Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. --Thomas Hardy

Last day at work. Although I am going on to my dream career, I really will miss the office I've been working in for the past 3 years. I mean, c'mon, we're talking about the girl who gets nostalgic about middle school. Who even likes middle school, much less wants to remember it!? Me.

As I'm going through all my stuff at work, I've realized that I have a lot of things to bequeath. So here we go:

• To Mary, I leave my (almost empty) bottle of eye drops, a toner cartridge, and a whole bunch of vouchers I've been meaning to give you. I know your birthday's coming up -- I'll give you something more fun then (wait for it!).
• To Matt, I leave your Czech coin that rolled under your desk and somehow ended up on mine.
• To Jason, I leave one of my favorite gifts-that's-been-passed-down-from-person-to-person. It's a pity gift. So are the two front row tickets to see Bruce Springsteen.
• To Joel, I leave the only surviving copy (besides Don's) of the "Zian Leadership Tenets" (I made an extra). Hope they're good for a laugh now and then.
• To Amanuel, I leave my clappers and my purple Mardi Gras beads. I don't care if you hide them in a drawer somewhere, but you BETTER be wearing them when I graduate from ConGen.
• To Brian, I leave the X-Wing Rogue Squadron book. I don't need it back 'till my brother gets home from his mission in August, so take your time. It's the least I can do, considering I'm leaving you alone with folks who don't even know Boba Fett's father's name or what planet Wookies live on. Or what TIE stands for in TIE fighter.

(Guys, all this stuff is in the cabinet just to the right of my desk).

I've also been reminiscing a lot about the past 3 years, and all the fun times I've had working here.

• Role plays, role plays, role plays. One time I had to play three people at once during a crisis simulation. Crazy! And my fellow intern pretended to pass out in the hallway. Yeah, we got some weird looks.
• Most of my internship (as good as it was) consisted of me falling asleep (that's what happens when you work full time and you're a full-time student and tourist. I fell asleep during a brown bag with an Assistant Secretary (with only 15 people in the room), and I fell asleep during a Q&A with Secretary Rice (with only 100 people in the room). Oh, and I fell asleep on the bus every morning while I was trying to write school papers.
• I had to box EVERYTHING in our office, move it down the hall, and move it back, when our suite was renovated. And I actually enjoyed it. Sometimes doing things that take no brain power are rather nice. Ah, the life of an intern.
• I watched several "flag days" where people got their "calls." I saw one girl cry (not for joy) when she got called to Abuja, Nigeria. I realized, it doesn't matter how much you want to go to a certain place, you need to be ready to go anywhere. And to be surprised about it without crying. I've had my friends practice calling out posts to make sure my reaction isn't tearful when the big day comes (April 10th, by the way).
• Football during lunch. I have a mean spiral.
• Playing a State Department spokeswoman in a CNN mock news clip. And I still had braces. Awesome.
• Giving a tour of Arlington Hall to folks who had worked there with Army Intelligence when SIGINT cracked the Japanese Purple code. That was really humbling.
• My internship farewell with ice cream cake. I literally could not believe that my coworkers would do that for me. Ice cream cake!?!
• After I graduated from Intern-ness, I kept on having a great time in this office. One of my favorite moments was getting an unexpected award for creating a wicked (awesome) PowerPoint slide. Hopefully I'll get to see it one day when I go through training!
• Dressing like Kate for Leadership Day. Definitely a highlight.
• Going through all our zany purple decorations with Cathy, grateful to find another person who likes spring cleaning.
• Winning the women's division in our eating competitions. 30 pieces of sushi, baby!
• Watching 'Airplane' for Ed's farewell. And having my coworkers walk up and down the aisle, offering beverages. Hilarious.
• Touring the Ben and Jerry's factory in VT with our workshop participants. And getting the bus driver to come with us. Fantastic!
• Being sick as a dog during the conference I was supporting in Tunis, but being able to go to the pharmacy by myself and get the right medication (all in French! The pharmicist was kind of concerned, though, when I couldn't understand what she said the price was. She was like "do you understand how much to take? Do you understand!?").
• The farewell Kate threw for me, and the hilarious fly-away kit my co-workers put together for me, complete with water purifying tablets, Immodium, a flashlight, and "words of wisdom." Priceless.

• And of course -- meeting all the spectacular people who work/have worked in this office. Just awesome. I can't think of one person who I haven't learned something valuable from and who hasn't changed my life for the better. Now I'm humming the song from Wicked. But I digress. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
  

Stand Up, ChiTown, Stand Up!

I spent President's Day Weekend in....CHICAGO! My first time visiting since I was four. It was all very spontaneous for a not-so-spontaneous person, but I figured with a new career on the horizon, I'd better sneak in one more I-love-discovering-American-cities trip before I get swept off to who knows where. So I went to visit Brian, my awesome-friend-from-college-who-goes-to-UChi-Law-School. Luckily, my local Chicagoan guide was not so spontaneous -- he planned out a fantastic weekend, I can't believe how much of ChiTown I saw.

