The Nationals

So, last night was the Noblis Intern Social Event at Nationals Park. We were bused down there and were given tickets loaded with $35 to do with what we wished! Lee was able to come with the group since there were a few extra tickets available. We sat behind home plate in the PNC Diamond Club. Great seats!! Somebody in our group even caught a foul ball. Unfortunately, $35 doesn't really go too far at a ball park, but Lee and I managed to squeeze in two hot dogs, a basket of fries, a soda and a water for a shade under $30! So, that was most of one ticket. We enjoyed Helmet Sundaes (soft serve ice cream with one topping in a little plastic baseball helmet) for just $5 each! A steal! I was able to purchase a Nationals t-shirt with the rest of our funds. All-in-all, a great night! Well, except that the Nationals played like crap! Oh well, can't win them all I suppose! Lee was able to get a bunch of pictures of the group and the stadium. I have posted a few for your viewing enjoyment!

This one is Genny....she's the intern I mentor.....(I think Lee caught her offguard)

First Day of Summer BBQ

Saturday Lee and I had his family over for a BBQ. We did the normal dogs, burgers, sausages for the main meal and I made my sister's Bok Choy Salaaaaaad (there's a reason for all the a's, since my sister and brother-in-law like to sing that when they say it). I now have all my in-laws doing the same thing. Thanks Maureen and Andy! Anyway, I also prepared a pasta salad that ended up being delicious! It was so simple, but the dressing made it spectacular!! It is a Greek marinade/dressing from Greek Gazebo. My co-worker suggested it and I'm SO glad she did. Yumm-o! I made margaritas (apparently a little strong...woops!) and we had iced tea, lemonade, beer and water as well. All in all, it was a great time. They didn't stay too long and we had TONS of leftovers! Greg and Sarah were kind enough to grace us with their presence on Sunday to help us eat more of the food and drink more of the drink! It was a great weekend!

And.....before Greg and Sarah came over, Lee talked me into going on a bike ride with him. We ended up doing about 18 miles! That is the longest road bike ride I've ever been on! It was great. The weather was perfect! I look forward to getting out there again!! I wasn't too keen on going but Lee coaxed me into going and I'm glad I did!!

Broadlands Live

Tonight, Lee and I went to Broadlands Live. We don't actually live in Broadlands but they are kind enough to let other Ashburnites into the venue. It was actually pretty cool. There were about 8,482 kids with 8,482 strollers and/or wagons, but all in all......a great time! I know we will be better prepared next time we go. The rules stated no glass bottles, and for those of you who know us, you know we don't do canned beer. So, we came empty handed. Lee brought a couple airplane bottles of Jack for his coke, but that was about it. We learned that we can bring bottles in our cooler but we have to pour the beer into plastic or styrofoam cups. Good to know for next time!!! Also, we might have been the only people there that weren't chasing kids all over the place. As fun as that might be, it was nice to just sit still and listen to halfway decent music. If the sound guys could just figure out their equipment we might just be able to hear the music!! I'm sure they'll get all the glitches worked out for the next show.....Gonzo's Nose will be there! So far we are really enjoying living in Ashburn.

Backyard Bunny

Since we moved into our new place in Ashburn, we have noticed a plethora of rabbits in the neighborhood. Well, Farley has DEFINITELY noticed these rabbits and normally sees them way before we can brace ourselves for his lion instinct to chase and pounce! Anyway, yesterday I came home from the gym (after my spin class was CANCELED) and there was a pretty little bunny in the backyard. I knew this because Farley was going NUTS at the back door. So, I grabbed the camera and took a few shots.....here are some of the good ones!

Noblis Intern Program

I know, I know.....it's been FOREVER since I posted a blog! So sorry. So, to my fans out there.....Erica......Here is a new one for your reading enjoyment (or boredom, depends I guess)

Noblis (for those of you who don't know, that's where I work) started a pretty extensive internship program last summer. Apparently we've always had interns working here but last year was the first really organized program. To give some background on our company, visit our website. I have been working here for almost 10 years and it appears I will be a lifer. It truly is a wonderful place to work (overall). But I digress.......This year I received an email that was sent to a lot of the younger professionals here at Noblis asking for volunteers to mentor the interns this summer. I jumped at the opportunity because I knew it could be a lot of fun.

I was selected to be a mentor and am SO happy I did! I am getting so much out of this program. I know it's really meant for the interns, but I can't imagine any of the other mentors would say they aren't getting anything from it. There are 18 interns participating in the program this year. 3 of them are high school students and the rest are in various stages of their college degrees. I was assigned to Genny. She just finished her junior year at William and Mary studying International Business, Process Management and Consulting. She is interning in our Contracts department. I work in Procurement which is in the same division as Contracts, but it's very different work. So, I can't really help her with the work she is doing, but my job as a mentor is to ensure she is engaged in the work all summer long. The program started on the 9th and I fear she may already be losing interest. (Don't tell anyone, but you couldn't pay me enough to work in Contracts....well, maybe you can, but that's not the point)

At any rate, for the first few weeks of the program there are 2 intern lunch functions a week which I get to attend (free food!). These sessions are very interesting. This is where I am really getting a lot out of the program. So far we have talked about finding our strengths and dealing with our weaknesses and strategic thinking, planning and implementation. These are all things I am very interested in learning about, so this is working for me!

A few things I am learning as the program moves along:
1) The interns are so young
2) I feel very old
3) The interns are all SO polite
4) The interns like to call people Mr. and Mrs.
5) The interns are VERY eager to learn
6) A lot of the interns are not shy
7) A lot of the interns are shy
8) A lot of the interns have NEVER worked in an office before and don't know how to use fax machines
9) A lot of the interns have NEVER worked with people, only computers, so they have no communication skills (one thing I've already seen improvements in)

All in all, this has been a wonderful experience and it is only week 2! Next Tuesday we get to go to a Nationals game. We are taking a bus to the stadium, sitting in great seats, eating free food, and watching the game! What a great time!!!
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