Tag: 2019

My DC Staycation

DC trip 2 (4)I love a local getaway, or as some call it, a staycation.  I’m the queen of renting a hotel room, and acting like I’m on a legit vacation, regardless of whether I caught a plane or took a 20 minute car ride to get there.  Mentally escaping my day-to-day routine does not necessarily require taking leave from work or taking a flight.  So for Valentine’s day, my boyfriend and I decided to do an over-nighter in DC this past weekend.

I worked in DC for over 20 years, but that feels like a million years ago.  I’m no longer working in the nation’s capital, and now that I’m co-habitating, I live over an hour away from the city.  So going back to DC felt like a chance to revisit my old stomping grounds and it was also an opportunity to see what’s new since I was last there.

I don’t like to rip and run on vacation…or staycation.  My requirements for a trip or a staycation to be successful are pretty easily attainable.  I like to find a nice bar and a place to listen to music, I like a few nice photo opps, and maybe a cute store to buy a trinket.  If I can do those things, that’s a staycation well-done, in my world at least.

Staying one night in DC is hardly enough time to explore all of the new areas, such as the Wharf or Center City.  It really didn’t give us time to visit monuments or check out museums.  So what the heck did we do???

So here’s what I did.  I reserved a cute hotel for a rate that I thought was reasonable, packed my bags, and showed up there.  That’s about all the up-front planning that I did.  My thought was…there are bars and restaurants and cool spots throughout the whole city.  Once I get to the hotel, we can walk a few blocks and see what pulls us in.  Did that idea work?  Sorta.  Here’s how the overnighter played out.

Arrived at hotel:  Traffic from Baltimore County into DC made me realize that I don’t miss working in the city.  I chose the Kimpton Hotel Rouge in Dupont.  Kimpton hotels are always nice, and this one had saucy red lacquer and leather decor that felt very Valentine-y.  So I was super excited.  The rate was ok ($128), but there were so many additional fees that it irked me.  $19 taxes, $25 amenity fee, and $4 amenity fee tax…even the fees have their own taxes…what???  I was also concerned about the parking.  The hotel offered valet for $47—UGH! —plus $9 parking tax (are you kidding me!?!).  There were no garages in the near vicinity that proved to be a better deal.  And the only thing worse than DC street parking is DC street parking overnight.  The confusing signage just made my nerves bad.  So we opted for the valet.  This worked well convenience-wise,  but the price was steep and the tax on the steep price was just irritating.  This is definitely one part of being in the city that I do not miss at all.

Found a great restaurant:  After eenie-meenie-miney-moe to figure out which direction to head…we opted to walk towards Dupont Circle in search of a place for lunch.  After reading a few menus, we decided on a place called Magnolia Kitchen & Bar.  Affordable prices, a nice drink menu, and chic decor appealed to all of our senses.  Add an attentive staff, a perfect playlist and great food, and we loved this place.  I even pulled the manager aside and told him as much.

Stumbled into a beer garden:  OK, this was a complete accident.  While walking back to the hotel, I had to use the bathroom super, super bad.  I saw a bouncer and an open door and decided this was a good place to find a restroom.  We hiked a million stairs to the roof and found the PACKED Sauf Haus Bier Hall, where we were pretty certain we were the oldest people in the place.  After standing in line at the bathroom, we actually decided to stay for a drink.  Despite the fact that I HATE packed places and that it felt like I was at a frat house day party, we actually had a blast.  One drink transitioned into a dance…and then another drink and more dancing.  The dj was clearly more our age because I swear every song took me back to either high school or college.

Had free happy hour at the hotel:  We pulled ourselves out of the beer hall and headed back to the hotel for their free happy hour.  The selection wasn’t extensive, but we enjoyed a few glasses of free wine, and that was perfect for us.  They also had a hot cider with bourbon.  What more can you ask for for free??

