Washington, D.C.'s flag:

Washington, D.C. became the nation's capital on June 11, 1800

Located 90 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and 233 miles south of New York City

Area:  68.25 square miles

Population (2000 census):  572, 059 (which is more than Wyoming but less than Vermont)

Highest point:  Tenleytown (410 feet above sea level)

Origin of name honors George Washington and Christopher Columbus

Motto:  Justitia Omnibus (latin for Justice for All)

Flower:  American Beauty Rose

Bird:  Wood Thrush

Tree:  Scarlet Oak

D.C. averages more than 39 inches of rainfall annually (more than Seattle)

The famous red phone depicted in movies is not in the Oval Office (actually in the Pentagon)

The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the U.S. and contains 535 miles of bookshelves (in the reading room alone, there are 45,000 reference books)

The Nationals Park is on track to be the first "green-certified" baseball stadium in the country

There are 170 embassies and international culture centers

15 percent of D.C. residents speak another language other than English at home

The Washington Monument is the tallest of all buildings - 555 1/8 feet

D.C. was voted most walkable city in a 2007 Brookings Institute study (YES, I LOVE THIS ASPECT!)

The Capitol Dome took 11 years to build (on top of the dome is the Statue of Freedom which is almost 20 feet tall and weighs 15,000 pounds)

Schools:  167 public, 60 Charter, 83 Private, 9 Colleges/Universities

Churches:  610 Protestant, 132 Catholic, 9 Jewish

Tourism generates more than $5.5 million from visitor spending

Major corporations:  Marriott International, AMTRAK, AOL Time Warner, Gannet News, Exxon Mobil

Special thanks to those who followed along in the last 15 weeks!  It was fun to reflect on my experiences.

On my last evening, we had one last hoorah with Mrs. Obama (cardboard version)...

To future TWC interns:

Soak it alllll in.

That's a wrap!

Mélange

a mixture

It never fails.  Something strikes me each time I see the Capitol Building.  I pass it everyday and cherish the moment and view.

On Saturday, I toured the inside of America's Capitol Building.  I now have a mé lange of pictures inside and out.  Enjoy a mé lange of views...

Inside the Rotunda...

Zoomed in on painting...

Signing of Declaration of Independance.  The original painting...

One of the chandeliers...

The Capitol's Christmas Tree is from California this year...

If you adore nature, seeing the U.S. Botanic Garden is highly recommended.  A snap of the Capitol Building here too...

All the monuments are displayed at the Botanic Garden.  Here is the Washington Monument.  Notice the reflecting pool behind it even...

Last day at internship is tomorrow.  Bittersweet.  Many mixed feelings and emotions.  Extremely excited to tour the Pentagon on Thursday afternoon and shop (just a little) at the Pentagon City Mall.  Comet Ping Pong pizza date set for tomorrow night!

These are in the oven for the girls when they return to #505 from work.  Mmmmm... Better go take a peak at them!

This is my last post while in the District.  Deep breath...

Hear from me one last time once I am back and settled in the Buckeye State (O-H-I-O).

Until then...time for a few last HOORAHs in our nation's capital!

Today Show

Click here for your laugh of the week.  Marissa and I remained determined to go to the Today Show while in New York last week.  We are the ones to the right of Maya Rudolph, but wait until the camera zooms in on Maya, then we are in the peep hole by her right cheek.  Marissa has a yellow "I Love Wisconsin" sign and I am representing the Ohio State Buckeyes with a red beanie-type hat.  Rolling on two hours of sleep and arriving at Rockefeller Plaza at 6:30am Friday, December 2nd, this moment makes the Top 10 List of Best Memories!

Betcha feel like you are standing right at Times Square with me!

At our internship, we had been working non-stop to prepare for the scholarship dinner that took place last week in the Big Apple.  Successfully complete.  Eventful live band playing Latino music for the dance afterwards as well to wrap up the night.

Sharral, the gal on the right in the picture above, graduates with a Masters in Public Health this Saturday.  She left for home this morning.  Marissa and I miss her dearly already!

