A working girl works stops to breathe

This is the first second I've had to sit down all alone and not be technically working. Monday I left for a Department of Energy conference in Pittsburgh. I felt a little out of place, but still found plenty of people to talk with and plenty of things to do. At night I only had about 5 whole hours to sleep. Now I'm a wee bit worn out! But I think I learned a lot and got to interact with fascinating folks.

When we got back from Pittsburgh last night we had to go straight to the British ambassador's house on the embassy compound for a little party. Wow, it was super fancy! Too bad I was almost half asleep through it all. His house is like straight out of a Jane Austen movie. It looks like it was built in the 1800s, with about a million gorgeous rooms, a huge garden, and pictures of the Queen everywhere. There are butlers and official looking servants everywhere. There was even a lady to take your hand towel after you washed your hands in the bathroom.

When we first went in we glided up a red carpeted staircase and into a ballroom, where the ambassador and his wife--Sir Nigel Sheinwald and Lady Sheinwald--received the guests.

After the fancy party, I got home quite late. I had to still get some groceries, walk the dog in the dark, and make dinner so I could get some sleep. Then today I woke up at 6:15 a.m. like usual and headed to work. I got to go into D.C. by myself for one of the last times (there's only about 2 weeks left of my internship!) So I tried to savor the long bus ride, the colorful people, the crowded Metro, and fancy luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce. The speaker at the event was the president of Shell Oil Company. He didn't seem too thrilled about the current state of affairs in the U.S. That's a common theme these days--nobody is happy with the Obama administration and everyone is unhappy about the economy.

Here are some blurry pictures from this week:

Bright lights of Pittsburgh

At Sir Sheinwald's digs

A working girl heads to Pittsburgh

Part of having a grown up job this summer is doing grown up things, like going to conferences. I have the opportunity to attend a workshop in Pittsburgh, of all places. So that's where I'll be for the next 3 days... I have no idea what to expect or what I'm doing, but at least it will be nice to get out of Dodge for a few days.

Like the rest of the country, it's been 100+ degrees here for about a week straight. It finally cooled down to about 95 today, but that means I haven't wanted to do a whole lot. The family I'm staying with is away to Italy the next two weeks, so it's my duty to keep things in order around here and make sure the dog is healthy and alive. Responsibilities! I've learned that you need to walk her first thing in the morning, or she will leave a nice little present in front of your bedroom door. :)

I did manage to see my friend Kelly again in Maryland. She grilled some awesome homemade Thai pizza and we watched my new favorite movie, "Mao's Last Dancer." Sigh... The movie was about two of my loves--ballet and China. I couldn't ask for anything more. It was about an amazing Chinese ballet dancer who defects to America and all the consequences that go along with that. It was almost worth getting lost on the way home. I ended up driving the entire loop around D.C. at night, because I got disoriented.

There's not too much more to report. I only have 3 more weeks of my internship and I want to keep using my time wisely. Happy Sunday!