Would you look at that?

The inspiration for the title of this post is from a YouTube video that I seem to quote non-stop while  I am in DC.

Watch them in this order. When I a looking around in DC, and I look at something really neat, the first thing that comes to my mind is... Would you look at that? Just look at it!

Statistics show that Washington, DC is the fittest city in America, and I didn't really believe it until I saw it first hand. There are no fat people her. I don't mean to be blunt, but believe me, I have looked for them and they are no where in sight. Everyone in DC loves to run. I guess partially because joining a gym is expensive and running is free, partially because everyone else is running so it makes you want to join in, and partially because DC is so pretty and you always have beautiful scenery to look at while you run. The other day, I found myself going on a short run. It was great because there were so many pretty things to look at. Unfortunately, this short run turned into an hour and a half long jog through every part of DC. Why did you run for so long you ask? Well that was a stupid question... I got lost, duh! Don't you know me at all? Lets just say i was pretty sore in the next few days to follow.

Within my time while I have been in DC, I have met several boys that love cats. This is really weird for me to have a grasp of. I have never met a boy that likes cats, so why in just the past week have I met two? I am baffled by this... Is it because I think I am allergic to cats? It is because I think they are evil? Nevertheless, does this mean that boys that like cats are nice, kind hearted guys or does it mean that they are weird and emotional? Hopefully soon I will find out. In the mean time, I'll continue on liking dogs, rabbits, and fish (all animals that don't scratch you).

Peace out Blog World; I'll see ya soon!

Greatest Place on Earth

The District of Columbia is a magical place. Same kind of magic as Disney World, but TOTALLY different location. I love everything about this city. I thought that I loved New York City more than any other American City, but that was before I spent a significant amount of time in DC. Now you may say that a week and a half isn't a significant amount of time, which I guess it isn't, but I love it here!

So for some reason... I ALWAYS find myself getting into the strangest/ funniest/ weirdest situations......
     For example, on Monday morning I accidentally knocked over our Chief of Staff's coffee all over his desk. Super embarrassing right? Luckily he is really young and the nicest guy ever and said it wasn't a big deal at all, but I still said 'I'm sorry!' about 25,000 times. I was just afraid I was going to get out on the DC Intern Blog-- the blog where they make fun of all the dumb stuff interns on The Hill do. Lucky for me, they haven't started to update it yet this summer.
     So part of my job (other than spilling coffee on important people's desks) is giving tours to constituents of the Capitol. Pretty sweet right? Well on Tuesday, our staff assistant wanted me to go take a tour from one of the people who work at the CVC (Capitol Visitor Center) before I had to give my first tour on Friday. We call the people that work at the CVC Red Coats because they are annoying, and they all have to wear these really unfortunate looking red blazers. Anyways... I took the underground tunnel to the CVC and then walked up the ticket counter with my special badge. #iworkforthegovernment  I then proceeded to flash my badge so I could get a free Walk- Up tour ticket. Our staff assistant had told me that it wasn't normally very busy at 11 AM- ish so he wanted me to go then to make sure I had a ticket. Well long story short, after standing around waiting on my tour for about 15 minutes one of the Red Coats told me the Capitol was closed until 2 PM for some Holocaust remembrance ceremony.  That's why the capitol seemed not very busy... duh! So when I got back to the office, I told our staff assistant that he sent me to the Capitol when it was closed... His response was: Whoops, I forgot!
     Today my entire afternoon was spent making bouncy balls out of a gazillion rubberbands and telling people about all the pranks I have played on my brother. It was a pretty eventful day if I do say so myself! I funny how when the House is not in session that we have SO MUCH free time on out hands....

I seriously think that sometimes God is getting a pretty good laugh about all the shenanigans I find myself in. I mean, if I am laughing at myself about it he's got to be rolling on the floor laughing. I guess that was kind of the inspiration for my blog title... Every time something funny happens to me, my first thoughts are: Who's laughing now?

DC pictures are to come... I've got to figure out where I packed my camera cord; also, reading my tweets can sometimes give you a much funnier insight on the day to day duties of an intern. Follow me! @lexicarter13

I am going to leave y'all with a YouTube video that I just saw a few minutes ago, but I am already OBSESSED with it. I love creeping on other people's wedding pictures and marriage proposals.

Fly like an Eagle

So here are some first hand accounts that I wrote about either on my phone at the time, or after they happen talking about different things that happened during my first week in Washington, D.C.

