My life in the present

My life has changed pretty drastically since I last posted in this blog regularly. These changes are the major reasons why I didn't write frequently in February, and I'm hoping that the increased normalcy in my life will allow me (1) to sleep and (2) to write more. For the 2.5 people who keep track of my life through this sad little slice of the blogosphere, here's a little update for you.

I moved.
Geographically, I’m only one Metro stop away from my old residence in Fort Totten. I now live in by the Georgia Avenue/Petworth stop on the yellow and green lines. I have 5 roommates (all Hunger Fellows), and since six of the eight male Fellows live in this one house, we’ve deemed it the “Frat house.” Our abode has a very perplexing design and boasts 3.5 bathrooms for 4 bedrooms. Why? Who knows -- but there's never a line.

I finished my old job.
I [arguably] finished my work at Food & Friends. During the last two months, I was working rather insane hours (10 to 12-hour work days and then working more after dinner). In other words, I had absolutely no life outside of work. In fact, for two-week periods, I didn’t even leave Fort Totten. For those of you who have heard me describe Fort Totten, there is nothing there – less a KFC/Taco Bell (one establishment, mind you) and a liquor store. I finished writing two 50-page reports with Lindsey, and now they’re being edited by Food & Friends. With any luck, we’ll get the corrections back, incorporate them, and finally be done.

I have a new job.
Two Tuesdays ago, I started working at Families USA in its Health Policy department. Right now, I am working on projects that focus on private insurance markets, and especially on individual and small group plans. I had no idea that health insurance was so complicated – but it is! I’m trying to dive head-first into my new work, and I hope that I’ll get over the steep learning curve soon. Everyone at Families is really nice, and I'm excited that I get to work at a health policy organization during an election year.

I bought a bed.
And my newest accomplishment -- During my first two weeks here in Petworth, I slept on an air mattress from Target ($26). I don’t think that I’ve been particularly well-rested during the recent weeks, and my inflatable bed may be a chief reason why. On Tuesday, I finally Craigslisted a bed for $75, and I’m sleeping much better now. The mattress is a little hard, though, so I’ve ordered a memory foam pad off of Overstock. Way to splurge on a budget.

Well, that’s about it! I’ve started to enjoy happy hour culture in D.C. now that I work downtown, and my initial conclusion is that it’s definitely a coping mechanism. The pace in this city is intense, and it’s not surprising that people’s first recourse is to drink themselves into oblivion! But really, though, the happy hour circuit is extensive, and I plan to know it well by August :).