When I Bounce into...the Wild Wild West!

Big news folks, big. HUGE!

I got a job.

And the crowd goes wild!

It's in Arizona

And a hush falls over the crowd.

Yup...I'm packing my bags and heading out West, back to my college town (kinda...going to Phoenix, went to school in Tempe, just outside Phoenix.)

I'm taking a gig with an issue-based campaign as their Communications Director. This will give me fantastic statewide press experience, and hopefully help me get a campaign job when the 2010 Congressional races start up in the spring/summer.

If you remember from my Tweets, I mentioned that I got cold called by a company because I put my resume up on a political website...well 2 interviews and a lengthy reference check process later, they are the organization who hired me!

Oh yea...did I mention I'll be leaving in about 2 weeks? Yea...awesome.

If you've been following my Tweets, you'll also know that I've had just the WORST luck trying to get a new apartment here in DC...and now I'm thinking that all those rejections (and believe you me...there were a TON!) were for a reason - I was meant to take this job. (This also make me feel better about myself, so I don't think that people just didn't want to rent to me/live with me.)

I am bittersweet about the entire thing...I am going to miss my DC friends dearly (especially my bloggy friends - and especially especially this gal who is moving to my neighborhood as we speak!) and then there of course is the whole Florida issue.

Long story short with Florida: not sure what is going to happen. He's known from the very beginning that I haven't wanted anything serious...so we'll see. After the Badger debacle I'm totally against being in another long-distance relationship.

So if I don't write for a few weeks, know that I still love you all very much and I am just busily packing up my apartment, finding places to store everything, buying a car (no public transportation in Phoenix!), moving across the country (again...), finding a place to live, and oh yea - starting a brand new job.

I guess I'll have to change my header to "Thoughts on life and love in our State Capital city!" haha!

I hope you all have a fantastic rest of the week - thankfully I took the rest of the week off work (my lease was supposed to end July 31 and I knew I'd need the last final days to pack because I might possibly be the worst worst procrastinator EVER) so I'll be starting to pack and go through things and do a ton of research on my new job!

Cheers,



PS - If you happen to have a spare room in your place in the Phoenix area (and you know who you are...) and want a clean-ish roomie, let me know! :)

Thoughts on new living situation...

Have you ever felt like a stranger in your own home?

That's how I feel right now.

I just moved into a new apartment, and after living alone for the last 3 years, I have a roommate.

And the roommate has a boyfriend, of course.

And the boyfriend's old roommate is my old boyfriend, Badger.

Lovely.

Today was my first day in the apartment, after spending all day yesterday moving boxes and furniture...I don't have keys yet, so I literally couldn't leave the apartment and go anywhere (including to get food!) because I couldn't get back in. Which is fine, as I am not paying rent until January 1, but still.

So right now, roommate and her boyfriend are watching a movie in the main room, and I'm hiding out in my room.

This is silly right? I should be able to go out into the main area and watch a movie with them...but they're all mushy and kissy and frankly it is depressing me because I want to be mushy and kissy with Badger, and I can't be because he broke up with me.

So I ask you: is it wrong that I feel like I'm not supposed to come out of my room? I mean, there is a TON of unpacking for me to do, and I have a cold, so I'm sure it doesn't seem weird that I'm hiding out in here, right??

Just needed to get that off my chest...I suppose now I'll start unpacking...ugh.

Sorry to be a grump...I'm just a bit out of sorts right now I suppose.

Cheers,

Sweet Bea

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

So I've been in a funk since I got back to DC, and it was made worse when my boyfriend (who lives in NYC and I haven't seen since June and was totally looking forward to FINALLY seeing once I got back...) broke up with me the day after Thanksgiving.

Joy.

So, after several days of crying non-stop and not eating I decided that I would pick myself up by my bootstraps and head over to Eastern Market, a historical farmers' market on Capitol Hill.

Usually, Eastern Market is split into 4 areas: the flea market where you can find all kinds of awesome things, the farmers' market where you can get fresh local produce, the indoors market, perfect for more produce, flowers, meats, cheeses, and pastries, and finally the art and artisan portion, where beautiful hand painted and hand crafted goods can be purchased.

OH - and they also have Market Lunch in the indoor market, where you can get some of the most amazing crab cakes outside of Maryland. YUM-O.

Anywho, Eastern Market burned down last year April 2007 (can't BELIEVE it has been that long!) and thankfully, the DC Government got right to work to make sure that the vendors who are here daily don't lose their livelihoods (though in looking for the original article about the fire, I stumbled upon this) and built a new temporary building for the indoor vendors. The community really pulled together as well, hosting fundraisers to help support the rebuilding efforts. (If you're interested, you can still help here - and I encourage you to do so!)

Trips to Eastern Market are usually the highlight of my week, and I hadn't been since my return to DC. I figured that this past Saturday was the perfect opportunity, since I was having such a rough time (what, with not having a job, a stable place to stay, losing my cousin Jean, and of course, getting dumped by my previously-awesome boyfriend, Badger) so I picked myself up and headed on over.

What I didn't realize was that people along my travel route (all of 5 blocks or so) was that people would be putting up their Christmas trees in their lovely bay windows. I stopped in front of each and looked through the windows and felt much better.

I continued on my way to Eastern Market and ran into a vendor who was cleaning up his stand who told me that I was very pretty today (I still felt puffy and red from all the crying) but I took his compliment as graciously as I could and felt even better than before.