U.S. Green Building Council

Such a cool place to tour.  Everything this place does is so innovative and energy efficient.  It is incredible.  This is the group that certifies a building as "LEED" (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  Back on my college's campus, we actually do have a LEED certified Welcome Center.

**Read More Here**

Since this building utilizes all resources possible, this wood is from a sunken ship at the bottom of the Tennessee River.  Wish the image showed how beautiful and smooth it is.  Our tour guide stressed about the wood being completely natural...never sanded, polished, or anything.

What is left to do?

Commencement is on Monday.

Touring the Pentagon sometime next week.

Planning to ice skate near The Hill.

Eating at Comet Ping Pong Pizza (it was on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"!).

Christmas shopping (maybe...I prefer to wait until the last minute personally...)

And...going to bake a few more surprises for my roommates...mmmm, though we are all more than ready for home-cooking.

Until next time...do something "green" in honor of the U.S. Green Building Council!

I'm reaching the

pinnacle

of this experience in many forms...

[ Pinnacle: highest point; top; peak ]

The picture above was snapped as I was on my way up to the Arlington House at the Arlington Cemetary.  Almost to the top.  It is an upper leg work-out.  Notice the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol off in the distance.

Reaching for the Pinnacle...My final class project and my TWC program portfolio are due next Monday, December 5th.  Again, almost to the top.  Once those are turned in, I will just be coasting downhill until TWC's commencement on December 12th.

NYC Bound!

All of us at work leave for New York on Wednesday!  The Big Apple will have our presence until Sunday afternoon.  The itinerary is set...and subject to change of course.  Looking forward to being at the TOP of the Empire State Building!

The pictures above and below sent my sweet tooth taste buds over-the-top.  The pink box, sealed with Rudolph himself, holds a Lemon Blossom cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake.  For my "Small Business Saturday" purchase, I chose to support this sweet spot.  Of course I had a cup of coffee to perfect the moment.

The All-In-One treat below is my baking at its best for Thanksgiving dessert.  The bottom layer is pressed cookie dough.  The second layer holds half-vanilla/half-chocolate Oreos.  A brownie batter mix is poured over to top it all off.  Is this Food Network worthy, you think maybe?!

Reaching for the Jingle Pinnacle...Still training for that Jingle All-the-Way 8K Race.  Working at it...  Less than 14 days away!  Ready for the bells to ring.

In this video below, these parents may laugh now, but most likely were over-the-top with frustration in the moment...

Until next time...take advantage of some "Cyber" deals!

ALDIFounded by Karl Albrecht and is a discounted supermarket based in Germany.

"ALDI" is short for ALbrecht DIscount.

ALDI has always been in my reach.  Both my hometown and college town have one...and now so does the Northeast quadrant of D.C.!  An easy 20 minute walk from the TWC living facility.  Affordable grocery store.  Great for us interns on a stiff budget.  It's on 17th Street NE.  Make a note.

Whole Foods Market

Any Whole Foods Market is a bit more upscale than ALDI.  Whole Foods is known for its supreme quality and natural products.  Its prices can pinch your wallet.  In a past entry, I mentioned about having to complete a Grocery Gap project for D.C. Hunger Solutions.  On Friday afternoon, my partner, Loi, and I headed out to our assigned Whole Foods store location to survey which foods the store offered and its lowest price for that food item.  Three hours later, we finally reached the last page of the survey.  It was time consuming, yet a beneficial experience.  A number of customers approached us thinking we were store employees due to our clipboards.  Once we explained what we were doing, they really appreciated our efforts to help narrow the grocery gap among D.C.'s communities.  From these surveys, it will be evident that certain communities have minimal availablity to healthy and affordable food products.

Below is page 2 of 7 for this survey...Now do you understand why it took us so long?

Extreme Makeover: Food Label Edition (Such a food-related entry this is, isn't it?...)

Our program had to complete research on an unsolved "problem".  I targeted America's dire need of a food label transformation.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for our current label and regulations, and for any future modifications.  I could go on and on about my findings.

Instead, if you're interested:

Click here to see a before-and-after label makeover comparison.

