back from holiday break

Happy 2011 to all my readers. I am back from holiday break ready to hit the ground running in 2011 with work and other personal activities. It always seems like the holidays go by too fast but life is not a holiday unfortunately. I went back to New England and got to see family and even enjoyed a snowstorm. It had been a while since I actually shoveled snow so I could not complain about doing it when assigned. Other than the New England snowstorm (it did not come to DC) not too much happened in terms of news. In sports, the Patriots clinched the top seed in the AFC playoffs so the Super Bowl is essentially theirs to lose. However, it will be a tough road to get to Dallas.

The Big Ten took a beating in New Years Day bowls and hopefully Ohio State can salvage the conference in the Sugar Bowl versus Arkansas. Speaking of the Buckeyes, several starters (including Terrell Pryor) got into hot water with the NCAA for selling souvenirs to pay for, of all things, tattoos. They will be suspended the first five games of the 2011 season but can play in the Sugar Bowl.

I hope for the best for all of you this year.

Happy holidays to all

It has been a very exciting 2010. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and happy and healthy 2011. I look forward to sharing the news and my thoughts throughout 2011 on Boston to Washington. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to post more! Thank you for your suppport this year.

Turning a page

The year has come to an end for Arlington Young Democrats and my role with the Careers and Networking Group. I take a lot of personal pride in building the online groups, first introducing the group, organizing and promoting all of the events, and plugging members into other AYD events. However, I feel it is time to move onto other ventures including putting more time into my job. It is bittersweet to step away from this role but it was a great ride and good experience for me. My good friend and roommate Shawn will be taking over responsibilities for now with this group. He will be serving as Secretary so he hopes to pass the chair of this onto another person.

Most importantly, I ended my term on a high note. I received the Community Service Award for 2010 and was very honored and humbled to get this. We have a lot of great people in this organization and I took a lot of pride in this recognition. Between my recognition my colleagues and friends Gordon and Lauren getting AYD of the Year and Unsung Hero, respectively, we established a legacy and of course, we went out on top! Thanks to AYD for a memorable year and this recognition. I won't go to far and look forward to sharing my new experiences with those I met and got to know this year.

Cold in DC

It is going to be very cold for the next few days in DC/Arlington with highs in the 20s and low 30s. This was the weather I was supposed to have for New England in a few weeks. All I care is that the snow stays away and I can get home safely for Christmas. Looks like I will be wearing sweaters to work for the next several days.

I'm back

Sorry for the lack of posts. Holiday season activities have started to get in the way. I had a great Thanksgiving holiday at home and got to see family, eat, watch football, and go to my high school reunion. All were enjoyable. Andover won its Thanksgiving high school game and conference title. Ohio State beat Michigan (again) and will play in the Sugar Bowl as Big Ten conference champions. It was after Thanksgiving so I actually got to watch with my grandfather on his new big screen TV.

Great weekend

I had a great mid November four day weekend. I took care of a lot of domestic chores around the house and did get out a little bit as well. Saturday I did a community service event raking leaves and mulching at homes of folks with disabilities which was enjoyable given the weather. Sunday morning I ran the Veterans Day 10k and logged a fairly good time. Looking forward to a "7 day week" leading up to Thanksgiving next week.

Storms and Fires

The rash of storms continued in DC/Arlington last week and affected me personally for once. The early morning thunderstorm last Thursday lit an underground electricity transmitter on fire that was right near my office building. It was evacuated and I was sent home last Thursday. The office did open on Friday. There was a storm near Washington's W Hotel on Saturday as well. However, with the storms it did cool down the weather for a short time.

Four years in DC

This week marked my four year anniversary of arriving in DC. While a four year anniversary isn't significant, when it involves midterm election cycles (this will be my second midterm election here) a four year anniversary is fairly important. I recap my thoughts in this Facebook note. Here's to four more years here in DC!

back from Massachusetts

I just got back from a mid summer trip up to Massachusetts. When it gets really hot in DC, it is always nice to escape to the quiet neighborhoods of my hometown of Andover and spend time at the ocean. I was at the beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts where I had been going since I was a toddler. Vacations always come and go really fast but I guess there is always the next one to look forward to.

Fun fun weekend

I had a great weekend despite it being really hot. Friday night we had happy hour in town and Saturday I went to the Young Democrats of America convention. Saturday night was really fun as we celebrated the birthday of one of my really good friends here in DC. We had a rooftop party and then went out in Cleveland Park. He really appreciated having all of us come out for him and said that the night was not for him but for all of us. That made the night right there! It is my turn to put on a good show in August for my big day.

