Friday, February 29, 2008

Last Happy Hour

I met my friends for the last happy hour yesterday. Well, my last one anyway. I'm sure they'll still meet up. Although one of my friends said "Why would I ever see you again?" to some others.

It was bittersweet. It felt like a regular happy hour, except for when everyone was leaving and it became apparent that I wouldn't see them again for a very long time, if at all.

I hope to keep in touch with everyone, and several people have already talked about coming up to DC to visit. Plus, my friend is getting married in June and I've been asked to be a groomsman so I'll definitely be back for that.

It was also much longer than normal. We went to a restaurant and then the dueling piano bar and then finally IHOP. I don't know how my working friends made it to work today. I slept until 11.

Oh, and happy hour was that much better knowing that I secured a job in the DC area! More on that later...

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Miracles

Miracle #1: I wasn't robbed.
Miracle #2: My car started without any troubles.

My parents made me worry unnecessarily about both of the above.

It was great to see everyone again (and, honestly, to drink again ;)). My friends are all in weird places with their job situations too. One just started a new job on Monday and his girlfriend/mother of his child may interview for another friend's current job (his contract is up in April).

I don't have any other firm plans for the next two weeks but there are definitely people I would like to see before I leave for good. I'm thinking a happy hour this coming week and maybe a going-away party at my apartment next weekend. But nothing for sure yet.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Obama!

One of the nice things about being unemployed is that you can attend events that would otherwise be impossible.

The Potomac Primaries (Maryland, Virginia, and DC) are tomorrow, so a lot of the candidates and candidates' families have been in and around town campaigning. I went this morning to see Barack Obama speak at the University of Maryland and I can see now why so many young people have gravitated to him.

It was a good day-long ordeal -- driving 20 minutes to the Metro station, riding the Metro for an hour, waiting in line for another hour, and then doing it all again on the way back -- but it was definitely worth it. I've never been to a Hillary Clinton rally (I went to a Bill Clinton rally in Austin in 1992), but I'm guessing that Obama has the ability to get the crowd fired up in a way that she lacks.

Policy-wise, Obama and Hillary are very similar (which makes sense, since they're both from the same party). However, I think Obama appeals to the idealism and excitement that defines the Democratic Party (and the same aspects that Bill Clinton invoked in '92 and '96, and that Gore and Kerry failed to capitalize on in successive election cycles).

Voters tend to support candidates that have attractive and magnetic personalities - not necessarily those that have the best policy ideas and/or experience.

It isn't always the most qualified person who gets the job. It's the person who does the best in the interview.
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OK, enough politics for now. After I attend the Hillary rally, this post will either be completely refuted or deleted ;)

Oh, and it's still weird that my parents come home around 4 now. They never did that when I was growing up.