Click here to see a brand new and modern look option.  (Extreme makeover, eh?)

Mount Vernon Estate

You're always going to hear what you *must* do while in this city.  Folks, put the Mount Vernon Estate at the top of your lists.  This is where you find George Washington's mansion.  Historical.

Front...

Chair used during both terms of presidency...

The gorgeous back side...

And the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l  fall-colored-filled view sitting on that back porch looking out to the Potomac River... I wouldn't mind having the Potomac River in my backyard...

Until next time...Happy NCAA Basketball season!  GO OHIO STATE BUCKEYES!!!

Word in Washington...

Tintinnabulate:  the sound of ringing bells

Last week as I watched the Marine Corps Marathon, boy, I got antsy.  As an amateur jogger/runner/racer, witnessing passionate athletes cringe as they pour out every last ounce of themselves makes me want to emulate them.  It's inspiring for me; for others, it may not be so much.  Participating in a race is on my Washington Bucket List.  I officially registered for one this week.  Just 33 days until the Jingle All the Way 8K!  I've raced in numerous 5Ks and have been waiting on the perfect time to get into a 10K.  This 8K race is just right.  Baby steps.  Marissa, my co-worker (also an intern with TWC), recruited me and I hope to encourage some others.  December 11th is our last Sunday here in the city.  There is no better way to end with a bang on the last weekend.  Still not sold on it?  Maybe this will help:  the racing bag we receive on race day includes jingle bells to tie to our shoes!  YEAH.  The Word in Washington, tintinnabulate, is just another word for jingle.  Marissa and I will be tintinnabulating down Pennsylvania Avenue on December 11th at 9:00am!  FYI:  It's much easier to say (and type) jingling rather than tintinnabulating.

"Preparing"

or "Training"...

Eight kilometers is equivalent to 4.9 miles.  Thankfully I've been keeping up with cardio exercising.  I do want to improve my times.  My goal is 42 minutes.  That's pushing it for this body.  Flat course - Advantage.  December's unpredictable weather - Disadvantage.

With the time change, I'm at work during our minimal daylight hours and won't have many opportunities to train outside except for the weekends.  Below is the tool catching my sweat drops.

Here are few more angles of the fitness facility...

National Institutes of Health

NIH is located in Bethesda, Maryland.  Our program advisor scheduled a tour there for us this past week.  Another highlighting experience.  NIH funds and conducts medical research throughout the U.S. and around the world.  It trains scientists for tomorrow and provides health and science information to the public.  NIH is referred to as a "campus".  It covers a chunk of land with 67 buildings.  Among those buildings are 38 institutes, centers, and offices.  A few examples:  National Institute on Aging, Center for Scientific Review, and Office of Diertary Supplements.

Just a sense of the size... There's even a shuttle system.  In the forefront of this picture is the Clinical Center, which is America's clinical research hospital.

Living for the "Green Sticker" at the RAF

In an effort to reduce waste and encourage energy conscious living, an electricity consumption competition is being held throughout the RAF.  Apartments are ranked on bi-weekly data and corresponding stickers will be placed by your apartment door to indicate your status.

Green Sticker = Least Energy Intensive
Blue Sticker = Moderately Low Energy Intensive
Yellow Sticker = Moderately High Energy Intensive
Red Sticker = Most Energy Intensive

Our apartment must be in a "slump".  Our first sticker was Blue.  Our second was Green.  The most recent sticker is Blue.  No worries; we will step our game up.  The Top Ten least energy intensive apartments have a chance at Harris Teeter gift cards.  Now it's serious business.  Bring it on!

Laugh of the Week

Until next time...do not think about tintinnabulating until we have counted our blessings on November 24th.

Typically there is not much you can accomplish is six lousy minutes (360 seconds).  I just timed myself as I washed my dishes in the sink; that even took me 6 minutes and 38 seconds.  For my inspiring 37-year-old marathon-racing cousin, six minutes is all it takes for him to knock out one mile.  The infamous Marine Corps Marathon takes place each year in Arlington, Virginia on the last Saturday of October.  Military members of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy compete in teams for bragging rights and the title of the fastest service.  My cousin, Matt, represents the Navy.  He finished in 2 hours and 36 minutes.  Along with his wife and two sons, we cheered him on during his final strides to the finishline.  I coudn't even snap a picture since he flashed by us so quickly.  The website has not posted his final overall standing yet, and I still haven't heard which military serivice claims the 2011 title.

