Merry Christmas

Little Mary: Is this the ear you can’t hear on? [whispering in his bad ear]
Little Mary: George Bailey, I’ll love you ‘til the day I die.

Merry Christmas from Capitol Hill

have a hoppin’ christmas?

a quick picture post

Mom’s been in town. She’s been spoiling us. Jonathan’s been in hell. He just finished. Now it’s time for Christmas. Happiness.

“Christmas Dinner” - Cornish hens from eastern market



 a snowy thursday lunch break with moms



He’s done



celebrations on a snowy thursday



merry christmas from a snowy (and blurry) capital hill

Two of my favorite people. If this doesn’t lighten up your wednesday I don’t know what will. Well…that’s not entirely true. I’m watching Miracle On 34th Street on tv right now (wishing it was the old one as opposed to the new one with the Matilda girl) but at either rate it’s getting me in the Christmas spirit. Goal 1: met My next goal: to stop relating with this quote when it comes to art… “The space that I can call mine.. is so small that my ideas have become small. I am like a caterpillar in a cocoon of paper; all around me are sketches for sculptures, small drawings that seem like moths fluttering against the windows, beating their wings to escape from this tiny space.. Every day the ideas come more reluctantly, as though they know I will starve them and stunt their growth.” — Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife) …..and start relating to this one: “The compelling thing about making art—or making anything, I suppose—is the moment when the vaporous, insubstantial idea becomes a solid there, a thing, a substance in a world of substances. Circe, Nimbue, Artemis, Athena, all the old sorceresses: they must have known the feeling as they transformed mere men into fabulous creatures, stole the secrets of the magicians, disposed armies: ah, look, there it is, the new thing. Call it a swine, a war, a laurel tree. Call it art.” — Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife) Have I mentioned how much I love this book?

Change of plans and 4 flights richer

So our night drastically changed in about a 15 minute time span last night. We’ve had a wonderful thanksgiving break in Athens and really spent some much needed time with loved ones whom we’ve missed desperately since moving to dc; so naturally the Sunday night depression was hitting us extra hard as we faced flying home to the craziness of law exams and another busy work week. We got to the Atlanta airport a good couple hours early for our flight at 9pm because we were worried about bad security hold ups and the generally craziness, yet of course we had the easiest check in ever and sat down at our gate a good 2.5 hours early. Jonathan sat down to start studying and I got settled into my re-read of the last Harry potter when at about 745 there was an announcement over the loudspeaker that if anyone would be willing to give up there seats tonight there would be free plane tickets involved and a hotel stay for the night. We considered a few moments and just thought “what the heck, let’s just go see what the deal is.” We got up to the ticket counter and were informed that if 10 minutes before the flight departs they still needed our seats then we would get a free stay at a hotel for the night, food vouchers, a flight to dc the next afternoon, and TWO ROUNDTRIP FLIGHTS for EACH of us. That’s FOUR total free flights domestic AND international (plus tax if international) to extend our stay in GA one night! Let’s just go ahead and say we snatched that deal up and thankfully God decided we needed those extra flights and the extra day of vacation because they needed our seats! We are now waiting in the atlanta airport for our flight back to dc with enough plane tickets to get us to each of the weddings coming up this summer - or to some of them and a nice vacay somewhere warm :) happy happy holidays everyone!!!

Things have been more than crazy over the past 2 weeks. I began training last week with one of the partners at the firm and every day I’ve been slowly but surely taking in everything that goes into making and closing “a deal.” It’s been an absurd amount of information and thankfully the partner who’s training me has continued to make it very clear that she doesn’t expect me to remember EVERYTHING she says, but just wants to expose me to as much as possible so I’ll start taking it in. I’ve pretty much just sat in with her as she works throughout the day-she’s included me in on conference calls with our clients, taught me how to read/compare title and survey, and I now know more about commercial real estate than I ever thought I would.

Jonathan has started getting in gear for his impending law exams that come ever so quickly after this Thanksgiving holiday and the stress is really starting to set in. His professors told him he was allowed to take Thanksgiving day off but that’s it and he better work his butt off for the rest of the break. :( Things are definitely going to be intense over the next few weeks. We’re doing our best to manage all of it as well as we can and although there will be some work involved we’re so looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday back in Athens. Tomorrow night could not get here soon enough.

