Under my umbrella...

It's been rainy here in DC (until this afternoon) and I've been in my own little world under my umbrella.

Also, I've been working "late," so by the time I'm walking to the metro, I'm a little tired and more than a little out of it.

On Thursday I tried to sneak around a car that had pulled out of a parking garage (you know, just far enough to block the entire sidewalk) and was hurrying behind it when I felt a big smack on my umbrella. Luckily the smack made me jump to the side just in time to see the security/parking gate come crashing down on my right.

I had been listening to my ipod and hadn't noticed the screeching siren that yelps when a car is pulling through to warn of the gate.

Again, because I had my ipod on, I think I misjudged the volume of my exclamation, because I'm pretty sure the surprised looks from all the commuters were a result of my loud "what?! WHAT?!" as I jumped out of the way.

Who said commuting has to be dull?

Gothic

Work has been really busy lately...but it's still great.

I remember the time when I went to pick up an ID card for an adjunct professor about a month after I'd started working. I walked up to the window and I had a conversation with Mary in the GoCard office that went a little something like this:

Mary: Do you worship the devil?

Me: Pardon me?

Mary: Do you do witchcraft and such things, chile' ?

Me: (Thinking: Oh no, here goes another long explanation of how "Big Love" is not Mormon reality...) No, why?

Mary: Well, you must be one of those Gothic kids.

Me: No, I can't say that I've ever been Gothic.

Mary: Then why are your fingernails painted black, chile'?

Me: (Looking at my fingernails, which I then realized were still painted my favorite dark purple color). OH. No, these are actually purple. I guess they are a little dark for work.

Mary: Well chile' they look awful black and awful Gothic. Are you sure you don't do any of that devil-worship business?

Me: Yes, Mary, I'm sure. (Walking off. Noting: remove nail polish as soon as I get home).

I love my job.

What brings us together today...

This is me two days before Blake and I got married:

This is Blake and me after we got married. Yes, I do look even happier:

Exciting, isn't it?