Stiff competition, ya think?

"got milk?"

One of our programming assignments requires us to interview a person in a position of interest.  With a few emails, calls, and some finger-crossing, I was able to touch base with the Field Marketing Manager of the Milk Processor Education Program.  What a special 45-minute conversation and highlight of my D.C. experience so far.  Glad I took it seriously.  Having this connection landed a surprise FedEx package in the mailbox!

A "got CHOCOLATE milk?" t-shirt is one of the freebies:

InternshipWe're headed to New York City on December 1st!  Our scholarship dinner is at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel by Times Square.  This will be a one-of-a-kind hotel experience.

Another "First"

First Washington snowfall is in the books.  No sunshine, nippy temperatures, and a snowy wet mix coming out the sky...forcing me to stay inside and finish my mid-term exam on a Saturday.  That's positive, I guess.

O-H-I-O

I love the Ohio State Buckeyes.  Let me inform you that we upset the Wisconsin Badgers in football last night for our Homecoming game!  Below is the "Script Ohio" performed by the best band in the land before every Ohio State football game.  I just have to spread the spirit. ;)

Until next time...our candy bucket is ready for any Trick-or-Treaters!

You guessed it.  Barbershops can also be referred to as Tonsorial Shops.  In the Andy Griffith Show, Floyd is Mayberry's barber and his shop is referred to as a Tonsorial Shop on different occasions.  You learned something new today!  Valuable education.

Hair Cut

I have been putting it off for too long.  I did some researching through www.yelp.com to help me find a reasonable place.  That website has assisted me a number of times while being here.  Diego's Hair Salon near Dupont Circle stood out.  I wanted to go somewhere for a unique experience.  Unique it was.  Diego is Italian and so are many of his employees.  It's such a fun and relaxing atmosphere with the barbershop layout, Italian music, and Italian chattering.  Pictures of Italy line the walls along with a number of photoggraphs of famous people who have had their hair cut by Diego.  They were swamped busy even with eight stylists snipping away.  I hopped in a chair pretty fast.  No appointment needed.  Cash only.  And don't worry, they speak English very well too.  Price ranges from $20-$30.  I'm very pleased.  I plan to let Iole (pronounced Yo-Le) work her magic again on my short, thick curls before I return home.

NHMA

We are working heavily on our California and New York Scholarship Dinners coming up in mid-November (CA) and December 1st (NY).  Trying to settle on Honorary Dinner Committee members.  Still looking for a few more sponsorships as well.  I helped narrow down the applicants for California's scholarship award.  Tough calls.  Lots of deserving medical degree pursuers.  I have applied for numerous scholarships in my time.  I wouldn't want to be on those committees trying to determine who is more deserving.

STEM Project

This is one of the projects we must complete for our program.  We must identify a current STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) topic with an unsolved problem.  I'm looking into food science--fast food and obesity correlations.  This has always been one of my highest concerns so I have plenty of recommendations to make for helping to "solve" the problem, or at least constrict and lessen it.

Laughs of the Day

Have you ever seen..?

And Aglaee is ready for Santa and we haven't even seen the Halloween Witch yet...

Until next time...I'm going to flip our TV station to catch a few laughs from Andy, Barney, Opie, and Floyd on the Andy Griffith Show!

I admire those who express their bona fides.  Getting to know our Mexican roommate, Aglaee, has been very special.

Bona fides:  honest intention, sincerity

Aglaee has a loving heart.  It's a commonality among those of the Mexican culture.  She prepared a scrumptious dinner for our apartment and a few other Mexican interns.  And, I do mean scrumptious...  Below captures the table and our two Mexican roomies, Aglaee & Marcela.

