Crazy World

At night I walk and look up into the trees.

Neon green buds spark against the dark blue sky. While dogwood flowers and cherry blossoms rain down as the wind blows. There is no time of the year to feel more alive than spring.

It makes the growing pains, the sorrow, the unknown all the more striking.

But it makes the days and the sunsets and the nights all the more glorious.

Here's to spring.

Work and Such

Tonight I raced out of the office to the National Geographic Society on M and 17th to attend the 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize presentation and reception.

The building is gorgeous even though I felt less so as I ran in feeling off-balance after a day of confronting what may be my professional weaknesses. More on that later.

The presentation was lovely and brought up on the stage some of the most amazing people doing grassroots organization for environmental causes in the world. These people do insane things from taking Chevron to court in Equador to writing songs about "washing your hands" that make top music charts in the UK.

I may be biased, but despite how amazing these people were, how well they spoke and how obviously passionate they were, seeing them up on stage made me understand even more fully just how amazing the people we elect as Fellows are.

Sometimes in the day to day of the office you can forget what you are working for, who you are working for. Even when you have Fellows staying at your house and out to dinner, their amazing humility and down-to-earth character (albeit in some cases) can make you forget just how insane their accomplishments really are.

Yes I attended an event tonight honoring some really amazing environmentalists but I get to work everyday for people doing just as remarkable things, and in many cases even more remarkable, in so many different fields all over the world.

After especially long, challenging days its a good feeling to know why you are working and in spite of plenty of interesting challenges, I feel really lucky to be where I am.

Treading Water

Today was a day of feeling scrappy. Of simultaneously wanting to throw caution to the wind and pout and cry and of on the other hand wanting to go for a run and buy groceries and retain some feeling of control over the crazy concoction of my current life.

I chose to eat pizza and watch Family Guy "Star Wars" instead with a damn good friend who was also in a shitty mood.

Tomorrow I'll go for a run (fingers crossed). Wednesday I'll work late going to the Goldman Environmental Prize reception and calling Indonesia. Thursday maybe we'll go out for Happy Hour (Booze and Blossoms according to Greg)

The rest of the days will probably pass quickly until at this time next Friday, I'll be landing in Mumbai. Minus the working weekend still coming off jet lag I can't wait.

Now if only I could get my zen together enough to go buy some damn groceries before then.