Went to U Street for live music and dinner:  This is where the decision to wing it fell apart.  My coworker recommended Jojo DC, and raved about the food and live music, so this was one place I knew I would try on our trip.  And this was the one thing that didn’t quite pan out.  It didn’t occur to me to make a reservation, and since we went relatively early in the evening, I figured we’d have no issues with getting a table.  WRONG…so wrong.  It was standing room only at the bar, and none of the smart people who made reservations flaked.  So we never got a table and eventually left.

Had brunch before we left:  We did quite a bit of drinking on Saturday, so naturally the first thing on our minds on Sunday was food.  We decided to go to Commissary DC, which was only a few blocks away.  But I learned from my lesson the previous night, and this time I called to make a brunch reservation.  Good thing, because it was packed when we got there, and there was a long wait without a reservation.  The food was delicious!  The staff worked as a perfect team, and the ambiance was perfect and eclectic.

Even with the things that didn’t pan out, we had a great time.  Lots of laughs and dancing and snuggles…it made for a great V-day date and we’d probably do it the exact same way the next time.

tata for now -m- (2)

justamarylandgirl

What it’s like being on furlough

what it's like being on furlough

Shutdown 2018 is trending everywhere and is on every news outlet.  It’s a pretty big deal and has the potential to impact almost everyone in one way or another.  From visiting national parks to filing your taxes to catching a flight, in some way your life could possibly be touched.  While you may feel one way or another about the circumstances surrounding the current shutdown, which is now on its 24th day with no end in sight, the reality is that there are real-world consequences to this whole ordeal.

Living in the region that surrounds the nation’s capital, the impact of a government shutdown is a little more prominent than regions outside of this political hotbed.  With the current shutdown impacting 800,000 workers total, about half of those workers are located in the DC metro area.  It is the livelihood of this region.  It is hard to find a household that doesn’t contain someone that works for the government, or that doesn’t contain someone who is a contractor for the government.  Nearly every business in this region relies on government employees buying their products or services.  Restaurants rely on patrons that are government employees.  Caregivers provide services to children of government employees.  Even ride-share providers such as Uber and Lyft rely on the comings and goings of government employees in this area for income.  In short, when the government shuts down, this region suffers.  Money is not flowing, inventories are not being purchased, services are not being contracted.  It literally takes food off the table of a majority of households in this region.  And with this particular shutdown overlapping the Christmas holiday, a time when people go above and beyond their normal spending, a major employer shutting down is huge.

I’ve been a humble civil servant for 13 years now.  Prior to federal service, I worked for huge multinational businesses.  But I was always told by family and friends that true job security happens when you work for the government.  Known for its stable work structure and great benefits, those that work for the government tend to retire from the government.  For most, the stability is the biggest selling point for becoming a federal employee.  It was for me.  I was in a place where I wanted to think about my long term future, I wanted to feel like I was doing something useful for my fellow citizens, and I wanted the stability that came with a job with the government.  And in my 13 years as a civil servant, I’ve had two second significant shutdowns (the first being in 2013 and lasted for 17 days), the second happened so quickly that we only missed a day’s work, and this one is my third.  In addition, there have been too many to count shutdown threats.  I never had anything like this in private industry.

So on behalf of those 800,000 workers dealing with this situation, and waiting to know when and if they will return to work, let me explain what it’s like being on furlough.

Mild.  Initially.  The shutdown came as people were preparing for the holidays, doing last minute shopping, ripping and running to various events and parties, and traveling to their holiday destinations.  What better time for your office to close for a couple days?  The assumption was that come the new year, this would all be sorted out in time to jump back into work as scheduled.

Uncertain.  It began to become obvious that this shutdown had the potential to not see a quick resolution.  And then the real-world issues started coming to mind.  When and if I will receive another pay check, how far will those funds last me, do I have savings to last a while, what bills are due, how much money is available to spend on groceries and gas, how long do I have to prepare for?

Confused.  As you start weighing out the few options you have in front of you, you don’t know whether to hold your position and do nothing; file for unemployment knowing the consequences; or potentially be late with paying bills and deal with the dominoes that fall from making that decision.  It became imperative to start mapping out a few possible plans for money in the near future.

