Washington DC

Last week I was in Washington, DC for work. Unlike most of my meetings, this one did not take place at a hotel. It was in a museum (a good change of pace!)

Prior to going to DC I was determined that I would see the tree at the White House on this trip. It.WAS.Happening.

On our first night in town we went over to the museum to see how far it was from the hotel, and all those logistical type details. While we were out, we went ahead and walked over to the capitol building, since were told there was a Christmas tree.... So here it is. I was slightly underwhelmed.

Then we made our way to the White House... where underwhelmed would be an understatement. I was just straight up disappointed. It was not worth the wet walk, and the ruining of hair. But here it is my friends..

The tree on the left is the National Tree and the one on the right is the Texas tree. Each state has one around the national tree. Great idea, just not executed to all of my hopes and desires.

I guess I had envisioned something more like the below... but I guess DC is no New York City...

The next day was jam-packed and I needed to be in about 4 places at once.. all across town. Not physically possible, you say? Pish-posh, I work for DFF, everything is do-able. There was only one problem... the weather.

Dang you rain for following us East. The city was flooding.

Okay, maybe the first pic is exaggerating, but its what it felt like, ok?!

Well, I was trying to get from the museum back to the hotel, and it was down pouring and I needed a taxi. Do you know what its like to try to get a taxi in a city that walks during rain?? No.Fun.

So I rolled up my black business pants, put my scarf over my head - you would think I would have had an umbrella right? Wrong. As I was splashing along the sidewalk seeing no lit taxi around, my pants unroll, my scarf is soaking, and I am late... anger begins to boil inside of me. I look up and see sitting in the museum's gift shop window a t-shirt that said "Stay Calm and Be Merry" and I started laughing. Out loud. ((Just envision it, a soaking wet me, laughing out loud in the rain)) Well, next thing I knew a taxi pulled up and I was off to the hotel.

For the rest of the trip, when a stressful moment came up, we just kept saying my new catch phrase, and when the meeting was all over, I went into the gift shop and picked up this bad boy for our tree.

So for the next two weeks while I sit in traffic, stand in long lines, and deal with not so merry people, I will remember to "Stay Calm and Be Merry". Its guaranteed to make me laugh!