Security!

So I started work today. It was quite the adventure. My new i-pod alarm went off at 6:05 this morning. This whole i-pod thing is kinda funny actually. I didn't even have an ipod until my computer crashed and I had to buy a new one and the ipod was part of the deal, and now I am basically relying on it all day long. My room came with the ipod home, which as far as I can tell, is a good way to charge your ipod and use it like a stereo/alarm clock. It works well for me. So, anyway, woke up, showered, looked outside. Pouring rain. Perfect. Good thing I brought pants with me, cuz otherwise, it would have been a very wet day. An hour later I had successfully tranferred my way to the Aerospace Center. Supposedly, my name was on some list to get me through security. However, being that the person running the intern show upstairs is an intern herself, I knew better than to expect it to really happen. So, yea, no name, no one answers their phones, so I hang out and catch up on the Washington Post, feeling very local, reading the local paper, making friends with the security guard who had to keep calling upstiars for me. About an hour later, maybe a little more (9amish), someone finally answered and I was allowed to go through security and upstairs. There, I met David, my new boss. Now, David, he is british. So, of course, we are basically best friends from the start. He is from northwest of London. That is all I remember.

Davis wisks me off down the hall and introduces me to everyone. I don't remember any names, but whatever, they all wear name tags, so this can't be that bad. I meet another intern, who as far as I can tell, is a moron, is going into his sophomore year, and doesn't know what he is studying in college. I am not calling him a moron for that reason, cuz we all know we were there once, but seriously, how does this guy get this job? I guess the lack of an interview probably helped him. Anyway, so then I meet Kim, who I have emailed many times, and had this hunch she would be nice. She was the intern coordinator (not the intern who was running everything, she wasn't in today, apparently she only comes in once a week, which i am sure only helps the organization that is her job). Anyway, so Kim is very friendly, and she and the other intern and I head over to "the castle", which is part of the actual Smithsonian main building, where they are holding intern orientation. So, I get badged for the SMithsonian, which entitles me to 20% off at the museum stores and restaurants (according to Kim, this makes the $10 burger only $8 at McDonalds). I also get free Imax movie tickets and some sort of free shuttle bus. I am excited about the Imax movies, get ready for an influx of movie updates. Apparently there is also some sort of intern gym in the Air and Space Museum. This totally reminds me of Joy and I trying to find out where the employee gym is on the Valley Floor in Yosemite (I bet some of you didn't know there was one, but there is...). ANyway, so after orientation, we made it back to the Aerospace Center between downpours. Then the real work starts. Well, not really, but basically Davis gives me a list of things he wants me to complete this summer. I am pretty sure I can do them all by the end of the week, so i am going to pace myself. However, today I did not have computer access, so nothing was done except a lot of reading, something I am very used to doing. He actually have me this book to look over that will be perfect for my thesis, so I don't mind spending the time reading it. I read all afternoon, with numerous breaks to get my second badge for the Aerospace building, to fill up the water bottle four times, and then of course to use the bathroom about a dozen times. Also, I stopped once becuase Steve, who as far as I can tell, is training within the professional development to be the admin assistant (or something like that), drove his remote control car into my wall. It was quite amusing. Anyway, so I left work at 4:15, after not really taking a lunch and being there for more than 8 hours. I felt like it was ok, especially when David told me I should go home. As I was leaving Steve told me I could go with his tomorrow to the Natural History museum (I think) to hang out while he gets interviewed for the Smithosonian newspaper (don't remember the name). You know this means they will be quoting me. Get ready, you will all get copies.

Anyway, so then I made it home after I stopped to buy soap and an iron. Both useful things to have, I hear. I also met my other roommate, Tanya, who is totally fun, kinda reminds me of someone, although I can't pinpoint who. Anyway, made some dinner, and now I am laying on my futon, trying intently to not fall asleep before the sun goes down.

Hope things are going well on the west coast (or wherever you are). Oh, and I think I fixed the comments area so now anyone can leave comments, not just Kiyomi.