I’ve been trying to appreciate the little things of late. When things get hard it’s really easy to just miss all the little good things everyday. For instance - the beautiful fall leaves that are still clinging on for dear life on my walk to the eastern market metro every morning on the way to work, the lamp provided to me by K&A that I get to use instead of the fluorescent lights at my desk that were giving me migraines,

the fact that the weather has fought to make it to the 60’s every day of late, and every time we’ve cooked something for dinner in the oven this week it has heated up the brownies sitting on the stove to the perfect brownie eating temperature. Now that’s something to be thankful for! Oh and of course this sweet boy who I’m going to miss so incredibly much over the break! Why oh why can’t we bring really sweet weimaraners on airplanes? He promises he’ll be really good. That lower lip says it all……

just another paralegal

So after much questioning and many discrete meetings, I can finally say that I am being officially promoted to a Paralegal Position for Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac deals starting this Monday at K&A. It has been about two months in the making and there hasn’t been any lack of intrigue or office drama. There were many scares of it falling through - not excluding my first real stab in the back experience in the workplace - but in the end, it looks as if everything worked out the way it should have.

The best way to describe my new position (as many have told me), is that I am training to be a lawyer without the degree. Basically I’ll be drafting documents, keeping in touch with clients and all others involved in the deal in shuffling paperwork and making sure that everyone gets their part of the job done while keeping all the other deals flowing at the same time, and keeping my attorney abreast of the situation. There will be quite the learning curve.

I will get a small raise and finally be working more on the front end of things instead of doing all administrative work. Typically new paralegals get their own (very small) office (more like closet with a door and shelving—but hey-it has a door!) but there just aren’t any available whatsoever. The law firm has been growing at an exponential rate hiring 4 new associates in the past month, 3 new paralegals in the past 2 months, and about the same amount of admins. Basically the firm is getting an unprecedented amount work this year and we need a lot more help in getting all the work done but we’re busting at the seams space wise. Apparently in the next few months we’ll either be taking over another space in the same building we occupy now or we’ll all be moving to another space altogether. I am very excited and honored that my hard work has been noticed and that the partners in the firm feel I have potential beyond just being purely administrative. Here’s to a new challenge! Hopefully I won’t mess it up! :) Thank you K&A!

and no, the irony of jonathan being in law school and me being a paralegal is not lost on me. :)

ok. so here’s Sue Likes Surprise Parties with Christopher Walken (lets just be honest, any SNL with Christopher Walken is a win anyways-but this one is exceptional). “I FORGOT ABOUT HER FACE!”

http://www.hulu.com/embed/kNpubo_m34QhZF0stUl1Yg

favorite snl skit ever. well this one and Sue Likes Surprise Parties with Christopher Walken. oh. so. good. TIE

http://www.hulu.com/aol/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashcontrol.com%2Ffree-tv-shows%2Fsaturday-night-live%2F2265438040-debbie-downer/embed/wJWwv-HGn0ONqCtHyVCvcQ

Just a few photographs by Edward Steichen I’m looking to draw inspiration from. I love his sensitivity to light and form.

dinosaurs and diamond rings

For some reason I’m just a big ball of stress tonight even though some pretty amazing things took place today for a Wednesday! I’m too tired for much of a post, but here are some quick highlights from today:

1. Halloween party at work. I’m a dinosaur, Alexa’s a tourist. Amazingness. Pizza and cupcakes and party favors at work plus a costume contest. Neither of us won-let that blow your mind for how serious a law firm can get about Halloween costumes.



2. Got my very first apron from my coworker/new capitol hill mamma, Bonnie, as a gift from her and her husband’s recent trip to Argentina. I also got a bday present from Disneyland from Daniel and Carrie in the mail. I’m feeling pretty special :)

3. There’s a shiny on someone’s finger out there who I love immensely. Bursting with joy for them :)

SNL. Timberlake. Samberg. LOVE “WE JUST WANNA DANCE AGAIN!”

http://www.hulu.com/embed/8XjZJbeORodds0B85L-aoQ

hilariously accurate.