The trip there...
     So it is mothers day and I am sitting in a airport flying from DFW to Washington, D.C.  I look around hoping to find the guy who will be my gay best friend for the next few weeks, but I see something much different. Men sleeping. Why are there so many people who are asleep in my terminal. It is 10:05 in the morning? There is no reason to be tired. I have been up since 7:30 and I haven't yawned once.
     On a different note, it is Mother's day! As I was sitting in the airport, I started to think... Why isn't fathers day ever as big of a deal as mothers day. In my family it's because my mom gets way more into holidays and birthdays than anyone else in our family. Why don't fathers take more advantage of Father's Day? It is their one day where they are allowed to be a diva, and they don't. I vote that this year, all the fathers should ban together and have a diva dad day!
     I was in group two to board the plane. Lucky me, right? I was finally able to get a spot right above me in the overhead compartment to put my carry on bag in. That never happens to me. I started to think that this was foreshadowing for how great the rest of my trip was going to go! Then, the flight attendant says we are about leave and to turn off your phones... I am getting excited, and then I realize that no one is sitting sitting next to me on the plane. My first thoughts: Do I smell? Did I put too much perfume on again? Awe crap... What did I do? The only two empty seats on the entire plane are next to me. I sure hope that these empty seats are not foreshadowing that I am going to be lonely the rest of my trip. Then out of no where (well not really nowhere, from the back of the plane) comes a man, and he decides to sit on my row of empty seats. He doesn't sit next to me he sits on the isle (I was in the window seat). Where did he come from? I didn't think that people could board from the back of the plane. So many questions, so few answers...
     So this man on my row two seats away sat down and I didn't really mind... He seemed like a normal quiet person who wouldnt be annoying on the flight, so I went back to reading my book as we are pulling onto the runway. Then all of a sudden I hear this atrocious noise of someone snoring. My first thoughts: How is this possible? We haven't even been on the plane that long. How is someone already asleep? Then I look over and guess who it is? It is the man on my row two seats away. His head is back, his mouth is open, and he is snoring! Why did he choose to leave his seat in the back of the plane to come join me in the front? I would rather not listen to you snore for three hours. He started snoring less than five minutes after he sat down and never stopped until he woke up when we landed. Slightly annoying, but slightly hilarious too. Once I was allowed to, I had to put my headphones on so I wouldn't laugh at him snoring for the rest of the flight.

The Metro...

     The Metro is the subway system in DC. To most people it isn't very complicated. It is definitely less complex than New York's subway system. There are just 5 different routes that the trains take and they are all different colors so you can differentiate between them. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong... Sure there are five routes, but since they go both directions there are ten routes! And when you have to switch trains at a place like Metro Center, there are three colors (6 routes). It is a little difficult when you are underground and you have no sense of direction. On Monday through Wednesday, I got lost at least once a day. It was only until Thursday and Friday that I didn't get lost, and started to feel like I knew what I was doing. This is a map of the DC Metro. I have to start at Tenleytown-AU and go to Capitol South everyday for work.

The internship...

     So this internship is pretty awesome. I feel pretty legit walking around my office in business attire everyday. I feel even cooler when I am wearing my special name badge to get into the capital so I can make a special delivery. I also feel EVEN cooler when I get to use the staff only line to get into the capital. My main job is answering the phones, sorting mail, and doing whatever they need me to do. I have only been there a week so my stories aren't super exciting, but I do have a few...
     On Wednesday, I was sent to a briefing to take notes. I didn't think that it was going to be a very big deal until I realized that EVERYONE in the room was speaking Spanish. Even the other interns there that were sent to take notes too were talking in Spanish to each other. First thoughts: Did I accidentally put on my resume that I speak fluent Spanish? Did the read my resume wrong? Why do they think I speak Spanish? Why did they send me hear? As I am starting to freak my self out about listening to a speaker in Spanish, I am anxiously waiting for the briefing to begin. Finally, right before they speaker begins, a lady comes up to the front and asks if anyone needs a translating device. Well, duh! Me and one other girl, are the only people who get them out of the entire room full of people. I was slightly embarrassed, but at least I wasn't freaking out anymore about being able to understand. I had to put on this earpiece, and the translator sat in the back of the room speaking into a microphone in English that went directly into my earpiece. This seems like it is great because now you can pay attention and understand what is going on. It actually made paying attention even harder... I didn't know where to look. I kept staring at the translator in the back of the room and then the speaker who was talking in Spanish in the front of the room. Needless to say, my notes were not very helpful... Luckily there were a lot of handouts that I could bring back to my staffer instead.

#UAinDC

Basically... the Crimson Tide is taking over DC! All of us went to dinner last night and started using the hash-tag #UAinDC on Twitter all night long! Prepare yourselves for many stories to come from our weekly #UAinDC dinners! Roll DC Roll!

For a more direct way to know what's happening in Washington, D.C. all summer, follow me on Twitter! @lexicarter13


I will leave you with my current YouTube obsession...

Peace & Blessings!