The first thing we did was head to some of Brian's friends' apartment, where there was a Battlestar Galactica party going on. Awesome food, crazy episode (tough one to jump in on if you've never seen it before), and his friends even made me a "welcome/congrats on the FS" sign! Made me feel right at home.

Other highlights of the weekend:

• Went out for tapas. We ordered a suckling pig. The waiter came by and grunted* one word: "Pig." He then tossed the pig down on the corner of the table and left. *(no pun intended)
• On the way up the Hancock Tower elevator (the second tallest building in Chicago), the recording said "You are now going up to the top of the Hancock Tower, THE MOST recognizable building in the world." Um, can anyone think of a building more recognizable? Without qualification, THE MOST recognizable? How about the Pyramids? Eiffel Tower? Sydney Opera House? Empire State Building? THE SEARS TOWER!?
• I guess Chicagoans have a habit of exagerating the facts about their buildings, because in a comedy skit we went to, Mayor Daley mentioned how the Sears Tower is the tallest building in the world. It was a joke, but after visiting the Hancock Tower, it was even funnier. More funny. The skit was about why Chicago should host the 2016 Olympics. One of the major draws is that they won't have to build a swimming pool -- Daley pointed out that Chicago already has Lake Michigan.
• The aquarium had poison arrow frogs. So cool.
• I rode the El!
• Food was a definite highlight -- we ate at Medici's in Hyde Park (Obama eats there! At least, that's what all the waiters' shirts said), we had the deepest-deep dish pizza I've ever seen, we had cupcakes on the north side of town (no, sprinkles aren't vegan, the guy in front of us asked), tapas at a Spanish place, Indian (awesome!), frozen yogurt with Capn' Crunch on top (at a place like pinkberry...but not), french toast skewers and eggs benedict on the north side, then bubble tea and a bubble milkshake in Chinatown. Mmmm.
• I can't think of anything to top the food, so we'll move on to the pictures next.

We visited the University of Chicago campus, and I even got to go to a law school class! I sat in on Evidence with Brian and his friends. It was fascinating, but I'm not sure I could do it every day for three years. We learned about hearsay and what is or isn't admissable or relevant. Wow!

Then we found a snow sculpture festival. This is Brian with O'Leary's cow and the Chicago fire.

Here I am with Max and a Wild Thing!

And OH MY GOODNESS, WE FOUND THE MYSTERY MACHINE! Yes, I started singing the Scooby-Doo theme song.

No weekend in Chicago would be complete without visiting the Art Institute. We saw (in true Ferris Bueller style) Sunday Afternoon on the Grande Jette. We also saw a FANTASTIC Edward Munch exhibit that juxtaposed his painting with paintings by artists who inspired him. Very, very interesting.

This is Cloud Gate (aka the Bean). Need I say more?

And of course I had to stop by Wrigley Field for my mother, the ultimate Cubs fan.

I would tell you how freezing it was, but I've conveniently blocked that part of the trip from my memory (still not sure if it's due to lost brain cells or denial).

Awesome weekend! Stand up, ChiTown!

A Super-Cool-Random-Tag Post

OK, so you may not learn anything about me from this "tag" post, but thought it would be funny, so here it is (thanks, Becky :). "Go to Google and type in your first name and the phrase given. Copy and paste the first sentence/phrase you get that makes sense." The quotes under the pictures are of my own creation.


1. Type in "[your name] needs" in Google search
Result: "Shannon needs help."

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

2. Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search
Result: "Shannon looks like a bum."

"A ski bum? Hm, I'm sensing a theme here...."

3. Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
Result: "Shannon says 'that the ultimate information-carrying capacity of a band-limited communications channel varies in proportion to its bandwidth and also as a function of the SNR within the channel.'"

"Huh?"

4. Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search
Result: "Shannon wants Ottawa to help fund Aqueduct."

"Did someone say Aqueduct? It just so happens that I've seen enough ancient Roman toilets to last me for a long time."

5. Type in "[your name] does" in Google search
Result: "Shannon does Carmen."

"Yes, yes I do."
That was for Halloween in 2005. Totally awesome.

6. Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search
Result: "Shannon hates to be left alone."

"Too true."

7. Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search
Result: "Shannon asks where has Judge Judy been on alternative energy all these years."

"Um, I don't have a picture for that...."

8. Type in "[your name] goes" in Google search
Result:"Shannon goes wild in Vegas."

"I DO have a picture for that....Las Vegas Bowl 2006. Go Cougs!"

9. Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
Result: "Shannon likes 369 but not 248."

"Um, I don't have any pictures involving 369...."

10. Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search
Result: "Shannon eats more burritos."

"They actually don't have burritos in Mexico, but the DO have flan! (It's really hard to get the sticky carmel off the plate.)"

11. Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search
Result: "Shannon wears her sunglasses at night."

"No, but I should have the night of the 4th of July -- the fireworks were so bright!"

12. Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search
Result: "Shannon was arrested for kicking and punching guards and officers during an altercation that began when Shannon allegedly became disruptive during the taping of the show."

"You wish you could see a picture of that :)"

I don't really tag people, but if you think this is fun and have some spare time, knock yourself out! You don't have to include the pictures, but it was kind of fun to find some random ones I hadn't seen in awhile. Can you believe I don't look at that Carmen Sandiego one every day?

My Favorite Groundhog Day Story

On Groundhog Day in 2007, I was working at Sugar N' Spice in the BYU Cougareat. I had been in such a rush to get to work that I completely forgot to check the news to see if Phil had seen his shadow. But I figured, customers have to be good for something, right? So as I scooped their ice cream, I asked each customer if they had heard whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow. Purely selfish, not trying to make polite conversation or anything. (I'm trying to be sarcastic, is it working?)

Most folks had forgotten it was Groundhog Day. Eh, no biggie, I told them. Just curious. But inside I was seething. How could people forget about Groundhog Day! That obscure little rodent up in PA was going to determine the course of their lives for the next six weeks, and they didn't even care? C'mon, people! But then the unthinkable happened....

As I scooped her Raspberry and Cream Cheese scoop of ice cream, I asked the next girl in line if she knew whether or not the groundhog had seen his shadow. She looked at me blankly. It can be hard to hear in the Cougareat, so I asked a little more loudly. Still no answer, but now she was starting to look confused. I asked her if she had seen the movie with Bill Murray. No. So I decided to be a little more clear (Groundhog Day can be a bit difficult to understand). I said "Oh, you know, once a year up in Punxsutawney, PA, the groundhog named Phil comes out of his burrow and and if he sees his shadow, we'll have six more weeks of winter. They have a big ceremony and everything!" She stares at me, then says "I'm sorry, I don't follow that sort of thing."

What!? I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and let her have a few more seconds of small talk so she could prove she was a foreign exchange student. Unfortunately, she was not.

I had to have one of my co-workers ring her up because my eyes were tearing up from trying not to laugh. I didn't have the heart to ask anyone else the rest of my shift.

Think about it, though -- if you had NEVER heard of Punxsutawney Phil, and this girl starts asking you all these random questions about groundhogs and Bill Murray. What WOULD you say?

I GOT THE CALL!!!

Actually, it was an e-mail, telling me that....

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE!

I'll start training on March 2nd here in Arlington. That's when I'll get the list of possible embassies or consulates where I could be posted. After that....who knows!?!?!

Just as a little background -- I first took the written FS exam in April 2006. I passed, but failed the oral exam the following January. Then I took the written again in September 2007, passed, and passed the orals in January 2008. I've been waiting for a call since then. I thought I might be getting close the past couple of days, and I think I've gone cross-eyed from staring at my gmail inbox for so long.

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I've got a new boss...

And you can't see her in this picture, but you can see me! Look right below the black camera being held in the air horizontally. No, not the old man! Yes, can you see the top of my head? Right in front of me is one of my co-workers, who got to shake Secretary Clinton's hand. Several of us decided to go join the masses today, welcoming her to her new job. It may look like we're all trying to attack her, but we're actually just waving.

Inauguration!!!

Wow, what a weekend. Sunday -- went to the "We Are One" concert. I sang "American Pie" with Garth Brooks!!!!!!!!! And "This Land is Your Land" with Peter Seeger! And I saw Tom Hanks (he was the size of an ant -- the only reason I could see him is because his dark black suit stood out against the Lincoln Memorial. But I saw him, I swear!). The concert was fantastic -- all 500,000+ of us bonded by freezing for a few hours, then singing and dancing together on the mall.
My co-worker Jason found a fantastic spot right behind the World War Two Memorial (and right between two Jumbotrons -- that was key).


Then today....

Took the insanely packed metro to Arlington Cemetery, walked across Memorial Bridge...(so cool to see everyone walking)...


Then found a lovely spot right in front of the Washington Monument. Not too far away (can you see the Capitol? It's right behind those speakers.)


I spent the day with Cara and Ashley (see below) and Mary and Levent. And a million + other people. And of course President Obama. I'm pretty sure he waved at me. Through the Jumbotron.


At any rate, we walked the four miles home, and tried to thaw out. Still working on it. All in all, a super-cool day. Being on the mall with a million different people from so many backgrounds, old and young, from the East Coast and the West Coast and the Midwest and New England, and ALL FREEZING! But definitely all excited to be there and to be a part of history.