High Highs: Got to see my cubicle at NASA! Big, barren, empty space for me to fill with office supplies and organizational materials, NASA poster, etc. I SO look forward to putting "me" into the space! Funny story: when they redid the cubicles, they ended up putting a big post smack dab in front of one of my smaller cabinet spaces - you can't open the thing! My NASA sponsor and I got a good laugh out of it; you'd think they'd at least have taken the door off so it could be used as storage!
Was treated to lunch at a VERY nice Indian restaurant (The Bombay Club) by Mary (my sponsor). Many of the restaurants in DC participate in something called "Restaurant Week" biannually wherein they have a fixed-price menu (which is less expensive than their usual prices) you can select from; The Bombay Club's deal was a three-course (appetizer, entree, dessert) from which I had a wonderful fish appetizer, Tandoori salmon, and "Mango Mango" (mango sorbet atop diced mango). I was (and still am as I write this nearly 8 hours later) STUFFED! Mary also bought me a jar of the sauce they put on the chicken dish she and our other guest (whose name escapes me right now and with whom I will also be "working") ordered. She also gave me a hand-made (by yet another soon-to-be-co-worker) lanyard for my ID badge; it has little star, shuttle, and astronaut beads on it. SO cute, and SO me!
I am VERY ready to start my fellowship! Mary sent me a bunch of e-mails this afternoon about what to bring Tuesday to get my permanent badge, as well as some "pre-reading" for meetings we have next week. Did I mention yet how ready I am to start my fellowship?!?
Low Lows: Today would have been Anne's 27th birthday. So many lovely e-mails from her former co-workers, but also so many reminders of what she and I both went through and the fact that she's no longer with us. Then I heard that the case is likely to last longer than anticipated (we thought a week - looks like it will probably take longer), which means I will be unable to attend 2 conferences I was really looking forward to. This is the first day since the move that I have been really "down" about anything, a reminder that even though I left Marianna, there is still unfinished business to take care of back in Arkansas. I did a lot of crying and a lot of napping, but I CANNOT and WILL NOT allow "him" to take more from me than he already has...
The photo is of the beautiful hibiscus I am growing on my patio. It finally bloomed today, a single (although there are 2 more ready to go any day now) beautiful pink flower. Pink was Anne's favorite color; I saw pictures online today of the birthday party her friends and former co-workers threw for her, and everything was pink... they even released pink balloons in her honor. SO symbolic that the hibiscus would bloom today...
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