Whee! Schmoozing with colonels and generals like it was an every day affair. Making connections. Getting names of other people to contact for potential assignments down the road. Heck, I'm even formulating a plan that would have me do a clerkship and come BACK to good ol' dod. (of course, I have to persuade a judge to hire me first for that one.) But, the stuff people are doing out here is super interesting to me. And they're really doing the stuff they say they are, because we got to watch today.

This all makes me feel way more hopeful about things. Maybe I just have the world's crappiest first assignment, and in a few months I'll be somewhere else and not hating my job. Yay!

Meanwhile, the Rat is in the air now and joining me for a weekend of sightseeing. I can't wait to show him the things I saw last time and see some of the things I haven't seen yet. Tomorrow we have a tour of congress. Might do the monument circuit or a museum or something. It'll be hot and muggy (to us).

Indian Givers! ;-)
 

Oprah plugged it and it caused pandemonium

The Rat is here! All is well!

YAY!

So....today I'm baking apple pies for my mother in law for mothers day tomorrow. I've never, ever baked a pie before - I'm something of a kitchen novice.

Had tasted a recipe of apple pies actually baked inside a brown paper bag (like a grocery bag). Makes me somewhat nervous having paper in my 400 degree even even knowing that paper doesn't ignite until hotter than that, but still....the whole idea of putting a paper bag in an over is bizarre.

Anyway, here's hoping they turn out well!

Let us know the results!

I made two so I could try one. They admittedly aren't pretty, but it tastes pretty damn good.

The top crust is sprinkle on flour, sugar, and butter crumble, and I'm sure there must be an art to making it look good. But tasty and I'm quite happy with my first attempt.

Good job on the pie making! I call that a Dutch apple pie, with a bottom crust and crumb topping. I find if the crumb mix is fine it's easier to distrubute somewhat evenly but they don't always look beautiful. They're even more delicious with a little vanilla bean ice cream!

Now I want one. I think I still have one in the freezer. I usually make two or three and then freeze them to bake later.

And now the Rat is on his way home again. :( It was a fun little vacation (although my feet are killing me), but I've got a long week ahead of me to spend alone in this hotel room.