We had a little bit of snow in November, but nothing that stuck around. This time, we got about a foot of snow in the District over the weekend, which was apparently a 30-year record.
Although this type of snow storm was nothing special back in Minnesota, D.C. is not equipped to handle snow at all.
I started 2018 feeling ridiculous — I just finished the first semester of my Georgetown tax LL.M. program but did not have any grades yet. I was unsure if I would fail my classes or ever get a decent job. Maybe this Washington D.C. adventure was a mistake.
Things quickly got better. Instead of failing, my grades were actually strong. Job offers came in, spring semester’s grades were even better than the fall, and I started working immediately after graduation.
I moved from Pentagon City to Chinatown, and got rid of my car. Everything fell into place and I became a proper Washingtonian.
I recently had the opportunity to return to Dallas to speak at a tax conference. It was a great way to meet existing and potential clients. This was also my first time giving a formal presentation on State and Local Taxation, which is not something every law firm allows first year associates to do.
Thank god I brushed my teeth before the morning dog walk.
After doing a loop around the National Mall, I direct the dogs back toward my apartment building.
I can see the fire trucks from down the street and think, “Please, please let those be for another apartment building. Maybe the place next door had a kitchen fire?”
But the fire trucks are totally for my building. And it isn’t just a normal false alarm — the fire hoses are actually plugged in and spewing water all over the street.
The District got its first snow storm of the season today and my dogs have two completely different opinions on the slushy mix.
One of the interesting things about Washington D.C. is that there are dozens of truly mixed-spaces for LGBT and straight people. Unlike straight venues in other cities that throw one-off gay events, there are many places in the District that consistently have mixed crowds. (Basically, the “gay bar that your straight friends don’t know is a gay bar.”)
Shaw’s Tavern is one of these mixed-spaces. One of my favorite events at Shaw’s is the Sunday night drag dinner show — which is early enough to be a responsible ending point for a Sunday Funday.
Fall is here, and the days are getting colder and shorter — so of course I purchased a Hawaiian shirt for Gunter.
It’s fall in Washington, D.C. and it looks like my neighbors are trying to squeeze in as much sunlight as possible during the afternoons.
Halloween may have been a bust this year, but the High Heel Race was as fabulous as ever. I attended a hilarious house party, saw some great costumes, and got to meet some very interesting people.
It was a strange, quiet Halloween this year.
Halloween in D.C. is never as exciting as the big gay block party back in Dallas, and this year was particularly muted. I think that I was exhausted from weeks of travel and my work schedule — also Halloween fell on a Wednesday, which made the weekend before feel too early to celebrate.
I visited Houston for the first time recently for the Texas Minority Counsel Program. The city reminded me a lot of Dallas, except downtown Houston felt more vibrant.
After a week full of networking, working, and spending way too much on Uber, I feel like I got a sense of the city.
The University of Miami has gone through some major renovations since the last time I visited.
The cell-block dorm towers are still there, as is the law school and library, however there is a brand new student center, a hospital, and the dumpy student dive bar is now a gorgeous multistory restaurant.
I’m used to seeing Trump-related graffiti around town, but Brett Kavanaugh is the new street art muse lately.
In addition to stumbling upon Fiesta DC, we intentionally went to D.C. Brewfest this weekend.
The festival was at the Bullpen, a venue near Nationals Park. It was a good time because we were with friends, but I don’t think any of us will go again next year — an “unlimited beer tasting” special isn’t worth it when the lines are 30 minutes long.
We stumbled upon a cultural festival this weekend while walking the dogs along the National Mall.
The festival is Fiesta DC — a Latino festival which features a parade of people dressed in the traditional costumes of various countries. We haven’t attempted to keep up with all of the events going on the National Mall and the Capital One Arena, so everyday is a surprise.
We spent the weekend in Miami for my mother’s birthday and then immediately launched back into a packed workweek back in D.C. I wanted to jot a few notes about the weekend before I forget everything…
It was my first time back to Miami in almost five years, and a lot has changed. I’ll cover the Miami trip in greater detail in posts during the coming weeks, but here are some quick observations:
Ingrid, the labradoodle, is on high-alert during our evening dog walks now. She’s not worried about potential muggers or prowlers, but instead focused on hunting rats.
One unexpected challenge of walking the dogs in Chinatown is the massive rat population in our neighborhood. The parks are filled with rat burrows and the prancing creatures are a big distraction for Ingrid.
I first realized that D.C. has a rat problem one night when we decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway behind several restaurants near Logan Circle. The alleyway was crawling with rodents that were completely unfazed by our presence. The rats darted from corners and swung from trashcans.
It was the wrong type of party to be at.
I got out of the office around 10 p.m. after an all-day meeting to find a tempest outside. I was completely soaked by the time that I got home — so much so that our front desk attendant refused to give me a package until I went upstairs and put on some dry clothes.
The rain continued throughout the weekend, but that did not stop us from going outside. We took an extended walk along the National Mall, wherein we and the dogs got drenched.
Afterward there was a meandering journey to find a lunch, where we got drenched again.
While walking the dogs through Chinatown and Judiciary Square this morning, I notice that someone trashed the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. A large binder containing officer names is ripped apart and the pages blanket the southern part of the memorial.
I reflexively take out my phone to Instagram the petty vandalism, but I immediately realize that I should take some responsibility over my new neighborhood and just clean up the damn mess. The wind hasn’t picked up most of the pages yet, so it’s better for me to handle this rather than waiting for the Park Service to show up.
I tie up the dogs and get to work.
It’s LL.M. orientation week. Last year, I was in the audience listening to alumni give study and job search advice. This year, I am on the same stage talking to a new crop of students.
I don’t get through all of my rehearsed talking-points, but I do manage to avoid saying anything stupid or outrageous. I repeatedly cautioned the students that securing a job offer from an externship is completely dumb luck on my part. But I probably sound like a lottery winner explaining that buying Powerball tickets is foolish.
My best piece of advice is: “Remember that massive book of information that the career office gave you? Actually read that and follow the instructions.”
If just one student uses that advice, then the panel was worth it.