Happy Fourth of July

I want to wish all of my readers a happy and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. If you are in small town America or our nation's capitol, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday weekend and take time to celebrate our great nation.

warmest weekend of the year

The DC/Arlington area is having its warmest weekend of the year. No one is really complaining after the winter we have had. Plans for me include running, golf and now we transition from wine to beer and other summer drinks. I think this calls for hamburgers on the grill tomorrow!

Family in town

The family came to town this weekend. Although they missed the cherry blossoms the weather more than made up for it and they always appreciate being in DC and seeing the monuments. It is something you do not get to do in Northern Massachusetts. We saw the monuments and Ted Kennedy's grave as well as ate at our favorite restaurant, Old Ebbitt Grill. It seems like many of the stuff we do is deja vu but at least we have set plans. I myself don't have time to plan an elaborate trip. We capped it off with dinner at Crystal City Sports Pub and watched the Masters. More on that in a later post. Weekends like this go too fast but we can always look forward to the next one.

Spring holiday time

This last week of March begins yet another spring holiday season. I always enjoy being able to celebrate Easter and Passover at the same time of the year. They are usually intertwined with various March/April sporting events like Opening Day, the Masters, the NCAA Final Four in both basketball and hockey. They are both low key holidays that don't usually require travel, extensive food and party preparation, and are not spread out over a long period of time (i.e.) the holiday season. The weather usually cooperates as well. Whatever you celebrate, Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and happy spring.

Jefferson Jackson dinner

I went to the Jefferson Jackson dinner with the Arlington Young Democrats for the first time this past weekend in Richmond,VA. It wasn't the marquee event that it has been in years past but there were some great (and humorous speeches) particularly by keynote Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Best of all, I got to have a fun time with all of my AYD friends and we took some great pictures too. We were even intrigued by some of the historic monuments near the State Capitol building.

Andover High Girls Basketball

No matter where you go, you never forget home. This weekend the Andover High girls basketball team will be playing in the state championship in Worcester, MA. The program began their success while I was in high school and have consistently been one of the best teams in Massashusetts year after year. They won the state title in 2003 and have played in the title game 4 times. This is when the alumni "come back" and relive their high school days. Unfortunately that is a sacrifice you make when moving to another part of the country. I will be cheering in spirit. Lets go Andover!!

Great AYD Date Auction

I am decompressing from a successful Arlington Young Democrats (AYD) Date Auction last night. We had an great turnout and raised plenty of money, half of which goes towards the Arlington Food Assistance Center. There were several people there that I knew from other circles that were very pleased with the organization, entertainment, and atmosphere (some of whom it was their first AYD event). I am sure it will give the rest of the year a lot of momentum especially for other events and groups (like the Careers and Networking Group). Thanks to everyone who organized, volunteered, and attended. Special shout outs to Gordon, Lauren, and Brian for taking the lead on the event. This now adds to the people that get shout outs on my blog.

Great first AYD Careers and Networking event

I had a great first AYD Careers and Networking event on Tuesday evening. I mainly introduced the group, got some advice on what attendees would be looking for, I previewed upcoming events, and gave attendees the opportunity to review their resumes. I am going to have events with other professionals but for now this is a great start. We even got a press inquiry which did not pan out but exceeded all of our expectations. Thanks to AYD and our chapter president Gordon for giving me the green light to organize this group.

Back from Florida

I had a great time in Florida and the weather was warmer than anything we had in DC over the past week or so. My mother rented a place for the month so we all decided to stay there. I got to see my grandparents and spent a lot of time with my immediate family as well. We went out to eat a few times took a few excursions, particularly to St. Armands Key and Lido Beach, a favorite destination in the Sarasota area. It seems like places like that never really change over the years. Overall, I was lucky to get down and hopefully it will be an annual visit.

Hello from Florida

Yes I am a blog dork. I am actually writing while on vacation in Florida. After two attempts to change over my flight due to the second February 10 blizzard I finally got to Sarasota on Friday, this time flying through Fort Myers. The weather is not typical Florida weather, high 50s to low 60s but much warmer than DC and no snow so I really cannot complain. I have had a chance to go to old stomping grounds such as St. Armands Circle (large shopping and restaurant area) as well as Lido Beach. Some of these places really do not change over the years despite all of the other advances we have made. It has been good to see family as well. I will be looking forward to getting back to DC as I have a lot to catch up on.