back in business

Well folks, I'm back. Life has been all kinds of crazy these past few months, but I'll spare you the details. Suffice to say that this season opens in a new city--Washington D.C.-- where I have temporarily taken up residence. By day, I walk the halls of Congress in suitable business attire in a sadly misguided attempt to convince the world (or maybe myself) that I am a serious human being. Nights belong to a mix of happy hours, ikea furniture assembly (a girl needs furnishings!) and meting out largely benign vigilante justice to the city's most corrupt power brokers, a la city hunter.

The last two days have been delightfully  global. Wednesday evening saw the first meeting of the Washington DC chapter of the International Society of Friends of the Czech-and-Slovak Republics (aka drinks with Anna). We also found a great dive bar which serves, I am told, the cheapest beer in DC. I was told this by an inebriated patron of said bar, which makes the above statement either more or less credible. or both.

Then this morning I rushed out the door to catch the arrival ceremony for South Korean president Lee Myeong Bak. It was touch and go there for a while, but in the end Andie and I did get to stand on the (muddy) white house lawn and watch the proceedings. Here's the highlight reel: marching. band. guns with knives on them. Obama! Obama attempts to speak Korean (too cute). President Lee speaks. at length. end.

I also scored a ticket to LMBs address to congress, courtesy of no one else in my office wanting to go. I got to sit up in the gallery and play spot the senator. Despite being on my best behavior I still managed to get in trouble. for reading. (rebel with a library card over here. look out!)

I also put in an appearance at work somewhere in there, just long enough to tell the excellent and engaged feminists busy calling congress today that yes, that republican anti-choice nonsense was bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Then I hopped over to the Freer Gallery for a free concert they were having. They were featuring an amazing Japanese toko player (it's a large stringed instrument, sort of a Japanese gayagum) who I really enjoyed. And, because it seems no day is complete without a tribute to both my adoptive countries, the evening ended with a piece by Leos Janacek (whose name I can no longer spell properly because I have removed the Czech keyboard from my phone).

And that brings us up to speed, more or less. my life is still absurd and lacking in both roots and a master plan. but at least now it happens (mainly) in english. progress??