What Has Joe Been Up To These Days?

Guess What!?!? I'm not in Hawaii anymore. I've packed up the scuba gear into the back of one of our new closets and have traded in the Aloha shirts for long-sleeved shirts, ties and jackets. So what is going on these days?



Well, I've been at home in Virginia since returning from my assignment in Hawaii. I've been working at the home office most days. I attended a week-long class as well as several key trainings that I never had time for before, so it's been nice to some degree. However, I haven't been assigned to a new work project so in some ways, it's been hard to keep busy. There are a couple of things on the horizon and I'll keep you informed of where I'll be working when I know.

We have been spending some time getting the house in order. I'm still throwing stuff away! Cameron Station is a very nice place with great bike trails and beautiful streets to walk. I have joined DeAnna in Jazzercise three times a week which is getting harder to do as the humidity and temperature rises. (For those who have not done Jazzercise, I challenge you to make it through the entire hour!!!) Anyways, I'm settling in and getting used to all the greenery. In Hawaii, everyone adapted to nature. In Alexandria, we fit in lots of nature with our urban environment. Both ways are beautiful!

We've been to Washington DC and breezed through the Smithsonian American History museum. We found ourselves being rushed to get through it until we realized, "Oh, DUH.... we live here now - we can visit anytime we want!" so we relaxed some after that! The new display for the Star Spangled Banner is very, very good! I'm expecting that we'll probably go a lot more when it's off-season and there aren't so many tourists... hint: Christmas week is virtually deserted!


Here we are socializing with the natives at a walled-garden party in Alexandria (my parents invited us to go with them). We've spent some good quality time with mom & dad since arriving. We go to church with them and eat pizza Friday nights at Primo's. The annual 4th of July party is coming up. I've been looking forward to that for a long time! This weekend, we're planning on cooking out on their balcony and making ice cream!

There's always the metro system to explore. Both DeAnna and I get to work and back on the train. I even go to the airport on it and don't have to park a car or take a taxi! I can't say enough about how nice it is to jump on the train, relax (away from traffic jams) and relax until you get to your destination! Our neighborhood has a shuttle that gets us back to the apartment from the metro station, so we're rarely in the weather (and it's been really rainy this spring).

We bought my dad's 9 year old Honda Civic and it is perfect for getting us everywhere the train doesn't go. For now, it's nice to have a cheap, efficient car - that's paid off - and with low insurance! Last weekend, we hosted mom & dad for our first guests. Though we still have some more cleanup and decorating to do, we're close to having things set up like we want. After that, we'll have our open house and invite all the new friends we haven't met yet... :-/

Next week, I go to Oklahoma to see the kids and Colt. It's been 6 months since he was born and all the pictures are really cute. I can't wait to see him. Until then, my life is pretty mundane these days, but I'll keep you posted.