Day 7 - I love the Nightlife Baby

There is a song by The Cars entitled "I Love the Nightlife Baby". I had this song stuck in my head as I was walking down a busy street here in Crystal City.

There is a street that I love, it is lined with dozens of little local restaurants ranging from Ethiopian to Thai to Mexican to Italian and beyond. Tonight I walked over to 7-11 to get my Mt. Dew fix and I thought I would walk up and down that street. I felt like I was in a foreign country. The culture is just very different here. I like it. I like how one can go to so many diverse places just by walking a block or two.

Today was a great day. It was of course friday and the last day of the week and as well it was the last day of our intense orientations at work. Next week we will receive our departmental assignments. I will not disclose which department I will be working in, but I really don't prefer much one department above another. I will gain valuable experience and create good relationships wherever I go.

After work and my 45 minute commute. (which isn't too bad comparatively) I got home and took a deep, wonderful nap. It was much needed. I have since had a lazy night. I got my Mt Dew, I ate some dinner (pasta), got some homework done, and watched some golf in this nice lounge area of the lobby in the apartment building. An old man came in and sat next to me and proceeded to BS about how awesome he is at golf and then he found out I was from Utah, so then he assumed I was LDS (he assumed right) and he proceeded to poke fun. It was all in good fun, and I humored him for some time. Needless to say I wrapped up the homework I was doing at the time and left him to brag about golfing with Phil, rambling about the national deficit and Iraq War, and babbling about extramarital affairs to himself. It is quite the experience living outside the Utah bubble. I like it, it makes one have to make a choice to either stand or shrink. I have already grown so much since being out here and it has been only a week.

I have some lame pictures.

This is the street I was talking about in Crystal City. So many cute little restaurants and pubs. Its a bad picture. (sometimes I end up taking bad pictures because I attempt to take pictures nonchalant, not to look like a freak while taking pictures of random streets and things)

My dear wife sent me this picture. This is an ugly little item she bought at DI. It is a wall hanger hook thingy that one would hang a coat or purse. She said, "I am drawn to it." I'm not sure what that means, perhaps she just needs a man in the house after my departure. Anyway, I told her she could hang it in our apartment for a couple months. (get it?)

I saw some familiarity with the little boy, but just couldn't figure of whom it reminded me.

But then I realized...

It's Kurt from the Sound of Music! Subsequently, Laura has named the little boy on the wall hanger Kurt. She must have a thing for Austrian juveniles.