12 medium format film exposures are burning in my pocket from today. thank you penn camera for being open at 8am and right next to work.

fall food take two: stuffed peppers

 Rule 1: You can never have too much help in the kitchen :)



Recipe: Cut the tops off two peppers. Saute ground turkey meat
with onions, fresh garlic, pecans, cut up apples, raisins, salt,pepper, and rosemary. After the meat is browned sprinkle with
cheddar cheese and mix well. Stuff peppers with mixture, wrap
in tin foil and put in oven heated to 400 for 20-25 minutes.
ENJOY!


Please pair with red wine. Please.





I love October. Could be because it truly starts to feel like fall,

or could have something to do with my birthday….who knows

for sure ;)

baking chocolate chip pumpkin cookies using my new

anthropologie timer. Happy Fall Everyone!





 apple cider tequila with our chocolate chip pumpkin cookies is good

White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Just cannot quit playing this song- thank you Andrea for introducing me to Fleet Foxes *If you want to listen by sure to hit download. Play won’t do it.

White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes.

Just cannot quit playing this song- thank you Andrea for introducing me to Fleet Foxes

*If you want to listen by sure to hit download. Play won’t do it.

Scream it out, Sally. So good. Thank you madmenfootnotes. madmenfootnotes: MYTHIC CRYING. Scream it out, Sally.

a friend, an art gallery, a museum, cheddar cheese pickle hot dogs,penny loafers, and a bike.

THIS is the closest we’ve lived to each other in probably 7 years.


c3p0. julia child’s kitchen. kermit. and not pictured: president’s wives
inauguration gowns. American History Museum=win.


yes, we live in a place where they have dog blessing events. thank you dc.
and jude treed a squirrel.



everything i love is in eastern market.







test driving my new bike. talked him down from $100 to $55! LOVE


new shoes. Andrea


new bike. Emily


andrea + emily in Eastern Market = success. miss you already Gooch! ;)

I can’t begin to express to everyone how much your words of support and encouragement have meant to me over the past few days. I spent the day receiving texts, phone calls, and emails of love and support and it truly lifted my spirit. I’ve loved reading about every memory, hearing every story, and being reminded how my dad touched more lives than just mine. This year marks year 5 I’ve had to live without him as a part of my life. I read somewhere that when you lose someone it never gets easier, you just continue to mourn the fact that this person who was such a huge part of your life is missing every new memory. Every big event from here on out is without them. There are many moments a day where I feel this way-just heartbroken for the loss 5 years ago, and for the next 50 years to come.

Yesterday though I was given a small gift to ease this feeling. I don’t know if everyone’s high school does this or not, but mine was small, tiny even. I graduated with 20 students and so every year there is a Baccalaureate service where each senior picks someone influential in there life to give them a charge the week before graduation. I chose Dad. I’ve pretty much made it a tradition of watching the video every year on September 20th in the 5 years since his death, and this year it’s like I heard parts for the very first time. You know that saying (thank you husband for reminding me of this) where a guy reads a book when he’s 15 and thinks it ok, then he reads it when he’s 25 and loves it, then he reads it again at 35 and it’s his favorite book, then again at 45 and it’s the most inspiring/moving book he’s ever read, and so on? That’s how I felt yesterday watching my Dad’s charge to me. I always remembered him talking about how not to let my people-pleasing ways take over my life and such (not the most eloquent description of his charge but that was one point in short), but I’d never really heard his second main charge to me. He told me that he always knew I had a big heart and that he and mom and daniel all knew what it was like to be loved by me and it was a wonderful feeling. Then he said that life was going to try and take that love away with all it’s hardships and for me to never “let my love run dry.” It was like he just sat me down on the couch and had a talk with me about everything going on in my life. For just a moment, I felt my dad again. Things are hard, but Dad I promise to not let my love run dry.

things have been absurdly crazy around the mayo house recently and so it’s been a little bit since my last update. i think a few pictures with captions are about all i can muster right now so here it goes: (please excuse the picture quality as they are all from my iphone):

remember when jude got bit by a crazy scary dog and got 7 stitches and had to wear a really sad cone? :(



well he got them out and is now a new man with a crazy scar! :)


i’ve seen some gorgeous sunsets after getting off the metro home from work


and then we went to the Jefferson Memorial for some fun and to celebrate the

first day of crisp air with pumpkin spice lattes and friends






other than that, it’s a constant balance of work, school, studies, cleaning, erranding, dog parking, sleeping, eating, and trying to work in some fun here and there. shew.