When I turned the corner, my heart literally stopped as I saw Eastern Market for the first time in 5 months and saw that it had turned into a wonderful Christmas tree lot. And I was absolutely on cloud nine.

I wandered through the beautiful trees smelling them and picking up the garlands that were on the tables next to the trees and decided that the visit was exactly what I needed to boost my spirits.

I finally left my happy place of trees and wandered inside to buy cheese for my new faux-roomies, but unfortunately forgot that at the cheese shop they don't take credit cards and I didn't have any cash on me, so I left with just some pumpkin ravioli and a smile.

So this weekend, my faux-roomies are throwing a holiday party and we are going to Eastern Market to get our own beautiful Christmas tree and trimmings, and I just can't wait! :) Hopefully, this next trip to Eastern Market will make me smile as much as the last one! UPDATED: The trip was a success! We went last night (in flip flops and t-shirt because while it had rained during the day, it was fine and WARM! at night)and picked out a beautiful tree, I haggled with the guy, got the tree for a STEAL and he threw in a free 28' garland. YAY! Tree was delivered today and will be decorated in time for the holiday party tomorrow night. Will have pics, I promise (but of course, that depends on me getting my camera charger from a box at friend Eric's house...where it has been since I got back to town. UGH!)

Cheers,

Sweet Bea

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Well sweet friends I'm finally back in DC and starting to settle back in to real life...though being without a job and sleeping on a friend's couch I suppose hardly qualifies for "real" life. But, at least, in this week of counting blessings, I can be thankful that I have such wonderful real life friends with a couch for me to sleep on.

In these tough economic times, I am grateful that I was able to live at home while on the campaign trail and save money, so that if it takes me a while to find a new job I will still be okay.

I am thankful that I have a wonderful family who let me stay with them, not just so I could save money, but because, in their minds, where the heck else would I stay?

There will be more things that I am thankful for in the upcoming days (perhaps this becomes my very first "daily" post series??) but for now, let us turn our thoughts to other thanks-worthy things.

J. Crew.

I haven't mentioned it before, but I am *slightly* obsessed with J. Crew. Courtesy of my dear college friend Lulu (one of those women who is always so together and whose friendship I am also thankful for) and her blog, The Dirty Martini Diaries, (YAY! Now that campaign season is over I actually have time to read it!) I have recently stumbled onto this gem: J. Crew Aficionada.

Now I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone about how fantastic J. Crew is, but to find a blog where everyone shares my, um, passion(?) was a wonderful gift. Lots of fun chatting to be found, as well as insider information on sales, promo codes, and other information. It, along with checking in on Lulu, has become one of my daily addictions.

So, if you're off from work this week, or want to start reading some fanciful other sites instead of working, def hit up Lulu's site and J. Crew Aficionada. I promise you will enjoy every blissful moment.

OR - you could watch reruns of the Golden Girls, like I'm doing right now. On today's episode, Dorothy is tutoring a young student, Mario. Mario is played by Mario Lopez. It is pretty darned funny.

Cheers,

Sweet Bea

I. Do. Not. Like. Babies.

So as I prepare to move back to DC after this campaign, I am dealing with so many emotions that I am in a constant struggle to keep composed.

An example of just how far out on my sleeve my emotions are right now?

I'm crying at reality TV.

Not sweet, mushy, romantic reality TV. No no - that would be understandable, and frankly, quite normal for me.

I am crying at baby shows. BABY shows. All of 'em.

Jon & Kate Plus 8? Check.

Bringing Home Baby? Double check.

Tori & Dean? Yup - currently crying (its on now.)

Why is this so strange? you may ask. Babies are cute and wonderful and miracles! you squeal.

I. Do. Not. Like. Babies.

I don't like any babies. I don't want to have babies. I do not want to hold babies. I do not coo. I do not ooh and aah at babies.

In fact, I get quite nauseated at the entire prospect of babies.

Case in point: My mom works in an elementary school and her teacher just had a baby. Mom, brother and I went to go visit my grandma (Ba) in her nursing home earlier this week, and the hospital where Mom's teacher had her baby was a few blocks away, so we got the okay from the 4-time mom (seriously. On a TEACHER'S salary!) and popped into the hospital.

Yes the new baby (Hope? Grace? I can't remember) was adorable. She was also quiet, which made her more adorable. But did I want anything to do with her? Nope.

In fact, when teacher's husband (first time dad) started talking about baby things I started to get queasy. Luckily teacher saw me turning green and quickly shushed him. Have I mentioned that I like teacher?

Another case in point: my old boss had her first baby last spring and came by the office to show off the new baby girl (Maddie maybe?) I came over from my office to see her (the mom) and offer my congrats. But I had no interest in the baby. She asked me if I wanted to hold her, and I said no - I was there to see her, not the baby. I think she was a little offended.

I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone, but babies are just not my thing.

So as I stress about packing, moving (back) across country, finding an apartment, finding a job, AND planing and serving Thanksgiving dinner (where I'm not sure yet) for some reason babies are getting to me. Who knows why.

Anywho, instead of finishing up my cover letter and getting it and my resume out to prospective employers, here I am watching Tori & Dean (yay!!) and writing about crying (yay to writing, boo to crying.)

Seriously pathetic. Ugh.

Okie dokie, time to get productive before dinner with my former boss and campaign team!

Cheers,

Sweet Bea


PS - you know what I just realized? I def announced this blog as if it were a baby being born. What is going on with me??