Worried.  I don’t want to say I am not feeling the stress of the shutdown, but I will say that I am fortunate to co-habitate with someone that’s not a government employee, and that my only dependent is my aging, ornery cat.  However, we are, at the moment, paying for two households, and our finances are kept separately, so any money that I may need will have to be asked for and paid back (my preference, not his).  While spending habits may have to be adjusted for the home, I am not likely to go hungry or homeless.  But…for those that live in single-income households, that have children, that take care of parents, that are dealing with a less than ideal situation, and that money paid on time every time, is imperative to their day-to-day survival, this situation is dire.  If you miss one check, you may be able to hold off a landlord or creditor for a little while.  You may be able to use gift cards from the holidays or tighten up the food budget to make ends meet for a little while. You can put yourself in a no-spend status for a few weeks and hope it ends quickly.  But that may not work for all situations because a lot of bills just do not work like that, and that’s worrisome.

Heartbroken. For those that are required to report to work with no pay, my heart truly breaks.  Commuting to work takes money, cleaning uniforms takes money, parking your car, catching a train, riding a bus…all takes money.  Paying for childcare while you’re at work takes money.  And for some, the ability to get to a job and work it, while getting paid nothing in return…is not only wrong, impossible, and f*^$’d up, it’s demoralizing and hurtful.  It’s causing people to call out sick, leaving their fellow employees overworked and vulnerable, which in turn puts the public at risk.  Workers ranging from prison guards to TSA workers, calling out sick because it’s too costly or too demoralizing to come to work, thus putting the other safety officers at risk because they are understaffed, or putting the public at risk because something slides through undetected.  Words like “involuntary servitude” are being used and that’s essentially what it amounts to.  It’s just heartbreaking to think about all of the people that are suffering or the people that could potentially be harmed.

Stressed.  As February 1st approaches, issues such as healthcare start coming into play.  With no paychecks, health insurance eventually will stop getting paid, and with no pay coming in, furloughed employees may be unable to pay their own premiums out of pocket.  Sickness and injury happens all day every day, and potential lack of healthcare leaves furloughed workers and their families vulnerable to risks.  In addition, February 1st will mark a month without pay, and the point where credit scores may start being effected, landlords may be unforgiving, and the pantry may start getting more and more bare.  All of that is scary and stressful beyond words.

Infuriated.  You feel like a pawn in a game that you have no control over.  You feel like people do not truly care about you, your family, your friends, or your livelihood.  All they care about are pride issues…winning, losing, saving face, how they are perceived, getting jabs in, media time, etc.  Meanwhile your family, friends, and neighbors are suffering in very real ways.

Hopeless.  The sides that control your situation are dug in.  Neither wants to budge.  Neither wants to listen.  And each day, it seems like they get more set on staying that way.  It feels out of your control, and it quite frankly, feels hopeless.

I do honestly feel like EVENTUALLY this situation will be resolved and things will get back on track.  I never thought I’d be at almost the month mark without knowing how long it will go on.  This has given me some time to do some things around the house (purge anyone??), and do some writing, which I feel like I never have time for.  But I’d love to put some of the emotions mentioned above to bed, and get back to work.

tata for now -m- (2)

justamarylandgirl

Purge–and have it picked up

donations 1

It’s time to get rid of that futon. And that old desk.  And that cabinet with three legs that you swore you’d find another leg for and paint and make brand new.  But you’re going on 10 years since making that promise, and let’s face it — it’s never going to happen.  Ever.  It’s time to let those long-held items go, let them find a new home with an owner that will live up to its promise to refurbish and make it whole again.  It’s not you.  It’s never going to be you.  Ever.

If you’re like me, one of the main reasons those items linger around your home way too long, is because they aren’t exactly going to squish into the back of your fiat or your volvo hatchback.  Even if you have an SUV like I do, some furniture is just too large to fit, or too heavy to carry alone, or would require entirely too many trips back and forth to the organization, or would require you asking a friend, which no one ever wants to do for fear of owing a favor…or you’re lazy.  Like me.  No judgment here, I promise.