For those who intern with TWC, hear me clearly:  ATTEND THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL!  This festival is held at the RAF (where all interns live).  It's an opportunity to learn about all your fellow intern-mates who are from all parts of the world.  We have 14 different countries here this semester -- ranging from Ethiopia to South Korea!  We had a smorgasbord of delicious food, a fashion show, a talent show, and were able to enjoy the DJ to ourselves for a bit at the end of the night.  Aglaee participated in the talent show and I couldn't have been more proud to live with the girl!  She performed the Dance of the Deer, a dance very special and dear to the Mexican culture.

One last bit on Aglaee.  She's the hot topic obviously.  She asked for me to challenge her.  I now am writing down ten new English words each week for her to translate.  She then gives me her translation, so essentially, we both learn.  She has improved her English significantly since being here in D.C.  My Spanish is rusty so I'm excited to sharpen it up a bit.

NHMA Internship

Remember that Congressional Briefing I kept talking about?  Hear the last of it finally.  It was a great success!  Our reserved room was almost not able to hold the mass amount that arrived.  Our speakers had great presentations on research they've completed.  The speakers included a professor from USC's Keck School of Medicine, Pfizer, and BlueCross BlueShield.  Our supervisors were overly content and I believe they owe us interns another lunch...? Yes, I think that was part of the deal.

Leadership Communication Course

We have our mid-term next week already.  Whoa.  I have enjoyed reading "The Leadership Challenge" for this class.  Tonight we completed the Myers & Briggs personality questionnaire.  I've taken this before but didn't mind doing so again.  I wanted to see if by chance my personality had altered much.  Fortunately, I still am ISTJ.  Do I have any twins out there reading this??? If this sounds like a foreign language, refer here.  It's a plus to understand your own personality as well as those you associate with often.  It's also a plus for CEOs, managers, and other leaders of business and organzations so they understand how their employees think and function best.  Therefore, the leader can lead more effectively.  Don't know your personality type?  Highly suggested to be taken...along with your significant other!  Maybe it will help tone down any bickering...

Until next time...prove your bona fides.

Desultory:

---going aimlessly from one subject to another, not systematic

In other words, basically desultory means "random", which describes this entry.

Observe this photo below and take a stab at what I did.  Don't cheat; make an assumption before reading the truth.

I see the bus within a half mile.

The crosswalk countdown reads:

Oncoming traffic doesn't seem to mind me much.  I throw my backpack down on the white dashed lines of the pavement, fish out my digital camera, only to find it on the wrong settings, finally set it correctly with shaky hands, snap a photo in the middle of North Capitol Street, and run before it can even fully capture as cars lay on their horns.  A fellow pedestrian clapped for the performance.  I take for granted being able to see the Capitol building everyday.  Worth the risk?  Most certainly.  Well, I missed the bus.  Oh well.  It was still worth it.  Perfect evening for a trot by foot.

(To Mom:  Save your breath and forget the safety lecture.  I won't attempt again.)

Speaking of the Capitol, I'll be on The Hill again tomorrow.  Most Americans can't say that too often.  The reason being is for our Congressional Briefing.  Prepped all day today at work and finishing touches to do in the morning and then it's GO time.

Last week I was on The Hill to meet Bob Gibbs, Ohio's 18th District Congressman.  Great discussion over a number of topics.  Unique opportunity.  Again, not many ever check that off their to-do list.

Good Eat of the Week:

Founding Farmers

We're on a roll!  Our boss has taken us out for lunch two times in the last two weeks.  This restaurant was just really cool.  I had to snap a photo of that ear corn.  It reminded me so much of home, especially my mom.  My parents are farmers.  Not to boast, but we have an impressive summer garden that feeds our family well into the winter months after Mom's canning.  Corn on the cob is one my favorites!

I've never been anywhere that honored Columbus Day, so having yesterday off was a first.  To make it better, the weather was gorgeous, which allowed me to shop at every possible store I could get to, and somehow came home EMPTY handed.  I assure you that happens rarely.  I now know which stores I want to check out again.  Some hot hits in Chinatown!

Until next time...take a risk!