So you have to figure out other arrangements.  The good news is that there are lots of charity organizations that will gladly take these items off your hands, and they will come to your home to pick them up from you.  Here are a few organizations that will do just that:

SALVATION ARMY:  This is probably going to be the way to go if you have a lot of random and bulky items that aren’t accepted by every organization.  They accept a wide range of furniture, home goods, appliances and clothing.  This is the option I went with.  They have a very simple website that, in a few short clicks and keystrokes, allow you to set up your pick-up date and location.  You can be present or leave the items in a location outside the home for them to grab.  It doesn’t really get much easier than this.

This organization accepts:  appliances, automobiles, clothing, furniture, household items, and miscellaneous items.

GREEN DROP:  This organization is a one-stop shop for multiple charities.  Your donation to Green Drop can benefit The American Red Cross, Purple Heart, National Federation of the Blind, and/or St. Vincent de Paul of Philadelphia.  You can donate at a Green Drop location or arrange to have your items picked up and they will also notify you when they will be in your neighborhood again.  Because, let’s face it, there’s always more purging to be done.  If you are doing a home clean-out, Green Drop will send a concierge to your home to let you know what they can accept, and to help you and your driver prepare for your upcoming donation.  Say whaaaaat????

This organization accepts:  clothing, bedding, tools, collectibles, kitchenware, toys, small appliances, electronics, musical instruments, and sporting goods.  They do NOT accept tv’s or tubular computers.  All donations must be less than 50 pounds.

PURPLE HEART:  Aside from its charitable work for veterans, this organization is best known its car donation program.  I have personally donated a car to Purple Heart in the past, and found the process to be simple and flawless.  A quick trip to the website and you can arrange to have your car picked up by the organization.  You can also donate clothing and home items by using Green Drop.

Please note, you must have a clean title (no liens) to donate your car.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY:  Best known for their work building houses, this organization also has its thrift store (the Habitat Re-Store), which sells building materials and other items that went unused in their home building, along with furniture and home furnishings.  Some locations will come and pick up your donated items from your home.  Habitat for Humanity also accepts car donations.

This organization accepts: new and gently used appliances, furniture, building materials, household goods, cars, and more.

SECOND CHANCE:  This charitable organization deconstructs buildings and homes, salvages usable materials and makes those available to the public through their 200,000 square feet of retail space.  With the revenue generated, Second Chance provides job training and workforce development for those with employment obstacles in the Baltimore region.

This organization accepts old doors and windows, hardware and tools, ironwork and mantles, and gently used furniture, building materials, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, tubs, sinks, accessories, household goods, garden elements, collections, lighting or unique architectural items in good to excellent condition.  They even accept automobiles and homes.

COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK:  Started by a couple of college kids in 2003, this organization has grown and is now a franchised moving company that offers full-service residential and commercial moving, junk removal, donation pickups, and moving labor services across the United States and Canada.  Unlike nonprofit organizations, this is a company that charges a fee for its services.  But don’t shy away from that.  If you need stuff gone in a hurry, this is one way to do it.  And we all know, sometimes paying money is worth your peace of mind.

For items that you wish to donate, College Hunks will remove your items and take them for donation to places such as Goodwill, Green Drop, and Habitat for Humanity.

This organization:  does furniture and junk removal, appliance removal and recycling, yard waste cleanup, electronics recycling, carpet removal and recycling, mattress disposal, tire removal and recycling, office equipment removal, trash removal and garbage pickup, scrap metal removal, home junk removal and recycling, hot tub removal, and attic clean-out.  They will also In short, there is not much in your home that they will not help you remove or get rid of.

This is in no way an all-encompassing list.  Each area has local charities that may also provide donation pick-up services.  Do some research and see what your area has to offer.  But the take-away from this post is that this is motivation to get to purging.  Don’t let your car sitch or your lack of help keep you from getting on with your purging efforts.  Get your trash bags and boxes and fill them up.  Make the call, get your pick-up scheduled, and have your items ready to go when your crew arrives!

tata for now -m- (2)

 

justamarylandgirl